Серия книг «Century of the Soldier 1618-1721» — 108 книг — стр. 3

The English troops serving in Ireland were vital source of experienced and possibly war-winning manpower sought after by both King and Parliament in the Civil War. The “cessation” or truce which King Charles reached with the Irish Confederates in September 1643 enabled him to begin shipping over troops from Ireland to reinforce the Royalist armies. During the following year the “Irish”, as they were frequently if inaccurately known by both sides were an important factor in the war. The Nantwich campaign (December 1643-January 1644), the consolidation of Royalist control in the Welsh Marches during the spring of 1644, the Marston Moor campaign, and the Battle of Montgomery (September 1644) all received major contributions from the troops from Ireland. Other troops from Ireland, mainly from the province of Munster, provided important reinforcements for the Western and Oxford Royalist armies during the 1644 campaigns in western and southern England. The “Irish” were still a significant part of the Royalist army during the Naseby campaign of 1645, and elements remained in action until the end of the war. The book will look at the Irish campaign and its influence on the experience and behaviour of the troops when they reached England. It will examine their equipment, logistical care, and experience following their return. It will look at the performance of some of the troops, such as the “firelocks” who changed sides and became valuable additions to the Parliamentarian forces. Also examined is the controversial topic of “native Irish“ troops who were involved, and a number of prominent individuals who also served in the war. Full use is made of extensive contemporary primary sources and also later research.

The English troops serving in Ireland were vital source of experienced and possibly war-winning manpower sought after by both King and Parliament in the Civil War. The “cessation”…

The reign of Louis XIV of France had a great impact on the course of European and world military history. The years 1643 to 1715 were a defining epoch for western military, diplomatic, and economic matters. Most of those years were marked by conflict between major European powers and the Sun King’s forces. This four-volume series is the first that present an extensive account of the many facets of the French army and the wars it fought. It was an era during which the Sun King’s and eventually all armies saw extraordinarily significant changes such as: the advent of very large professional armies, increasingly centralized command systems, professional training for officers and men, introduction of obligatory military service, improvements in discipline and control, technical advances regarding armament thus affecting battlefield tactics, marked progress regarding fortifications, introduction of uniforms, logistics capable of supplying large armies, financial practices that permitted the upkeep and pay large military forces. The above and even more factors produced many influences that weighted heavily in European geo-political and geo-strategic matters. In these, the Sun King largely dominated Europe’s agenda from the time he took effective autocratic power in 1661 to his last moments in 1715. Since his army was, initially, the largest, most modern and effective in Europe, he had success to the point that neighbouring countries formed coalitions to stop him. However, the Sun King was a master at geo-strategy, notably regarding the balance that he managed to maintain with the Ottoman Empire whose forces always threatened the eastern frontiers of France’s opponents. Thus, France’s forces were always sufficient to keep enemies mostly on the defensive; it was unthinkable that they would ever reach Paris. These and many more topics are presented in this four volume work. Each volume is basically in two parts. The first part is the era of the wars and their context, the second part consist of a detailed look at a part of the French army. The appendices present certain aspects such as uniform lists of the period and evaluations of opponent and allied armies of the Sun King’s forces.

The reign of Louis XIV of France had a great impact on the course of European and world military history. The years 1643 to 1715 were a defining epoch for western military,…

While some military historians of the English Civil Wars continue to focus on the national conflict and major campaigns, and assert that the considerations of counties and regions was little more than a disconnected series of petty local struggles, several new interpretations about the nature and effectiveness of local forces have challenged this notion. This book describes the parliamentarian armed forces in Cheshire commanded by Sir William Brereton in detail. Focusing on the military operations,organisation, leadership, pay and equipping of this army, it explores itscontribution to the wider regional context. In doing so it utilizes a range of primary sources, many of which have neither been studied before, nor published. Although an overview of the broad military campaigns, and the regional and more widespread strategy of the conflict are provided, the author concentrates on the leadership, context and nature of the regiments under the command of Brereton and his officers, whilst casting light upon the composition, supply, clothing, financing and effectiveness of what would rapidly become a seasoned and important fighting force, albeit mainly on a regional stage. The book enhances our knowledge of the Parliamentary war effort and civil-war forces in the northwest and beyond, whilst locating the Cheshire army in its wider military and strategic context. Several new interpretations about the nature and effectiveness of local forces, as well as how the parliamentarian soldiers in Cheshire were recruited, trained, led, paid, fed, equipped and clothed, are extensively scrutinized.

