The Battlefields of England

by Alfred H. Burne

England's battlefields bear witness to dramatic turning-points in the country's history. At Hastings, Bosworth Field, Flodden and Naseby, to name but a few, the battles fought were to have an enormous effect on English life. This excellent book (containing Burne's famous The Battlefields of England and More Battlefields of England published together in one volume for the first time) makes it possible for readers to follow the course of 39 notable battles from A.D. 51 to 1685, as if they were there on the battlefields themselves.
As well as tracing the course of the battles, Burne provides an informed and intelligent military commentary. Contemporary chronicles were often unreliable, usually written not by the actual participants, who tended to be illiterate, but by scribes who had no knowledge of the conditions of warfare and no maps to refer to. Burne sorts through the confusion caused by these records, establishing the military probability of the actions they describe, and examining the possible alternatives. His explanations are clear and logical, and make sense of the contradictory or unlikely contemporary accounts.

Genres: History, Military History, War, Nonfiction

527 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Alfred Burne was educated at Winchester School and RMA Woolwich, before being commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1906. He was awarded the DSO during the First World War and, during World War II, was Commandant of the 121st Officer Cadet Training Unit. He retired as a Lieutenant-Colonel.

He was Military Editor of Chambers Encyclopedia from 1938 to 1957 and became an authority on the history of land warfare. He was a contributor to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

Burne lived in Kensington and his funeral was held at St Mary Abbots there.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recommended for those who have a serious interest in military history. Full of details and careful, if opinionated, evaluation of the work of past scholars. The author seems to believe in the historicity of King Arthur, which I found odd. But he zeroes in on details overlooked, or slurred over, by others.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful reference book for an essay written about the Otterburn Ballad Tradition

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A.H. Burne briefly reviews locations and circumstances of battlefields on the English mainland from 51 A.D to 1685 A.D; using his superb experience of military tactics and strategy he calls "Inherent Military Probability or IMP" to explain gaps in the historical record as to why events may have transpired as they did. I found his opinions both fascinating and informative. He provides a critique of previous historians' accounts also which is a delicious portion of each chapter in and of itself. He also provides some simple sketch maps to orient readers with the battlefield and I believe with the intention for readers to actually visit present day locations as he remarks about modern day roads to utilize in order to visit the battlefields. I found this book an excellent source to familiarize with many of England's battles for future detailed study.