British Military History For Dummies

A plain-English guide to Britons in battle, from the Roman
invasion to the ongoing Iraqi war

Charging through the Britain's military past, this accessible
guide brings to life the battles and wars that shaped the history
of Britain-and the world. The book profiles commanders, explains
strategies and tactics, and covers key developments in weaponry and
technology.

Auteur
Bryan Perrett served with the Royal Armoured Corps, the 17th/21st Lancers, the Westminster Dragoons, and the Royal Tank Regiment and has written more than 50 books on military history.

Résumé
A plain-English guide to Britons in battle, from the Roman invasion to the ongoing Iraqi war Charging through the Britain's military past, this accessible guide brings to life the battles and wars that shaped the history of Britain-and the world. The book profiles commanders, explains strategies and tactics, and covers key developments in weaponry and technology.

Contenu

Introduction

About This Book 1

Conventions Used in This Book 2

What You're Not to Read 2

Foolish Assumptions 3

How This Book is Organised 3

Part I: Ancient and Medieval Warfare 3

Part II: The Arrival of Gunpowder 4

Part III: Wars of Succession, Independence, and Revolution 4

Part IV: Nineteenth-Century Wars 4

Part V: The First World War 5

Part VI: The Second World War (and Beyond) 5

Part VII: The Part of Tens 5

Icons Used in This Book 5

Where to Go from Here 6

Part I: Ancient and Medieval Warfare 7

Chapter 1: Small Islands with Lots of Clout 9

Checking Out Britain's Wars Through the Ages 10

Moving with the Times: Key Strategies through History 12

Remembering the Regiment: Traditions and Spirit 13

Realising the Army's Role in the Modern World 14

Chapter 2: Swords, Sandals, and Geometry: The Romans 15

Fighting from the Start: The Ancient Britons 16

Caesar Seizes an Opportunity 17

Caesar's first raid, 55 BC 18

Caesar's second raid, 54 BC 19

The Roman Invasion, AD 43 21

Harvesting a landing 21

Bring on the elephants! 22

Caratacus, the first British hero 22

Setting London Ablaze: The Boudiccan Rebellion 23

Policing Roman Britain 24

The Legions Depart 26

Chapter 3: Arthur, Alfred, and Aethelstan: The Dark Ages 29

(Not) Welcoming New Arrivals: Angles, Saxons, and Jutes 30

Riding to the Rescue: King Arthur 31

Carving Up Saxon England 31

An Unbeatable Offa 33

Shipping in the Viking Menace 34

The Saxons Fight Back: Alfred and Aethelstan 35

The Battle of Brunanburgh, 937 36

Turning Back the Tide: Ethelred and Canute 37

Chapter 4: The Hard Knight's Day: The Norman Conquest and Medieval Period 39

1066: The Disputed Throne 40

The Battle of Stamford Bridge, 25 September 1066 41

The Battle of Hastings, 14 October 1066 42

William takes the crown 43

Fighting over Medieval England 43

Here a castle, there a castle 44

The days of knights 45

Looking north and west 46

The Scottish Wars of Independence 48

The Battle of Bannockburn, 14 June 1314 49

Continuing Anglo-Scottish hostilities 49

Fighting the French: A National Sport 50

The Battle of Crecy, 26 August 1346 50

The Battle of Poitiers, 19 September 1356 51

The Battle of Agincourt, 25 October 1415 52

Roses Are Red, Roses Are White 54

Part II: The Arrival of Gunpowder 57

Chapter 5: With Pike and Shot: Renaissance Warfare 59

Introducing Gunpowder Artillery 60

Getting to grips with different types of gun 61

What's your gun called? 62

Hiring in guns, gunners, and ammunition 62

Upgrading the Infantry 63

Waving goodbye to the longbow 63

. . . And saying hello to the arquebus 64

Riding Around in Circles: Cavalry 65

Testing Out the New Ideas 66

The Battle of Flodden, 1513 66

The Spanish Armada, 1588 67

Chapter 6: Hearties versus Gloomies: The Civil Wars 69

The First Civil War 71

Setting the Civil War in swing 71

Campaigning in 1644 74

Reaching a conclusion: 16451646 75

The Second Civil War 77

The Third Civil War 77

The Battle of Worcester, 3 September 1651 78

The Irish Campaign, 16491652 79

Campaigning for the Commonwealth 79

Chapter 7: Founding a Regular Army: The Late Seventeenth Century 81

The Changing Army 82

Raising a regiment: The proprietary system 82

Buying a commission 83 In...