Pen & Sword has established itself as a leading publisher of medieval military history. Battlefield guides, accounts of decisive battles and sieges, critical biographies of key commanders, and reissues of classic works of the medieval scholarship all feature in our list. And the coverage is not restricted to Britain – important books on the Crusades, the Mongols and warfare in medieval Japan are also part of our publishing programme.
Readers who have a passing interest in medieval warfare and those who have long been fascinated by the subject will all find books here that are stimulating reading.
[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars The Civil War between Stephen and Matilda has long captivated historians and readers alike. Cousins fighting over who the crown truly belonged to - and the issues of a woman being on the throne - makes for captivating reading. This book is no different, and you are going to get sucked in from the beginning! Get ready for the best game of thrones you will ever read! On the death of King Henry I, the throne should have passed to Matilda, his daughter. While she was not the first choice, she was what the king had left after the White Ship disaster. However, her cousin Stephen swooped in and claimed the crown for himself, setting off decades of a civil war that threatened to tear England apart. While England was not truly ready for a woman to rule, Stephen might not have been the best choice - he was rather soft in several areas (although thank goodness, because we got William Marshall through his softness). The years of war did not lessen the duties that Matilda.. Read more
NetGalley, Rebecca Hill
[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars The Civil War between Stephen and Matilda has long captivated historians and readers alike. Cousins fighting over who the crown truly belonged to - and the issues of a woman being on the throne - makes for captivating reading. This book is no different, and you are going to get sucked in from the beginning! Get ready for the best game of thrones you will ever read! On the death of King Henry I, the throne should have passed to Matilda, his daughter. While she was not the first choice, she was what the king had left after the White Ship disaster. However, her cousin Stephen swooped in and claimed the crown for himself, setting off decades of a civil war that threatened to tear England apart. While England was not truly ready for a woman to rule, Stephen might not have been the best choice - he was rather soft in several areas (although thank goodness, because we got William Marshall through his softness). The years of war did not lessen the duties that Matilda.. Read more
NetGalley, Rebecca Hill
I thoroughly enjoyed Steven Goodchild’s book on the Battle of Tewkesbury. It is evident that the book is well researched and the amount of detail included about the events leading up to the battle, the battle itself and the political aftermath ties the book together well. I am enjoying Pen and Swords books on historical battles, and I think Godchild’s book on Tewkesbury is a fantastic addition – highly recommended.
Read the full review [link=https://sarah-bryson.com/2019/10/12/tewkesbury-eclipse-of-the-house-of-lancaster-1471/]here[/link]
Sarah Bryson, Author
I thoroughly enjoyed Steven Goodchild’s book on the Battle of Tewkesbury. It is evident that the book is well researched and the amount of detail included about the events leading up to the battle, the battle itself and the political aftermath ties the book together well. I am enjoying Pen and Swords books on historical battles, and I think Godchild’s book on Tewkesbury is a fantastic addition – highly recommended.
Read the full review [link=https://sarah-bryson.com/2019/10/12/tewkesbury-eclipse-of-the-house-of-lancaster-1471/]here[/link]
Sarah Bryson, Author
Clark’s book on the Battle of Barnet is very well written and provides a wealth of information. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the Wars of the Roses or military history.
Read the full review [link=https://sarah-bryson.com/2019/09/16/barnet-1471-death-of-the-kingmaker/]here[/link]
Sarah Bryson, Author
Clark’s book on the Battle of Barnet is very well written and provides a wealth of information. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the Wars of the Roses or military history.
Read the full review [link=https://sarah-bryson.com/2019/09/16/barnet-1471-death-of-the-kingmaker/]here[/link]
Sarah Bryson, Author
I've read the stories of the royals who were "bypassed," but only as an aside as the monarchs who took power in their places were the focus of the stories. I stumbled upon this book and thought it would provide a different perspective, and it certainly did succeed at that. They're no longer just names in a history book - they're actually the focus of one for a change. I definitely learned a lot and it was an enjoyable read as well.
NetGalley, Jesse Lewis
I've read the stories of the royals who were "bypassed," but only as an aside as the monarchs who took power in their places were the focus of the stories. I stumbled upon this book and thought it would provide a different perspective, and it certainly did succeed at that. They're no longer just names in a history book - they're actually the focus of one for a change. I definitely learned a lot and it was an enjoyable read as well.
NetGalley, Jesse Lewis
Featured in
Glasgow and West Scotland Family History Magazine
Featured in
Glasgow and West Scotland Family History Magazine
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England's Medieval Navy 1066-1509
We are accustomed to think of England in terms of Shakespeare's 'precious stone set in a silver sea', safe behind its watery ramparts with its naval strength resisting all invaders. To the English of an earlier period – from the 8th to the 11th centuries – such a notion would have seemed ridiculous. The sea, rather than being a defensive wall,… Read more...
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Road to Manzikert
In August 1071, the Byzantine Emperor Romanus IV Diogenese led out a powerful army in an attempt to roll back Seljuk Turkish incursions into the Anatolian heartland of the Empire. Outmanoeuvred by the Turkish sultan, Alp Arslan, Romanus was forced to give battle with only half his troops near Manzikert. By the end of that fateful day much of the Byzantine… Read more...
On the 25th October 1415 Henry Vs small and dispirited Anglo/Welsh Army destroyed a vast French Army at Azincourt. This programme looks at not just this iconic battle immortalised by Shakespeare and many other authors but the campaign that led up to this final great English victory of the 100 Years War when the Yeoman of England reigned supreme on… Read more...
On 11 July 1346 the Anglo/Welsh army of Edward III started to disembark in the bay at St Vaast in the Cotentin Peninsula. In a period of 12 months this army won 3 major battles Caen, Blanchtaque and Crecy and captured Calais, which would remain in English hands until 1558 a thorn in the side of France. This campaign was the first major chapter in the… Read more...
The Battle of Hastings 1066 - The Uncomfortable Truth
AS SEEN IN THE DAILY MAIL AND THE DAILY TELEGRAPH The Battle of Hastings is the most defining event in English history. As such, its every detail has been analysed by scholars and interpreted by historians. Yet one of the most fundamental aspect of the battle – the place upon which it was fought – has never been seriously questioned, until now.… Read more...
