The Battles Of St Albans

St Albans is unique in having been the site of two pivotal battles during the Wars of the Roses, yet this is the first book-length account to have been published. It offers a gripping account of the fighting, and of the politics and intrigue that led to it, and it incorporates the results of the latest research. The authors also plot the events of over 500 years ago onto the twenty-first century landscape of St Albans so that the visitor can retrace the course of each battle on the present-day ground.

The first battle of St Albans was a significant event in England's medieval history. What prompted Richard of York to take up arms in the first place? Where did the main action take place? This book answers these questions and discusses the theories about the battle: a battle of the Wars of the Roses where the streets ran red with blood.

For many years the first battle of St Albans was regarded as a ‘short scuffle in the street’. A.W. Boardman, the author of Towton 1461: The Anatomy of a Battle, proves this was not the case. Indeed, the battle was unique and a significant event in England’s medieval history. The street fighting was widespread, the town was pillaged in the aftermath, Henry VI was almost killed, and the battle’s political consequences proved so problematic for both sides that parliament used official propaganda to conceal the truth. St Albans was, along with other lesser-known battles of the early 1450s, the genesis of the Wars of the Roses, and it is probably the best-documented encounter of the period. The battle heralded the beginning of an intense blood feud that fuelled the civil wars between York and Lancaster for many generations. But what really happened in the streets of St Albans on 22 May 1455? What prompted Richard Duke of York and the Neville family to rebel against Henry VI? And who were the instigators of the conflict that caused the execution and deaths of a substantial portion of England’s nobility by the end of the fifteenth century? This book answers these questions and discusses the theories about St Albans following a detailed and multi-disciplined approach. A.W. Boardman reveals the anatomy of a battle hidden beneath the streets and alleyways of this modern city and explains the wider issues of the Wars of the Roses in northern England. Illustrated throughout with contemporary images, modern photographs and specially drawn battle maps, this new and fully updated edition is a thorough examination of the sources, the terrain and the military significance of the first battle of St Albans: a battle where the streets ran red with blood.

Exam board: AQA; Pearson Edexcel; OCR Level: AS/A-level Subject: History First teaching: September 2015 First exams: Summer 2016 (AS); Summer 2017 (A-level) Put your trust in the textbook series that has given thousands of A-level History students deeper knowledge and better grades for over 30 years. Updated to meet the demands of today's A-level specifications, this new generation of Access to History titles includes accurate exam guidance based on examiners' reports, free online activity worksheets and contextual information that underpins students' understanding of the period. B” Develop strong historical knowledge: B” Build historical skills and understanding: /BDownloadable activity worksheets can be used independently by students or edited by teachers for classwork and homeworkbrbrB” Learn, remember and connect important events and people:B” Achieve exam success: /BPractical advice matched to the requirements of your A-level specification incorporates the lessons learnt from previous examsbrbrB” Engage with sources, interpretations and the latest historical research:

This fascinating account of an unsung English monarch and military leader is “a pleasing and well-informed appraisal of the first Yorkist king” (Dr. Michael Jones, author of Bosworth 1485: Psychology of a Battle). Indisputably the most effective general of the Wars of the Roses in fifteenth-century England, King Edward IV died in his bed, undefeated in battle. Yet he has never been accorded the martial reputation of other English warrior kings such as Henry V. It has been suggested that perhaps he lacked the personal discipline expected of a truly great army commander. But, as the author shows in this perceptive and highly readable new study, Edward was a formidable military leader whose strengths and subtleties have never been fully recognized—perhaps because he fought most of his battles against his own people in a civil war. This reassessment of Edward’s military skill—and of the Wars of the Roses in which he played such a vital part—provides fascinating insight into Edward the man as well as the politician and battlefield commander. Based on contemporary sources and the latest scholarly research, Edward IV and the Wars of the Roses stands as “a valuable and thought-provoking addition to the canon, which ought to become required reading for anyone interested in the reign of the first Yorkist monarch” (The Ricardian).

It also provides an annotated edition of the previously unpublished text from Bradford, West Yorkshire Archives MS 32D86/42, while a selection of the most crucial events recorded in the chronicles - such as the Rising of 1381 and Cade's rebellion - is presented in an appendix."--BOOK JACKET.

Presents an important history of St Albans. This title combines local history with important national themes.

Battles have long featured prominently in historical consciousness, as moments when the balance of power was seen to have tipped, or when aspects of collective identity were shaped. But how have perspectives on warfare changed? How similar are present day ideologies of warfare to those of the medieval period? Looking back over a thousand years of British, Irish and Scandinavian battles, this significant collection of essays examines how different times and cultures have reacted to war, considering the changing roles of religion and technology in the experience and memorialisation of conflict. While fighting and killing have been deplored, glorified and everything in between across the ages, Writing Battles reminds us of the visceral impact left on those who come after.