Richard III and the Bosworth Campaign

by Hammond, Peter

• ISBN13: 9781844152599
• ISBN10: 1844152596
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-02-19
• Publisher: Pen & Sword

Summary

On 22 August 1485 the forces of the Yorkist king Richard III and his Lancastrian opponent Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond clashed at Bosworth Field in Leicestershire in one of the decisive battles of English history. Richard was defeated and killed. Henry took the crown as Henry VII, established the Tudor dynasty and set English history on a new course. For the last 500 years this, the most famous battle of the Wars of the Roses, has excited passionate interest and continuing controversy. Peter Hammond, in a vivid and perceptive account of the battle, retells the story of the tangled dynastic and personal rivalries that provoked the conflict, describes the preparations of the two converging armies and offers a gripping analysis of the contest itself. The latest documentary and archaeological evidence is considered, and the author weighs up the merits of conflicting interpretations of the battle and the battlefield. He also pays particular attention to the contrasting characters of Richard III and Henry Tudor, the villain and the victor of the drama, who are reconsidered as individuals and as commanders. This lucid, authoritative and readable new history will be essential reading for anyone who is intrigued by the short, unhappy reign of Richard III and the trial of strength that destroyed him.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. vii
List of Illustrations	p. ix
The History of York and Lancaster	p. xi
Preface	p. xiii
Prologue	p. 1
The New King	p. 15
Preparing for Invasion	p. 29
The Invasion	p. 55
Preparing to Receive the Invader	p. 67
Military Matters	p. 75
The Battle	p. 89
After the Battle	p. 107
Appendices:
The Sources for the Battle	p. 117
Commissions of Array	p. 123
The Act of Attainder against Richard and his Supportes	p. 127
Legends	p. 131
Notes and References	p. 139
Bibliography	p. 151
Index	p. 157
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