Battles of St Albans

by Peter Burley, Michael Elliott, Harvey Watson

St Albans is unique in having been the site of two pivotal battles during the Wars of the Roses, yet this is the first book-length account to have been published.

It offers a gripping account of the fighting, and of the politics and intrigue that led to it, and it incorporates the results of the latest research.

The authors also plot the events of over 500 years ago onto the twenty-first century landscape of St Albans so that the visitor can retrace the course of each battle on the present-day ground.

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2007

Reviews

[Ben Bergonzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book of its kind - concise, confidence-inspiring in its research, always lucid, it clarifies a lot of issues about the Wars of the Roses which longer books skip over - not just for those interested in St Albans (though St Albans is the place where you feel closest to the Wars). Recommended

[Mark Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good account of both battles with easy directions to walk the ground in and around the city.

[Roger Burk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sort of battle description from which one expects little as literature, but it is very good of its kind. Both battles were fought in the streets of St. Albans, next to the great abbey of the same name. The first battle (1455) was the first in the Wars of the Roses, when people could hardly imagine that English nobles would bear arms against the Royal Standard unfurled. It was over in an hour, finished by a shower of arrows directed at the royal party in the market square. The simple, pious, and ineffectual King Henry VI passed into the control of the Yorkist party. The second battle (1461) started with a night flank march and a dawn attack, most unusual in medieval times. The attacking Lancastrians won, and Henry VI passed into their control. However, the decision was reversed at Towton six weeks later. Edward IV of York won the battle, deposed Henry, became king, and reigned over eight years of peace until his former supporter the Earl of Warwick (the "Kingmaker") rebelled.