The opening years of the fifteenth century saw one of the most bitterly
contested political and military convulsions in the history of the
British Isles, a conflict that is too-often overlooked by military
historians. Henry IV, who had overthrown and probably murdered his
predecessor Richard II, fought a protracted and bloody campaign against
the most powerful nobles in the land. This war is the subject of John
Barratts gripping study.
The Percy family, the Kings of the North, and their most famous leader
Sir Henry Percy Hotspur, whose fiery nature and military prowess were
immortalized by Shakespeare stood out against Henrys rule. And the
beleaguered king also had to contend with a range of other unrelenting
opponents, among them Owain Glyn Dwr, who led the Welsh revolt against
English supremacy.
In this graphic account of the first, deeply troubled years of Henry IVs
reign, John Barratt concentrates on the warfare, in particular on the
setpiece pitched battles fought at Homildon Hill, Pilleth and Shrewsbury