num_pages: 195
description: Sieges determined the course of the English Civil Wars yet they receive scant attention. In contrast the major set-piece battles are repeatedly analyzed and reassessed. As a result our understanding of the conflict and of its outcome is incomplete. John Barratt in this lucid and perceptive account makes the siege the focal point of his study. As well as looking at the theory and practice of siege warfare and fortification he considers the often-devastating human impact. Using a selection of graphic examples he shows how siege warfare could ruin the lives of the soldiers - and the civilians - caught up in it. He examines in detail a dozen sieges using a combination of eyewitness accounts other contemporary sources archaeological surveys and other modern research. His study provides a detailed and vivid reconstruction of these often neglected episodes of civil war history.
language: English
title: Sieges of the English Civil Wars
publisher: Pen & Sword Books