The question that stands at the heart of Malcom Wanklyn's exceptionally thoughtful and valuable book is, "Could what we know about the great battles of the English Civil War be wrong? Since nearly all primary sources are long gone, were those few we have today written by seventeenth century spin doctors? Though there can be no final definitive answer to either part of the question, Mr. Wanklyn provides intelligent, plausible suggestions.
The good historian is a myth buster. Malcolm Wanklyn is a very good detective. The myths he attacks in this book center on past interpretations, motives, biases, and thoroughness of eye witness sources.
All the difficult and contentious questions are now assembled in his compelling study in which he applies the methods of a battlefield detective to the sparse evidence reaching back three hundred years and more to the English Civil War, when the Royalists and Parliamentarians clashed.
Malcolm Wanklyn's "Decisive Battles of the English Civil War", is a marvelous hypothesis of what may have occurred during the English Civil War, taking in everything from the lay of the land to the moves of each army. It might be a bit more confusing than the typical history book -- hardly surprising, given that the maps are crudely draw and far too few -- the battlefield photographs are more helpful.
Malcolm Wanklyn is a brave historian to swim against the currents. But his interest in this subject is so obvious -- and convincing -- his style is so well spoken and his research is so thorough that "Decisive Battles" manages to be instructive and thought-provoking, all at once.
The great achievement of this book lies not only in Mr. Wanklyn's sure grasp of the sweep of battle and his deft portrayal of the commanders but also in his keen understanding of the chroniclers of the day - royalist and parliamentarian. His prose is fluid and clear, in a well argued presentation that belies his prodigious research.
This compelling and impressively well-researched book provides new information about the battlefield approaches and other archaeological sites including the woods, swamps, historic lanes and paths, killing grounds, and selected historic buildings. It is by far the most original analysis of the English Civil War.
Very readable, "Decisive Battles of the English Civil Wars" is a masterpiece of historical imagination. Mr. Wanklyn is familiar with the vast patchwork of written sources. He puts under the microscope the writings of the time to expose the motives and prejudices of the writers. For anyone who wishes to understand Civil War England, this book is essential reading.
This is a very impressive book: always reader-friendly but never dumbed-down and covering the subject matter admirably. It may well be the freshest analytical book on Civil War battles, in fact, since his first volume, "A Military History of the English Civil War 1642-1646: Strategy and Tactics."
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William in Sussex
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