Richard Brooks is a freelance military historian with a particular interest in the intersection of naval and military history, and the use of hitherto untapped sources to develop fresh insights into past campaigns. Richard has published seven books, beginning with a biography of Fred T. Jane, the founder of Jane's Fighting Ships. His other books have covered naval brigades, the Royal Marines and battlefields of Britain and Ireland; previous books for Osprey include Solferino 1859 (2009) and Walcheren 1944 (2011). He was also Consultant Editor for The Times History of War (HarperCollins, 2000). He has a BA in Modern History from Oxford University and an MSc in International Relations from Southampton. He lives in Southsea, England.
The Knight Who Saved England: William Marshal and the French Invasion, 1217
eBook
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ISBN-13:
9781472808363
- Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
- Publication date: 04/20/2014
- Series: General Military
- Sold by: Barnes & Noble
- Format: eBook
- Pages: 320
- Sales rank: 402,043
- File size: 22 MB
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In 1217 England was facing her darkest hour, with foreign troops pillaging the country and defeat close at hand. But, at the battle of Lincoln, the seventy-year-old William Marshal led his men to a victory that would secure the future of his nation. Earl of Pembroke, right-hand man to three kings and regent for a fourth, Marshal was one of the most celebrated men in Europe, yet is virtually unknown today, his impact and influence largely forgotten. In this vivid account, Richard Brooks blends colourful contemporary source material with new insights to uncover the tale of this unheralded icon. He traces the rise of Marshal from penniless younger son to renowned knight, national hero and defender of the Magna Carta. What emerges is a fascinating story of a man negotiating the brutal realities of medieval warfare and the conflicting demands of chivalric ideals, and who against the odds defeated the joint French and rebel forces in arguably the most important battle in medieval English history – overshadowing even Agincourt.
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Although the subtitle focuses on the events of 1217, this book is just as much a full biography of William Marshal (1141–1219), a landless knight who served five English kings from Henry II to Henry III, rising to become one of the most powerful, wealthy, and respected noblemen of his era. Military historian Brooks (Walcheren 1944) asserts that most modern accounts of Marshal's life have neglected or denigrated his skills as a military commander; to right this wrong, the current book tells Marshal's story primarily through the lens of his career as a soldier. A central chapter on medieval military practices provides essential background. However, the author's discussion of the significance of the Magna Carta (the 1217 reissue of which Marshal oversaw as regent to William III) is too superficial to be useful. VERDICT Brooks paints a skillful portrait of a fascinating historical figure; although his emphasis is on his subject's military exploits, Marshal's personality and character still shine through. Enthusiasts of medieval and military history will enjoy this work, and lay undergraduates may find it useful as well, but its lack of specific source citations limits its value for more advanced scholars.—Fred Poling, Long Beach City Coll. Lib., CA