The Battle of Hastings by Jim Bradbury lands on the shelves of my shop, where it will be found in my History British section.
Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 1998, (First Edition) Hardback in dust wrapper.
Contains: Black & white photographs; Facsimiles; Colour photographs; Maps; Genealogical tables;
From the cover: The Battle of Hastings is probably the best-known and perhaps the most significant battle in English history. Its effects were deeply felt at the time, causing a lasting shift in cultural identity and national pride. Jim Bradbury here explores the full military background to the battle and investigates both the sources for our knowledge of what actually happened in 1066 and the role that the battle plays in national myth.
The Battle of Hastings starts by looking at the Normans who they were, where they came from and the career of William before 1066. Next, Jim Bradbury turns to the Saxons in England, and Harold Godwinson, successor to Edward the Confessor, and his attempts to create unity in the divided kingdom. This provides the background to an examination of the military development of the two sides up to 1066, detailing differences in tactics, arms, and armour. The core of the book is a move-by-move reconstruction of the battle, including the advance planning, the site of the battle, the composition of the two armies and the use of archers, feigned flights and the death of Harold. In looking at the consequences of the battle, Jim Bradbury deals with the conquest of England and the on-going resistance to the Normans. The effects of the conquest are seen also in the building of castles and developments in feudalism, and in links with Normandy which revealed themselves particularly in church appointments.
This is the first time a military historian has attempted to make accessible to the general reader all that is known about the Battle of Hastings and to reconstruct the battle itself move by move. Furthermore, the author places the battle in the military context of eleventh-century Europe, painting a vivid picture of the soldiery, weapons and horses as they struggled for victory. Richly illustrated in colour and black and white, this is a book that all interested in Englands most famous battle will find indispensable.
Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Dust wrapper very slightly rubbed at the edges. Text complete, clean and tight.
Red boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. [X] 278 pages. Index. 9¾” x 7″.
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