While some military historians of the English Civil Wars continue to focus on the national conflict and major campaigns, and assert that the considerations of counties and regions…

This book throws new light on the men who fought for the Stuarts in Scotland from the beginning of the Jacobite cause in 1689 to Glenshiel in 1719 by drawing on the work of historians and a wide range of primary sources and therefore presenting a picture based on the evidence available. I am minded to rise looks at the variety of clothing and weapons used by the different Jacobite armies in this time period as well as their material culture used by them to show their allegiance to the Stuarts and the Jacobite cause. This book will appeal to those interested in the Jacobite Risings reenactors, wargamers, fans of Outlander, anyone with an interest in Scottish clothing from 17th and 18th centuries and the Scottish diaspora who, thanks to a growing interest in family history, are keen to know more about their Scottish heritage.

This book throws new light on the men who fought for the Stuarts in Scotland from the beginning of the Jacobite cause in 1689 to Glenshiel in 1719 by drawing on the work of…

The book re-evaluates both the plug bayonet as a weapon and its implementation which fundamentally changed how it impacted both the formation and tactics of all armies of the long seventeen century. The plug bayonets reputation was marred by General Hugh Mackay following his defeat at the Battle of Killiekrankie on the 27th July 1689 when he supposedly stated: ‘his men were defeated by an unforeseen technical flaw in their weaponry [plug bayonet]’. This view of the plug bayonet has been re-iterated constantly over the following 300 years, with military historian’s sideling the plug bayonet as a dead-end technology with little to commend it.

While the introduction of the bayonet was a monumental step in the development of infantry in infantry tactics from pike to shot, one chapter will look at some of the other important developments with military technology. It will look at the arguments of matchlock vs flintlock and how they developed, and the introduction of Chevaux de frise, etc. It will prove that unlike some previous assertions, advancements within this sphere were not linier in nature. I will show that the adoption of the bayonet or the re-adoption of the pike were down to individual regimental colonel’s perception of these weapons, and in some cases the overall general in charge of specific operations.

The following chapter investigates the changes within infantry battalion drill’s and organisation. How foot battalions went from up to one third of all soldiers armed only with defensive weapons (the pike) to battalions fully armed with both offensive and defensive weapons, the musket with bayonet. This development increased the firepower of any one battalion by up to one third, a step which was as a direct consequence of the introduction of the plug bayonet.

The book will show that the plug bayonet was not only in use with English forces during the Dunkirk campaign in the early 1660’s, but the English establishment bought into the idea of the plug bayonet earlier than previously thought and placed large orders from the 1670’s, with the Board of Ordnance ordering 10,000 plug bayonets in 1678. Additionally, it will show that contemporary privately printed drill manuals are a valuable and accurate tool for identifying changes in military drill. It will identify how issues of supply and demand affected both English and continental armies.

This is the first book whose primary focus is on the plug bayonet and its lasting impact on military tactics and equipment. The book will highlight that a piece of technology, which was derived from a civilian hunting weapon developed to hunt boar’s during the 16th century, that was still in use as such in Spain and Germany in the 19th century, transferred to an important piece of military equipment. As such, the plug bayonet was in use with the English army from c1660 until after 1700, being in use for over 40 years of service and as such does not deserve its reputation as a failure.

The book re-evaluates both the plug bayonet as a weapon and its implementation which fundamentally changed how it impacted both the formation and tactics of all armies of the long…

