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Defending The Island: From Caesar to the Armada
In a brilliantly imaginative blend of military, social and diplomatic history, Norman Longmate retells our island story from the perspective of its defenders, in a narrative which stretches from the Celtic tribes who unsuccessfully fought against Ceasar to the great seabourne defence against the Armada of Philip of Spain.
He has gone back to the original sources and investigated the original battlegrounds and weak spots in Britain's defences. But the real strength of his book is its seamless narrative of history, which uncovers the truth behind the legends. A mass of solidly researched fact, not readily found elsewhere, is seasoned with lively, humorous and occassionally gruesome anecdote.
The result, providing at once an invaluable sourcebook for the specialist and an enthralling narrative for the general reader, is by far the most comprehensive and accessible history of England versus invasion ever published.
He has gone back to the original sources and investigated the original battlegrounds and weak spots in Britain's defences. But the real strength of his book is its seamless narrative of history, which uncovers the truth behind the legends. A mass of solidly researched fact, not readily found elsewhere, is seasoned with lively, humorous and occassionally gruesome anecdote.
The result, providing at once an invaluable sourcebook for the specialist and an enthralling narrative for the general reader, is by far the most comprehensive and accessible history of England versus invasion ever published.
544 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 26, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 21, 2021
From Caesar to the Armada. With 1066 and all that in between? Naturally. But also every lesser known seaside intrusion, successfully repelled or otherwise.
Battles! Sieges! Coronation! Murder ! Told in the knowledgeable tones of J. F. C. Fuller, spiced with translated passages of chronicles. You'll want to take it slow, but you'll never be bored.
By the time Harold Hadrada lands his 300 drakkars other Vikings have wreaked so much havoc all over Ireland, Wales and England that the sheer exhaustion of Anglo-Saxon Britain is palable. So is the abating fury of the Welsh as a mantle of Norman castles takes shape.
King John of Robin Hood fame's taxation was in actuality less malignant than legend will have it, for part of it was channeled to naval defense. His brother Richard's littoral logistics in the Holy Land would echo next to every battle on British soil: ships followed Edward I into Scotland & the Yorkists the other way.
The Hundred Year's War saw, next to the massive land-battle-on-the-water of Sluys in 1340, as many French intrusions as it saw English armies ferry towards Calais, which long outlived its usefulness, because the Tudors showed themselves worthy successors of William in the field of shore fortifications.
Battles! Sieges! Coronation! Murder ! Told in the knowledgeable tones of J. F. C. Fuller, spiced with translated passages of chronicles. You'll want to take it slow, but you'll never be bored.
By the time Harold Hadrada lands his 300 drakkars other Vikings have wreaked so much havoc all over Ireland, Wales and England that the sheer exhaustion of Anglo-Saxon Britain is palable. So is the abating fury of the Welsh as a mantle of Norman castles takes shape.
King John of Robin Hood fame's taxation was in actuality less malignant than legend will have it, for part of it was channeled to naval defense. His brother Richard's littoral logistics in the Holy Land would echo next to every battle on British soil: ships followed Edward I into Scotland & the Yorkists the other way.
The Hundred Year's War saw, next to the massive land-battle-on-the-water of Sluys in 1340, as many French intrusions as it saw English armies ferry towards Calais, which long outlived its usefulness, because the Tudors showed themselves worthy successors of William in the field of shore fortifications.
December 24, 2019
If you love history.....and a ton of dates.....and another slew of names.....you'll love this book. I was amazed how many times the English were invaded. Really though I would have liked to have given this book more time. It would have been nice to pull up maps (if they exists) to pinpoint the numerous sites where battles took place, or where the invaders came ashore. It appears that just about everyone wanted a piece of the island.
September 30, 2017
Excellent book - a very engaging history, well written, researched and presented. I learnt a lot and enjoyed the process.
November 17, 2013
Obtained this book at random from the library. A compact and as full an overview of military campaigns, battles and invasions of the British Isles in the period described in the title. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I know what you are thinking, an enjoyable history book? No such thing. I quite often found myself unable to put it down. But I LOVE history, military especially, but their is an overview of politics and social history, the mix is just right for me. In fact I am going to read it again, first time in about two years.
January 18, 2012
A survey of the various invasions, invasion scares and defensive countermeasures taken through until the Armada, upon which the author spends far too much time (but this no doubt reflects the sources available to him. Nothing much new here. Not as good as the followup. Rated G. 2.5/5
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews