Flodden: A Scottish Tragedy

by Peter Reese

Overview

In the breadth of bitter-sweet Scottish history there is no more poignant, not more important, battle than Flodden. Before Scotland's disastrous defeat at the hands of the English under the Earl of Surrey, a proud country under its dynamic Stewart king, James IV, was emerging as a distinct and flourishing nation within Europe. With defeat the inevitability of Scotland's Reformation and union with England is hard to deny. Flodden was an ignominious and disastrous moment for the Scots, all the more so for being a largely unnecessary encounter, fought with superior numbers and arms, which left the country weak, exposed and leaderless. In this bestselling study of one of the most famous battles in history, Peter Reese recreates the drama and calamity of the battle fought just south of the River Tweed on 9 September 1513. Drawing together the political, military and historical background to the conflict, he examines the two armies and their leaders and explains the crucial tactical moves both before and during the encounter. The result is a thoroughly researched yet always accessible and realistic account of the battle Scotland has tried to forget.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780857905826
Publisher:	Birlinn, Limited
Publication date:	07/04/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Peter Reese is a well-known military historian with a particular interest in Scottish military history. He served in the army for 29 years and is the author of Bannockburn, Cromwell's Masterstroke: Dunbar 1650, The Flying Cowboy: The Story of Samuel Cody, Britain's First Airman, The Life of General George Monck: For King and Cromwell, Scottish Commanders, and William Wallace.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

Acknowledgments xi

List of illustrations xiii

List of maps xiv

Prologue: Burghmuir - August 1513 3

Part 1 Rival Kingdoms

1 The Defenders 11

2 Proud Monarchs 41

3 Slide Towards War 57

Part 2 Opposing Forces

4 The Soldiers and their Weapons 69

5 The English Commanders 83

6 The Scottish Commanders 93

Part 3 Face to Face

7 Opening Moves 109

8 Jockeying for Position 121

9 The Guns Speak 132

10 Riding the Storm 139

11 Fight to the Death 148

Epilogue: No Way Back 169

Appendix: Exploring the Flodden Battlefield 182

Notes 188

Select Bibliography 197

Index 203

Editorial Reviews

A cracker of a book which reads like a novel yet has the authority of many a weightier tome.”  —Sunday Herald

From the Publisher