The book describes and analyses the early modern Swedish army, with a particular emphasis on the reforms introduced by King Gustavus Adolphus before and during the Thirty Years War. Furthermore, the book expands our understanding of the Swedish army during the Thirty Years War by also focusing on its operations on the eastern front, against Russian and Polish opponents, and not only on the better-known operations in Germany against the Catholic League and the Holy Roman Empire. Sweden had a long history of conflict with neighbouring countries, and the reforms introduced by King Gustavus Adolphus had their origin in wars fought in the early seventeenth century, before or in the early phases of the Thirty Years War. The Kalmar war with Denmark, the Novgorod and Pskov campaigns in Russia, the conquest of Livonia, and the war with Poland played important roles in preparing the Swedish army for the wars on the continent from 1630 onwards. While some of the technical and tactical innovations attributed to the Swedish Army in the Thirty Years War are myths, others were real. Possibly of yet more enduring importance were the Swedish Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna’s administrative reforms. A conscription system was established which consistently managed to raise troops, despite the small population of Sweden and its territories. A logistics system was introduced which could supply the armies, despite the vast geographical depth of operations. The intelligence service was developed into a comprehensive support establishment to military operations. It is fair to say that the Swedish army that entered the Thirty Years War and the organisation that enabled it formed the foundation for the subsequent Swedish rise to regional great power status. While the army of Gustavus Adolphus has been described elsewhere, the book includes current research that has not yet appeared in the English language. It also, unlike most previous works, explains how the Swedish experiences on the eastern front influenced Gustavus Adolphus and his views on how to build a modern army that could challenge the established great powers on the continent.

The book describes and analyses the early modern Swedish army, with a particular emphasis on the reforms introduced by King Gustavus Adolphus before and during the Thirty Years…

Conflicts between Christian powers and the Ottoman Empire displayed completely different characteristics compared to other contemporary wars fought in Europe, war without mercy being the norm. The tones adopted by Western literature to describe the Ottomans resemble the ones recently used against the communist bloc and the Soviet Union, and it is probably not a coincidence that certain prophecies about the sultan, such as his arrival in Rome and watering the horse in San Pietro, survived until the post-1945 period, replacing the Grand Turk with the Red Army’s Cossacks.

This book deals with the organization, the composition and the history of the army of the Sublime Porte, starting from the information contained in Western sources. This approach, despite the partial origin of the information, allows a critical examination of the sources and the formulation of a vision that is not conditioned by the clichés that often occur about such topics, returning us to a a neutral vision of the complex Ottoman ‘Military’ represented with all its refined and sumptuous costumes and weapons apparatus.

A larger part of the work is dedicated to the different types of clothing and insignia of the different corps, their evolution and the meaning of the different symbols.

Conflicts between Christian powers and the Ottoman Empire displayed completely different characteristics compared to other contemporary wars fought in Europe, war without mercy…

In 1685, James, Duke of York, ascended to the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland. As the first catholic monarch in 150 years many believed that his reign would be short and that he would be succeeded by his eldest daughter Mary, a protestant, who was married to her cousin William, Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the United Dutch Provinces.

James’ close ties to King Louis XIV of France served to fuel the fires of discontent, and when a male heir was born in June 1688 a number of nobles and clergymen, fearing a backlash of Catholic absolutism, invited William of Orange to take the throne.

William duly invaded, and after a desultory campaign, James fled the country for refuge in France, it being claimed that his flight constituted a legal abdication but whilst William sought to consolidate his position in England and Scotland, the Earl of Tyrconnell – James’ viceroy in Ireland – began to prepare for his master’s restoration.

Actively supported by King Louis XIV who viewed any military activity in Ireland as a useful diversion to keep his enemies occupied, James’ supporters enjoyed early success, but defeats at Newtownbutler, Derry and – above all – at the Boyne destroyed James’ confidence, and he fled his kingdoms for a second and final time.

William’s army pursued the enemy to the gates of Limerick but failed to capture the city before winter set in, giving the Jacobites a much needed respite in which to reorganize and resupply themselves, during which time military supplies and a coterie of advisors led the by the Marquis de St Ruth, arrived from France.

After failing to halt the Williamite crossing of the Shannon in the summer of 1691 St.Ruth, running out of room in which to manoeuvre elected to take up a defensive position and invite an enemy attack, occupying Kilcommadan Hill, near the Galway village of Aughrim.

Although his own army was now at the end of a tenuous line of communication and supply, Godard van Reede, commanding the Williamite army, accepted the challenge and the two forces clashed on Sunday 12th July 1691.

The strength of the Jacobite position was such that their opponents could initially make no headway, but an unordered redeployment of troops opened up a dangerous gap in their lines and when St. Ruth attempted to correct the error he was killed by enemy cannonfire.

