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King Stephen and The Anarchy (Hardback)

Civil War and Military Tactics in Twelfth-Century Britain

Military > Pre-WWI > English Civil War P&S History > British History

By Chris Peers
Imprint: Pen & Sword Military
Pages: 183
Illustrations: 30
ISBN: 9781473863675
Published: 5th February 2018

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The Anarchy, the protracted struggle between Stephen of Blois and the Empress Matilda for the English crown between 1135 and 1154, is often seen as a disastrous breakdown in one of the best-governed kingdoms of medieval Europe. But perhaps the impact of the conflict has been overstated, and its effect on the common people across the country is hard to judge. That is why Chris Peerss fresh study of this fascinating and controversial era is of such value. He describes each phase of this civil war, in particular the castles and sieges that dominated strategic thinking, and he sets the fighting in the context of the changing tactics and military systems of the twelfth century. His fresh account of this pivotal episode in the medieval history of England will be absorbing reading anyone who is keen to gain an insight into this period of English history and has a special interest in the practice of medieval warfare.

We recommend a good story, well told, which has drawn on a very wide range of the sources available.

Read the full review here

Clash of Steel

In summary, if you have an interest in learning more about Empress Matilda, the almost-first-queen of England, and her cousin Stephen who usurped her crown and would later pay the price, I can’t recommend this book enough. It is one of the easiest on the Anarchy that I have read and he is careful to use credible sources to back up his story.

Read the full review [link=https://michelemorrical.com/book-review-king-stephen-and-the-anarchy-by-chris-peers/?fbclid=IwAR1g-d_hqkJg0oCeCBobjwFm494ZcojfX5IlZQuoDDvDkWHVovXpTkLPWTA]here[link]

Tudor History by Michele Morrical

The Anarchy is a period of history rarely described in any detail, or at least as far as I know, so I found this book a very welcome addition to my limited library about the time. Well-written, with every effort made to make clear who all the people are (so many of them had the same name!), right down to including potted biographies in a valuable appendix, ‘Who Was Who in the Anarchy’. This was a thoroughly enjoyable book.

Ripperologist, February/March 2018 – reviewed by Paul Begg
 Chris Peers

About Chris Peers

Chris Peers is a leading expert on the history of ancient armies and warfare and has written widely on the subject. He has contributed many articles to military history, wargaming and family history magazines, and his major publications include Warlords of China: 700BC-AD1662, Warrior Peoples of East Africa, Soldiers of the Dragon, The African Wars: Warriors and Soldiers of the Colonial Campaigns, Battles of Ancient China, Genghis Khan and the Mongol War Machine and King Stephen and the Anarchy: Civil War and Military Tactics in Twelfth-Century Britain.

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