The Battle of Pinkie, fought between the English and the Scots in 1547,
was the last great clash between the two as independent nations. It is a
well-documented battle with several eyewitness accounts and contemporary
illustrations. There is also archaeological evidence of military
activities. The maneuvers of the two armies can be placed in the
landscape near Edinburgh, despite considerable developments since the
sixteenth century. Nevertheless, the battle and its significance has not
been well understood. From a military point of view there is much of
interest. The commanders were experienced and had already had
battlefield successes. There was an awareness on both sides of
contemporary best practice and use of up-to-date weapons and equipment.
The Scots and the English armies, however, were markedly different in
their composition and in the strategy and tactics they employed. There
is the added ingredient that the fire from English ships, positioned
just off the coast, helped decide the course of events. Using
contemporary records and archaeological evidence, David Caldwell,
Victoria Oleksy, and Bess Rhodes reconsider the events of September
1547. They explore the location of the fighting, the varied forces
involved, the aims of the commanders, and the close-run nature of the
battle. Pinkie resulted in a resounding victory for the English, but
that was by no means an inevitable outcome. After Pinkie it briefly
seemed as if the future of Britain had been redefined. The reality
proved rather different, and the battle has largely slipped from popular
consciousness. This book provides a reminder of the uncertainty and high
stakes both Scots and English faced in the autumn of 1547.