In 1685, James, Duke of York, ascended to the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland. As the first catholic monarch in 150 years many believed that his reign would be short and…

Fighting for Liberty gives a gritty blow-by-blow account of the campaigns of 1685. A conflict that starts in Orkney and ends on the battlefield of Sedgemoor. Today there is a myth that the rebels were a misguided peasant rabble, easily put down by disciplined lines of red-coated soldiers, but this is not reflected in the original correspondence, marching orders, and manuscripts. These tell a vastly different and far more dramatic story, one that pits the British Army against its former victorious captain general, the Duke of Monmouth. A forgotten story that involves marches across mountains, naval actions, and battles over desolate hilltops. After 20 years of research, Fighting for Liberty offers a fresh perspective on the events that became known as the Monmouth Rebellion, and will change your understanding of 1685.

The Whigs have been preparing for an invasion of Britain since 1683. Their aim is to restore the liberty of Parliament and stop divine rule by popish kings. However, the death of Charles II accelerates their design, they load ships with soldiers and empty warehouses of vast stockpiles of the latest weapons, including bayonets, grenades, and firelock muskets. Led by the Earl of Argyll and the Duke of Monmouth, they have an audacious plan to attack in three strategic locations, supported by an uprising in London. With enough drums, colours, and officers to raise well-led and paid armies, the fight for liberty can begin. To counter this threat the government of the new King, James II, locks down the country, closing borders and making arrests across the realm. As the local militia struggle to contain the invasions, and the Whig armies grow day by day, James is forced to rush regular troops to the landing sites. However, even with a network of spies, and the nation's military resources in play, James struggles to gain the initiative against the Whig invaders.

For centuries historians have ignored the planning and logistical aspects of the war, instead they have focused on the personalities of Monmouth, Marlborough, and James II. However, the military campaigns reveal the true scale and tension of the conflict. Fighting for Liberty uncovers the turmoil of 1685, to portray an organised Whig invasion that places the Government and its unprepared forces on the back foot. This fight is no longer a foregone conclusion, instead it is a combat between professional armies, with commanders struggling to gain the initiative, and all facing different operational challenges. Fighting for Liberty details the action as it unfolds, from the initial planning to the Government reaction and the bloody battles. Every step is placed in the historic landscape, and every battle is described, from the armies and officers to the weapons and drill. Fighting for Liberty offers a fresh and vibrant account of the Monmouth Rebellion, the Battle of Sedgemoor and warfare in the late seventeenth century.

Fighting for Liberty gives a gritty blow-by-blow account of the campaigns of 1685. A conflict that starts in Orkney and ends on the battlefield of Sedgemoor. Today there is a myth…

The reign of Louis XIV of France had a great impact on the course of European and world history. The years 1643 to 1715 were a defining epoch for western military, diplomatic, economic and cultural matters. It was an era during which the French and eventually all armies saw extraordinary changes such as the rise of large professional armies, standardized command practices, professional training, improvements in discipline and control, technical advances in military sciences and weapons thus affecting tactics, introduction of uniforms, introduction of obligatory military service, financial and logistical practices that permitted the upkeep of large armies.

This four-volume series is the first to present all the aspects of the Sun King’s extraordinary armed forces – the best and largest in western Europe – and their enormous influence on all other armies. His armies will be looked at in detail insofar as what they were, how they performed, who led them and what sort of world officers and men lived in through their material culture – arms, uniforms, colours, food, healthcare and money to name a few topics. Auxiliary forces such as the unknown yet very numerous militia forces of several types are also presented.

Each volume has a wealth of some 200 illustrations, many in colour, plus 5 specially commissioned colour plates illustrating largely unknown colours and uniforms carefully reconstructed from descriptions in original documents of the period.

Volume 3 examines an age of intolerance: the Protestant tragedy in France and the Irish tragedy. Tens of thousands of Protestants fled France. Various military and political events of the later 1680s, notably the “Glorious Revolution” of 1688 which chased out King James II and installed William of Orange as King William III of Great Britain, led to hostilities in 1689-1691 with Ireland being secured by William. The French cavalry, by far Europe’s largest cavalry force, is examined in detail. It included the Gendarmerie de France, which was a privileged division between the guards and the line cavalry. The line cavalry evolved from a fairly standard heavy cavalry force in the 1640s to a more complex arm of the service that first added numerous dragoon regiments in the 1670s, a division of rifled-armed elite Carabiniers in the 1690s and also the advent of Hussars as light cavalry at that time. The peculiar organisation of the cavalry with its Mestre de Camp Général and Colonel Général is also described, and some of its personalities had rather colourful careers. Arms, accoutrements and dress of the cavalry are discussed, and also the horses and the never-attained challenge of furnishing enough for some 60,000 troopers in the 1690s.

