Defending the Island: From Caesar to the Armada

by Norman Longmate

In a brilliantly imaginative blend of military, social, and diplomatic history, Norman Longmate retells Britain's island story from the perspective of its defenders in a narrative stretching from the Celtic tribes who fought against Caesar to the great seaborne defence against Philip of Spain's Armada. Solidly researched fact is seasoned with lively, humorous, and occasionally gruesome anecdote, resulting in an invaluable sourcebook for the specialist and an enthralling narrative for the general reader.

544 pages, Paperback

First published January 26, 1989

Reviews

[Dimitri · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Greg Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Ian Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book - a very engaging history, well written, researched and presented. I learnt a lot and enjoyed the process.

[Adrian Farr · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

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