King Henry III

King Henry III, who ruled England from 1216 to 1272. It was his attempt to abolish Magna Carta and assume absolute power of England that provoked the rebellion that led to the Battle of Chesterfield.

from The Battle of Chesterfield by Rupert Matthews

Buy your copy HERE.

A book dedicated to the Battle of Chesterfield that ended the Baronial Wars of King Henry III against Simon de Montfort. After Simon de Montfort's death at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, his supporters rallied in Derbyshire. Sending messages to other reformers to rally to their cause the rebels were expecting help from the King of France, but it was Prince Edward (later King EdwardI) who got there first with a royal army. The resulting battle began in the fields south of the town, but moved into the streets of the town and ended in the churchyard where the last rebels surrendered. This book follows the standard pattern set by others in the Bretwalda Battles series. The reasons for and course of the war in question are outlined, then detailed analyses of weapons, tactics and strategies are given with particular reference to this battle. The course of the battleis then followed, with comment on what there is to see at the site today. Short biographies of the commanders are also given. The aftermath of the battle, its effects and importance to the progress of the war are then described. The "Bretwalda Battles" series has been running with increasing success as ebooks for some time. Now the first books in the series are being published in print format.

 

 

Magna Carta - backgorund to the Battle of Chesterfield

A copy of the Magna Carta, bearing the seal of King John attached to a ribbon underneath. At the time it was agreed and for generations afterwards, Magna Carta was considered to be a touchstone of English liberty for nobles and freemen. Although most of its provisions were fairly arcane measures to stop royal abuse of feudal custom and suzerainty issues that affected only the nobles, whether or not a king was prepared to abide by the great charter or not was thought to be a key indicator of how much he would respect the rights of his citizens. It was the rejection of Magna Carta by King Henry III that laid the foundations for the civil war that was to follow.

from "The Battle of Chesterfield" by Rupert Matthews.

Buy your copy HERE

A book dedicated to the Battle of Chesterfield that ended the Baronial Wars of King Henry III against Simon de Montfort. After Simon de Montfort's death at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, his supporters rallied in Derbyshire. Sending messages to other reformers to rally to their cause the rebels were expecting help from the King of France, but it was Prince Edward (later King EdwardI) who got there first with a royal army. The resulting battle began in the fields south of the town, but moved into the streets of the town and ended in the churchyard where the last rebels surrendered. This book follows the standard pattern set by others in the Bretwalda Battles series. The reasons for and course of the war in question are outlined, then detailed analyses of weapons, tactics and strategies are given with particular reference to this battle. The course of the battleis then followed, with comment on what there is to see at the site today. Short biographies of the commanders are also given. The aftermath of the battle, its effects and importance to the progress of the war are then described.

First Book Sale of June - a book not even announced yet

Our first book sale of June is a book that we have not even announced yet. It has only been available for 12 hours, not bad going.

The Battle of Portland 1653

You can buy your copy HERE

The turning point in the 1st Anglo-Dutch War the Battle of Portland raged for three days off the south coast of England and ended in a decisive victory for the English fleet.
England was only just emerging from a bruising Civil War when it was plunged into war against the Dutch Republic. The conflict saw the two greatest war fleets in the world pitched against each other in the narrow seas of the English Channel and North Sea. The war was one for dominance of the world’s maritime trade, as well as a determination by England’s Oliver Cromwell to stop Dutch support for the exiled monarch Charles II.
The battle was fought at a crucial time for naval warfare when the centuries-old tradition of free-for-all tactics was being replaced by iron discipline and revolutionary new tactics that saw captains expected to do as their admiral told them instead of going off chasing valuable prizes.
The three day long Battle of Portland was the first naval clash in history when both sides entered the fray with a pre-determined plan of battle and the chain of command and habit of discipline to put it into action.
This was an epic battle in all senses of the word.



Contents
Chapter 1: The Navy in Cromwell’s England
Chapter 2: The Dutch Threat
Chapter 3: War at Sea
Chapter 4: The Three-Day Battle
Chapter 5: Aftermath




Andrew May is a former defence scientist with an MA from Cambridge University and a PhD from Manchester University. His thirty year career spanned academia, the civil service and the defence industry. He has worked on advanced technology research in Farnborough, strategic planning in Whitehall and operational analysis for a large defence company. He is now based in the South-West of England where he works as a freelance writer and consultant.

NEW BOOK OF THE MONTH - The Battle of Chesterfield 1266

A book dedicated to the Battle of Chesterfield that ended the Baronial Wars of King Henry III against Simon de Montfort. After Simon de Montfort's death at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, his supporters rallied in Derbyshire. Sending messages to other reformers to rally to their cause the rebels were expecting help from the King of France, but it was Prince Edward (later King EdwardI) who got there first with a royal army. The resulting battle began in the fields south of the town, but moved into the streets of the town and ended in the churchyard where the last rebels surrendered. This book follows the standard pattern set by others in the Bretwalda Battles series. The reasons for and course of the war in question are outlined, then detailed analyses of weapons, tactics and strategies are given with particular reference to this battle. The course of the battleis then followed, with comment on what there is to see at the site today. Short biographies of the commanders are also given. The aftermath of the battle, its effects and importance to the progress of the war are then described.

Buy your copy HERE