The reign of Louis XIV of France had a great impact on the course of European and world history. The years 1643 to 1715 were a defining epoch for western military, diplomatic,…

This book describes and analyses the early modern Swedish army during the Thirty Years War after the death in 1632 of King Gustavus Adolphus. At this time, military operations were handled by field marshals under the overall command of the Swedish Chancellor, Axel Oxenstierna. The book expands our understanding of the Swedish army during the Thirty Years War by focusing on its later operations, including those against Danish opponents, and not only on the better-known operations in Germany against the Catholic League and the Holy Roman Empire. Meanwhile, Oxenstierna continued his administrative reforms, which enabled Sweden consistently to raise troops, despite the small population of Sweden and its territories, and enabled an intelligence and logistics system which could supply the armies, despite the vast geographical depth of operations.

While the Swedish army of Gustavus Adolphus positioned Sweden as an emerging great power, it was the subsequent developments of the army under Oxenstierna that enabled the Swedish rise to regional great power status. While the army of Gustavus Adolphus has been described elsewhere, the Swedish army’s later developments are less well known. Moreover, the book includes current research that has not yet appeared in the English language. It also describes the 1643-1645 Swedish invasion of Denmark (‘Torstensson’s War’) and the battles and sieges, including those of Vienna and Prague, that led up to the Peace of Westphalia, which concluded the Thirty Years War. Finally, the book covers the military aspects of the establishment of Sweden’s first American colony, the Swedish navy and the military aspects of the establishment of Sweden’s colonies in America and West Africa.

This book describes and analyses the early modern Swedish army during the Thirty Years War after the death in 1632 of King Gustavus Adolphus. At this time, military operations…

By Defeating My Enemies is a military biography of Charles XII of Sweden, the first written in English in over 50 years. It challenges several traditions created by historians of both the old and new schools of Carolean historiography and through a chronological review provides a balanced account of the king’s life.

Ample space is dedicated to exploring the undervalued pre-war life of the king as his upbringing influenced key decisions on war and how he waged it. As the Great Northern War begins, Charles’s involvement on the battlefield and his deep connection with the Carolean army are studied to assess his growth as a commander. The king is followed into the crucible of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the fateful march on Russia, exile in Ottoman territory, and the desperate rearguard actions culminating in a second invasion of Norway and his mysterious death at Fredriksten fortress.

Had Charles not inherited the crown, he would be ranked among the great generals of the period and left at that. However, he was the only Swedish monarch born to absolutism and his actions as king, for better or worse, helped decide the fate of his kingdom. Occasional tangents are taken to explore his domestic and foreign policy decisions, and an entire chapter is used to highlight the creation, expansion, and struggles of the Swedish Empire and how Charles had to cope with the geo-political ramifications left to him by his predecessors.

The book concludes with a review of the king’s reputation and literary persona post mortem. An appendix covers additional characteristics of the king that did not fit into the flow of the main text such as image, health, marriage and sexuality, and wealth. Lavishly illustrated with maps and photographs, this book supplements Helion's existing publications on the Great Northern War.

By Defeating My Enemies is a military biography of Charles XII of Sweden, the first written in English in over 50 years. It challenges several traditions created by historians of…

Before he entered Germany in 1630, Swedish King Gustav II Adolf had to face Polish army in Prussia. Between 1626 and 1629, under command of brilliant Hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski, the Poles were engaged in a bitter struggle against Swedes. During this conflict both sides learnt a lot from each other, adjusting their armies’ organisation and tactics. While pitched battles, where winged hussars could win the day, were rare, the so called ‘small war’ made a huge impact on the events of this conflict. Poles were able to hone their skills acquired during the years of fighting Tatars and Turks, but were also forced to vastly increase presence of the infantry in their army, adapting to a new style of warfare. This book provides readers with an in-depth study of the Polish troops during the war, from the unique structure of the army, through the organisation and equipment of the units, to the soldiers’ daily struggle due to lack of pay and food. Each formation is described in detail, from famous winged hussars to Western European mercenaries serving as infantry and dragoons. The author’s research is based on many Polish primary sources, that are available to English-speaking readers for the first time.

