'An essential part of the library for anyone interested in the great political and military upheavals in the 15th century.' – Graeme Rimer, Retired Former Academic Director of the Royal Armouries 'A creditable effort to examine a neglected aspect of medieval warfare.' – Jim Bradbury, Cambridge University Press 'Everything you need to know about being a soldier in the Wars of the Roses.' – The Mail Bookshop What was it like to fight in a Wars of the Roses battle? What kind of men fought at St Albans, Northampton, Wakefield, Towton, Tewkesbury and Bosworth? How was the medieval soldier recruited, paid, equipped, fed and billeted? And how was a battle contested once both sides resorted to all-out conflict? First published in 1998, this classic study of the medieval soldier in the Wars of the Roses examines these and other questions using various documentary sources and recent evidence. Eyewitness accounts, contemporary chronicles, personal letters, civic records, archaeology and surviving military equipment are used to paint a fascinating picture of the medieval soldier. Evidence gleaned from the mass war grave found close to the battlefield of Towton in North Yorkshire sheds new light on those that lived and died in the civil wars. But what do we know about the psychology of those involved? And how did soldiers feel about killing their fellow Englishmen? Andrew Boardman explores the grim reality of medieval soldiering on land and sea during this crucial period of aristocratic violence and dynastic upheaval. He makes us question the current historical record, such as it is, and our perceptions of chivalry and warfare in Lancastrian and Yorkist England. The text is supported by many contemporary illustrations, diagrams and maps, making this updated work an indispensable guide to medieval soldiering in the late fifteenth century.

The author makes use of a variety of documentary sources to present a vivid picture of the experience of the medieval soldiers who fought in the Wars of the Roses. Includes new evidence gleaned from the recently discovered mass grave close to the battlefield at Towton in North Yorkshire. Bandw illustrations. Distributed by Books International. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

What did a Wars of the Roses battle look like and how was it fought once both sides resorted to all-out conflict? How did soldiers feel about killing fellow Englishmen? This study of the medieval soldier examines these and other questions using a variety of documentary sources. Eyewitness accounts of the men who fought as captains, archers, artillerymen, billmen, men-at-arms and cavalry - both in England and abroad - are used to paint a picture of 15th-century conflict in all its confusion and violence. Evidence gleaned from the recently discovered mass grave close to the battlefield at Towton in North Yorkshire sheds additional light on the kind of men who fought in the Wars of the Roses, and the text is supported by contemporary illustrations and diagrams.

Palm Sunday 1461 was the date of a ruthless and bitterly contested battle, fought by two massive medieval armies on an exposed Yorkshire plateau for the prize of the crown of England. This singular engagement of the Wars of the Roses has acquired the auspicious title of the longest, biggest and bloodiest battle ever fought on British soil. But what drove the contending armies of York and Lancaster to fight at Towton and what is the truth behind the legends about this terrible encounter, where contemporaries record that the rivers ran red with blood? Andrew Boardman answers these questions and many more in the new updated edition of his classic account of Towton which provides a fascinating insight into the reality of the battlefield. The Battle of Towton is illustrated throughout with contemporary illustrations, modern photographs and specially drawn maps.

This books shows for the first time the battle techniques of the medieval period and reexamines the sources for battle numbers.

A concise and entertaining explanation of how other accounts, and popular culture such as films, have misrepresented medieval warfare. We don't know how medieval soldiers fought. Did they just walk forward in their armor smashing each other with their maces and poleaxes for hours on end, as depicted on film and in programs such as Game of Thrones? They could not have done so. It is impossible to fight in such a manner for more than several minutes as exhaustion becomes a preventative factor. Indeed, we know more of how the Roman and Greek armies fought than we do of the 1300 to 1550 period. So how did medieval soldiers in the War of the Roses, and in the infantry sections of battles such as Agincourt and Towton, carry out their grim work? Medieval Military Combat shows, for the first time, the techniques of such battles. It also breaks new ground in establishing medieval battle numbers as highly exaggerated, and that we need to look again at the accounts of actions such as the famous Battle of Towton, which this work uses as a basic for its overall study.

The Wars of the Roses raged from 1455 to 1485 - the longest period of civil war in English history. They barely affected the daily routine of the civilian population, yet for the leaders of the opposing houses of York and Lancaster, the wars were devastating. First hand accounts reveal how the lives of their women and children were blighted during three decades of war, as many of their male relatives met with violent deaths. This book examines in detail the causes, course and results of each of the main wars and concludes with a fascinating insight into why the wars ended so abruptly.