The English military ascendancy which lasted from the mid-14th to the early 16th century was founded upon defensive tactics based on the use of the longbow. This weapon, distinctive in that it was used by English forces alone, was probably the most effective missile weapon of the Late Middle Ages: its arrow had the same penetrative ability as a modern day bullet and the bow's rate of fire was not equalled by any weapon used by English forces until the adoption of the Lee Enfield rifle at the beginning of the 20th century. The English longbowmen's involvement in wars such as the War of the Roses (1455-1485) and One Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) is discussed.

The 15th century was a time of change for knighthood. Knights no longer fought for their lords in return for land, since the feudal summons had long before given way to a system of contracts. Moreover, many knights now preferred the role of landowner, man-about-town or parliamentary representative. However, this was also the age of the knight in plate armour, of the battle of Agincourt and the conquests of Henry V, and of the Wars of the Roses, the bloody internecine struggle that tore medieval England apart. In this title Christopher Gravett describes the life of a 15th century knight, his equipment and experiences from his earliest days as a squire through to his experiences on the battlefields of England and France.

An iconic medieval missile weapon, the deadly longbow made possible the English victories at Crecy and Poitiers at the height of the Hundred Years' War. The longbow was the weapon at the heart of the English military ascendancy in the century after 1340. Capable of subjecting the enemy to a hail of deadly projectiles, the longbow in the hands of massed archers made possible the extraordinary victories enjoyed by English forces over superior numbers at Crécy and Poitiers, and remained a key battlefield weapon throughout the Wars of the Roses and beyond. It also played a leading role in raiding, siege and naval warfare. Its influence and use spread to the armies of Burgundy, Scotland and other powers, and its reputation as a cost-effective and easily produced weapon led to calls for its widespread adoption among the nascent armies of the American Republic as late as the 1770s.

An iconic medieval missile weapon, the deadly longbow made possible the English victories at Crecy and Poitiers at the height of the Hundred Years' War. The longbow was the weapon at the heart of the English military ascendancy in the century after 1340. Capable of subjecting the enemy to a hail of deadly projectiles, the longbow in the hands of massed archers made possible the extraordinary victories enjoyed by English forces over superior numbers at Crécy and Poitiers, and remained a key battlefield weapon throughout the Wars of the Roses and beyond. It also played a leading role in raiding, siege and naval warfare. Its influence and use spread to the armies of Burgundy, Scotland and other powers, and its reputation as a cost-effective and easily produced weapon led to calls for its widespread adoption among the nascent armies of the American Republic as late as the 1770s.

The ascent of the Plantagenets to the English throne in 1154 led to the beginning of a new historical phase in the British Isles, which was marked by numerous wars that were fought between the Kingdom of England and the 'Celtic nations' of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. During the rule of the Norman kings, the English armies had not completed the conquest of Wales and had established only some footholds in Ireland; Scotland was still independent and was ready to contest the Plantagenets’ possession of northern England. As a result of this situation, the two centuries between the rise of the new dynasty and the beginning of the Hundred Years’ War were characterized by a series of wars that ravaged feudal England. Gabriele Esposito covers all these conflicts, following the campaigns of Richard the Lionheart as well as those of his younger brother who was defeated on the continent at the large Battle of Bouvines; the conquest of Wales is analyzed in detail, as well as the First Scottish War of Independence that saw William Wallace playing a prominent role. The organization and equipment of all the troop types taken into account is described in full detail and lavishly illustrated with color images of reenactors, bringing these forces to life.

Marksmanship skills honed to perfection, driven by necessity and desperation, Edmund Hawksworth hunted with his crossbow to keep his ailing mother alive, only to have her die in his arms. Deserted by his father who had left to fight the Lancastrian cause, the embittered and determined lad set out on a mission of vengeance and became embroiled in the bitter struggle for the throne of England between the Houses of Lancaster and York. There were those in 1461 who avowed that Edmund had been divinely chosen and anointed to be the Avenger of Righteous Blood something the boy himself never claimed. What is certain, in command of the Wespen (Wasps), an lite unit of crossbow mercenaries, he turned events in York's favour at the decisive Battle of Towton. Despite protests from Yorkist lords, King Edward IV (himself a youth of eighteen), gave the accolade to the former herder of pigs from Thryberg declaring him to be 'The truest and most loyal knight in all England'. With the end of the Plantagenet dynasty and the ascent of the Lancastrian Tudors the many stories of the Yorkist boy hero were supressed. However, for fifty years fanciful tales of 'The Hawk' lingered on in the towns and villages of the West Riding of Yorkshire until in 1509 Edmund's brother arrived in chains at Conisbrough Castle. Before his burning in Doncaster Fish Market the condemned heretic tells the true story of the Lost Legend of the Hawk.