Before he entered Germany in 1630, Swedish King Gustav II Adolf had to face Polish army in Prussia. Between 1626 and 1629, under command of brilliant Hetman Stanisław…

Nothing sums up the tragedy of the English Civil War more than the friendship between Sir Ralph Hopton and the Parliamentarian general Sir William Waller as “this war without an enemy.” Hopton was one of the first commanders to support the king and helped secure Cornwall for the Royalist cause.

In fact Sir Ralph Hopton commanded three armies during the Civil War; the first was made up of the famous Cornish infantry, which would become the backbone of the Royalist war effort in the West. This army was absorbed into Prince Maurice’s army after the fall of Bristol to the Royalists in July 1643. His second army was raised during the autumn of 1643 and was disbanded to reinforce the King’s Oxford Army after the battle of Cheriton. Finally Hopton commanded the remnants of the Royalist army in the West during the death throes of the cause in 1646.

By using contemporary sources this book describes the life, and death, of a soldier during the Civil War. Chapters include recruitment, clothing, equipping and training of Hopton’s armies as well as his campaigns, including those of Prince Maurice, Sir Richard Grenville and George Lord Goring. It also looks at the divisions within the royalist high command which ultimately lost King Charles the war. It also looks at what happened to these soldiers once the fighting was over.

Nothing sums up the tragedy of the English Civil War more than the friendship between Sir Ralph Hopton and the Parliamentarian general Sir William Waller as “this war without an…

The campaigns of the War of the Spanish Succession in Flanders and Germany are well known in the English-speaking world. Those are fought in Spain are perhaps less so. However, the Italian front of the conflict is almost unheard of.


Although there were no Allied armies fighting in Italy, William III considered the front more important that the campaign in Spain. After his death in 1702, the English government committed significantly large portions of expenditure to the Italian front. The region was considered so important to the French war effort that Marshal Vendôme was despatched by Louis XIV to oversee the campaign. The Habsburg Empire sent Prince Eugene, considered by many to be their best general, to fight in Italy. Eugene would halt the French advances at Turin in 1706, their worst defeat since Blenheim in 1704.


Dr Paoletti’s book is the first major work in the English language on the subject, and draws heavily on Italian sources inaccessible to the English-language reader.

The campaigns of the War of the Spanish Succession in Flanders and Germany are well known in the English-speaking world. Those are fought in Spain are perhaps less so. However,…

The battlefields of Edgehill, Newbury and Marston Moor are the first terms that come to mind when discussing the 17th-century conflict known as the English Civil War, and whilst their importance to the conflict is undeniable, they detract from the power struggle that occurred between the Royalists and Parliamentarians in the towns and cities throughout the land. This power struggle culminated in the construction of siege batteries and fortifications. Focusing on the Severn Valley region of England, this book examines, through archaeological, topographic, cartographic and historical research, the sieges of Bristol, Gloucester, Worcester, Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury, demonstrating how siege techniques and this style of warfare impacted on the outcome of the conflict that set brother against brother and father against son.

The battlefields of Edgehill, Newbury and Marston Moor are the first terms that come to mind when discussing the 17th-century conflict known as the English Civil War, and whilst…

Charles XII’s planned conquest of Norway died with him at Fredriksten fortress on 30 November 1718 (OS), and the small Swedish-Finnish army simultaneously besieging Trondheim was ordered to return to Sweden. Setting off on the final stage across the mountains on New Year's Day 1719 the army was struck by a blizzard harsher than any in living memory, and an orderly withdrawal turned into what has become infamously known as the Carolean Death March. That army was commanded by General Carl Gustav Armfelt, one of the great and tragic figures of Finnish and Swedish history, hero of Finland's brave but ultimately hopeless struggle against Russia under Peter the Great during the Great Northern War 1700-21.

This book draws on much primary source material to describe Armfelt’s military career. He was already an experienced soldier at the outbreak of the war having spent 11 years in the army of Louis XIV. The book describes his role in opposing the relentless march of the Russian forces in rolling back the eastern frontier of the Swedish empire from his Ingrian homeland through Finland and into Sweden itself. It concludes with the ill-fated Trondheim campaign during the empire’s final death throes and Armfelt’s final years in Finland after the war.

