The Battle of the Boyne in 1690 was the culmination of the ferocious struggle between two kings, James II and William III. This book makes use of research and sources, including eyewitness accounts, to analyse the opposing forces, their strategy, tactics and conduct of the war and the reasons for its eventual outcome.
Certainly the best single volume history of the civil wars between 1688-1692. Synthesizes the Glorious Revolution, the first Jacobite Rebellion in Scotland, the Williamite War in Ireland, and the naval operations of the Nine Years’ War into a coherent narrative. Barratt attempts to give them all the title of “War of the Three Kingdoms,” to unify them. I don’t think that works, because that title is usually applied to the civil wars 1639-51. But Barratt’s book is a great place to start to get a thorough knowledge of this period.
Now I know why King William could never be bothered to help the plight of the Ulster Scots who had bled and died for him to retain the English throne--England, Ireland, and Scotland were just pawns in his larger ambition to thwart King Louis XIV. Quite heartbreaking and infuriating to think about the damage that was done to so many lives.