The Siege Of Caerlaverock

12-year-old Ada is a laundress of little consequence but the new castle commander Brian de Berclay has his evil eye on her. Perhaps she shouldn't have secretly fed the young prisoner in the tower.But when the King of England crosses the border with an army of over 3000 strong, Ada, her friend Godfrey and all at Caerlaverock suddenly find themselves under attack, with only 60 men for protection.Soon, rocks and flaming arrows rain from the sky over Castle Caerlaverock - and Ada has a dangerous choice to make.

In medieval warfare, the siege predominated: for every battle, there were hundreds of sieges. Yet the rich and vivid history of siege warfare has been consistently neglected. Jim Bradbury's panoramic survey takes the history of siege warfare in Europe from the late Roman Empire to the 16th century, and includes sieges in Byzantium, Eastern Europe and the areas affected by the Crusades. Within this broad sweep of time and place, he finds, not that enormous changes occurred, which might have been expected, but that the rules and methods of siege warfare remained remarkably constant. His narrative of the main events of siege warfare includes adetailed study of some of the major sieges --Constantinople and Chateau-Gaillard, among others -- and also presents evidence relating to the development of siege weapons and siege warfare. A history of sieges necessarily brings the people caught up in them, besieger and besieged, clearly before the reader; stories from chronicles and letters of danger, famine, endurance and heroism reach out with an immediacy that provides a powerful human context for this study.JIM BRADBURY is the author of The Medieval Archer; he writes and lectures on battles and warfare in England and France in the middle ages.

Professor Prestwich's study of Edward I, first published in 1988, is a full-length account of one of the leading monarchs of the Middle Ages. A king who pioneered legal and parliamentary change, conquered Wales and came close to conquering Scotland, Edward also governed Gascony in south-west France and played a major part in European diplomacy and war.

What if nature fights back?In a daze, I take it all in: the wind, the leaden skies, the churning moody sea.And, far in the distance, a misty outline.Skelsay.Wilderness haven. Building-site. Luxury-retreat-to-be.And now, home. When her father's construction work takes Em's family to the uninhabited island of Skelsay, she is excited, but also a little uneasy. Soon Em and her friend Zac realise that the setbacks, mishaps and accidents on the island point to something altogether more sinister: the wilderness all around them has declared war.Danger lurks everywhere. But can Em and Zac persuade the adults to believe it before it's too late?

This fascinating study of medieval warfare examines the vital role of castles during the English civil wars of the 15th century. The Wars of the Roses comprise one of the most fascinating periods in medieval history. Much has been written about the leading personalities, bitter dynastic rivalries, political intrigues, and the rapid change of fortune on the battlefields of England and Wales. However, there is one aspect that has been often overlooked, the role of castles in the conflict. Dan Spencer’s original study traces the use of castles from the outbreak of civil war in the 1450s during the reign of Henry VI to the triumph of Henry VII some thirty years later. Using a wide range of narrative, architectural, financial, and administrative sources, Spencer sheds new light on the place of castles within the conflict, demonstrating their importance as strategic and logistical centers, bases for marshaling troops, and as fortresses.

Put the magic back into reading!Engaging, inspirational, and practical the complete course book and teacher's guide for Reflective Reading. This exciting approach improves attainment and motivation by revamping reading comprehension in the primary classroom.Put the magic back into reading through fun, engaging ideas and activities for the teaching of reading. Create life-long readers with good reading habits, who read for pleasure and appreciate text in all its forms.Ensure higher order thinking skills are embedded within teaching and learning using a new, child-friendly taxonomy - the Comprehension Compass. Teachers and children will enjoy completing and creating Task Maps, Long Reads, Short Reads and TexTplorers activities.Inside you will find:Short Read texts and activities, suitable for whole-class teaching and shared readingLong Read activities and Task Map exemplars, for reading groups and differentiationAdvice on assessment, planning, managing reading in the classroom and choosing textsGuidance on 'How to Build a Reader' and identifying reading difficultiesChild Friendly Reading Booklets to encourage a learning dialogue about reading to support Assessment is for LearningA 'Cultivating a Reading Culture' self-evaluation to encourage collegiate reflection on your school's current reading practiceAlso includes photocopiable lesson plans, templates, and downloadable resources so you can get started straightaway!

The heart-wrenching tale of a girl's courage to save her village from the Highland Clearances.