The author, Eirik Hornborg (1879-1965), was one of Finland’s leading and most prolific historical writers. The book was originally published in 1953 and this translation, by a descendent of General Armfelt, provides the first comprehensive account in English of the Great Northern War in Finland.

Charles XII’s planned conquest of Norway died with him at Fredriksten fortress on 30 November 1718 (OS), and the small Swedish-Finnish army simultaneously besieging Trondheim was…

This book is the first study to reassess the nature of the royalist cause in the North midland counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire Rutland and Staffordshire during the first civil war (1642-1646). Previous accounts of the war in the region have been heavily dependent on parliamentarian accounts, which were not written in order to create a thorough narrative of the war, but to demonise the royalists and their cause. The resultant image created by the hostile accounts was a war of confusing, rapine and disorder. Examination of a wider range of information showed that, by contrast, the royalists had a regional command structure which thoroughly exploited, at times, the resources of the region to fund their war effort. However, there were several problems within that war effort. Command was subject to internal rivalries and the interference of the king. Moreover the higher levels of command in the royalist cause created problems for the royalist commander Lord Loughborough, as his region was divided between different commanders at several points in the war. These conflicts are explored in this book.

This book is the first study to reassess the nature of the royalist cause in the North midland counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire Rutland and Staffordshire…

In 1655 Oliver Cromwell, England’s Lord Protector, sent a fleet to attack and seize Spanish possessions in South America. The English were flexing their muscles on the international stage and for political, religious and commercial reasons chose to attack a weakened Spain in the West Indies believing it a soft target. In late 1654 possibly the largest military force to date ever to leave English shores set sail from Portsmouth under the command of General Robert Venables and Admiral William Penn.

This is the first of two volumes about the English attack on the Spanish West Indies. This volume extensively analyses the reasons for the English attack, its preparations and plans, and the composition of their army and navy. It describes first the voyage to the West Indies and the expedition’s delay in Barbados and then the attack on Hispaniola, including the many reasons for its dramatic failure. The book then describes the occupation of Jamaica, the beginnings of the Spanish resistance as well as initial English naval operations in the Caribbean in 1655. The English forces were quickly abandoned by their two commanders and left to fend for themselves, facing rampant disease, near starvation and an undefeated enemy. The second volume will continue the story from late 1655 up to the establishment of English civilian government in Jamaica in 1662.

This work draws upon extensive primary source material from England and Spain including a copious quantity of letters and narratives of soldiers and sailors present, from both sides. It is the first detailed account of this important campaign from a military perspective, one that laid the foundations for the state-sponsored expansion of the English empire.

In 1655 Oliver Cromwell, England’s Lord Protector, sent a fleet to attack and seize Spanish possessions in South America. The English were flexing their muscles on the…

Grounded in primary archival research and published sources, this book provides a focused, and up-to-date assessment of the rebellion aimed at overthrowing the recalled Rump Parliament, led by Sir George Booth in 1659. Although nominally part of a wider ‘revolt’ against the Cromwellian State, following the resignation of Richard Cromwell and the ending of the Protectorate, it has been usually regarded as a localised ‘royalist’ uprising aimed at restoring the Stuart Monarchy. As such, the reasons for the armed rebellion, in terms of the political, religious, and military objectives of its leaders, backers and participants have been often misunderstood or misrepresented. In a national and local context, there has been something of a lacuna in focused approaches to the topic over the past half a century.

For a Parliament Freely Chosen challenges the view that the rebellion was local in nature, and poorly led, planned, and executed. Stress is placed on identifying and reconstructing the background, contacts and actions of Booth and the forces under their command, while re-assessing the military aspects of the revolt in Cheshire and its adjacent counties. The book adds significantly to our knowledge of the causes, events and perceptions of the Booth rebellion, and will appeal to anyone with an interest in the Protectorate that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and reactions to it, as well as the circumstances that contributed to the Restoration of the Stuart Monarchy in 1660. This includes academics, local historians, re-enactors and wargamers.

Grounded in primary archival research and published sources, this book provides a focused, and up-to-date assessment of the rebellion aimed at overthrowing the recalled Rump…