Peter Wilson
Chichele Professor of the History of War
Book Recommendations:
Recommended by Peter Wilson
“This superb work provides a visually stunning guide to Britain's civil wars from the opening Bishops' War to the rule of Cromwell's major generals. Based on the latest historical and archaeological research, the 156 detailed maps show not only the better known large battles and sieges, but also numerous smaller engagements and key political events. Essential for comprehending the full extent of the war and for understanding it conduct and outcome.” (from Amazon)
A lavishly presented atlas of the English Civil Wars, the conflicts that ravaged the countryside of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland from 1639 to 1651. The English Civil Wars (1638–51) comprised the deadliest conflict in history fought on British soil, in which brother took up arms against brother, father fought against son, and towns, cities, and villages fortified themselves in the cause of Royalists or Parliamentarians. Although much historical attention has focused on the events in England and the key battles of Edgehill, Marston Moor, and Naseby, this was a conflict that engulfed the entirety of the Three Kingdoms and led to a trial and execution that profoundly shaped the British monarchy and Parliament. This beautifully presented atlas tells the whole story of Britain's revolutionary civil war, from the earliest skirmishes of the Bishops Wars in 1639–40 through to 1651, when Charles II's defeat at Worcester crushed the Royalist cause, leading to two decades of Stuart exile. Each map is supported by a detailed text, providing a complete explanation of the complex and fluctuating conflict that ultimately meant that the Crown would always be answerable to Parliament.