A military history of the English Civil War, 1642-1646 : strategy and tactics

A Military History of the English Civil War examines how the civil war was won, who fought for whom, and why it ended. With a straightforward style and clear chronology that enables readers to make their own judgements and pursue their own interests further, this original history provides a thorough critique of the reasons that have been cited for Parliament's victory and the King's defeat in 1645/46. It discusses the strategic options of the Parliamentary and Royalist commanders and councils of war and analyses the decisions they made, arguing that the King's faulty command structure was more responsible for his defeat than Sir Thomas Fairfax's strategic flair. It also argues that the way that resources were used, rather than the resources themselves, explain why the war ended when it did. In The First Major Re-evaluation Of The Military Outcome Of The English Civil War For Many Years, Malcolm Wanklyn And Frank Jones Address The Two Central Tenets Of The Civil War Head On: How The War Was Won, And Why It Ended When It Did. They Question Those Explanations That Attribute Parliament's Victory In 1645 To Its Overwhelming Superiority In Resources, And Place Their Emphasis Instead On The Significance Of Strategy And Tactics. It Was The Use To Which Resources Were Put, Not The Resources Themselves, Which Explain Why The War Ended When It Did. A Military History Is Based On Extensive Archival Research And On Close Reading Of The Original Texts. It Provides A Clear, Accurate And Up-to-date Account Of The Course And Outcome Of The Principal Campaigns. In The Process Many Traditional Ideas Are Challenged And Others Defended. Its Revisionist Approach Is Aimed At Bringing Scholarship In The Operational Aspects Of The Civil War To The Level It Has Attained In Other Aspects Of Seventeenth-century Studies.--jacket. Pt. I. Introduction -- The Nature And Origins Of The Great Civil War : A Brief Overview -- How Was The Great Civil War Won? -- Battlecraft In Seventeenth-century Europe ; Pt. Ii. Knock-out Strategies -- Initial Strategies -- The Battle Of Edgehill -- The First Thames Valley Campaign -- Summary Of Part Ii ; Pt. Iii. Parliament's Offensive -- Consolidation -- The Second Thames Valley Campaign -- Summary Of Part Iii ; Pt. Iv. A King's Game -- The Battle Of Roundway Down And The Capture Of Bristol -- The Gloucester And Newbury Campaign -- The First Battle Of Newbury -- Maintaining The Strategic Initiative -- The Hampshire Campaign -- Summary Of Part Iv ; Pt. V. The Allies' Counterattack -- The Third Thames Valley Campaign -- The March To York -- The Battle Of Marston Moor -- The Royalist Recovery -- The Second And Third Battles Of Newbury -- Summary Of Part V ; Pt. Vi. The Crisis Of The War -- Winter Quarters -- The Naseby Campaign -- The Battle Of Naseby -- Langport And Beyond -- Pt. Vii. Tactics -- Triumph On The Battlefield -- Reflections On The Military History Of The Great Civil War -- Postscript : The Second Civil War. Malcolm Wanklyn And Frank Jones. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 284-295) And Index.