Overview

Warfare between the clans of the Highlands in the late Middle Ages determined the course of history in this region of Scotland, and Chris Peers's gripping account of it - and of the rivalry between the strongest clans - gives the reader a deep insight into this bloody, turbulent phase in the development of the far north of the British Isles. The battles he describes, all of them fought between the 1430s and the 1540s, were flash points in the long struggle for dominance between the leading clans of the region. The battles are reconstructed in vivid detail. The first, Druim n Coub, was fought in 1433 between the Mackays and the Sutherlands. Then came Bloody Bay, a sea fight between rival MacDonald factions, Blar na Parc between the MacDonalds and the Mackenzies, Creag an Airgid between the MacDonalds and the MacIains, Glendale between the MacDonalds and MacLeods, and Torran Dubh between alliances headed by the Mackays and Sutherlands. The final battle, Blar na Leine, fought between the MacDonalds and the Frasers in 1544, marked the end of an era. The subsequent fate of the leading clans, principally the MacDonalds and Mackays, is also covered in a narrative that gives the reader a fascinating new perspective of clan loyalties and conflict which still resonates today. As well as covering the fighting Chris Peers explains the way war in the Highlands was organized by the contending clans during the period - the strategies and tactics, weapons and armour they employed. The result is an absorbing all-round account of the military history of the Highlands before the clans eventually lost their independence. AUTHOR: Chris Peers is a leading expert on the history of ancient armies and warfare and has written widely on the subject. He has contributed many articles to military history, wargaming and family history magazines, and his major publications include Warlords of China: 700BC-AD1662, Soldiers of the Dragon, The African Wars: Warriors and Soldiers of the Colonial Campaigns, Offa and Mercian Wars, Battles of Ancient China, Genghis Khan and the Mongol War Machine, King Stephen and the Anarchy: Civil War and Military Tactics in Twelfth-Century Britain and The Highland Battles: Warfare on Scotland's Northern Frontier in the Early Middle Ages. 20 colour illustrations

Full Product Details

9781399070034

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""This overview describes clan warfare, mostly raiding and counter-raiding but with some pitched battles too, with reasonable detail.""-- ""Historical Miniatures Gaming Society"""

Author Information

Chris Peers is a leading expert on the history of ancient armies and warfare and has written widely on the subject. He has contributed many articles to military history, wargaming and family history magazines, and his major publications include Warlords of China: 700BC-AD1662, Soldiers of the Dragon, The African Wars: Warriors and Soldiers of the Colonial Campaigns, Offa and Mercian Wars, Battles of Ancient China, Genghis Khan and the Mongol War Machine, King Stephen and the Anarchy: Civil War and Military Tactics in Twelfth-Century Britain and The Highland Battles: Warfare on Scotland's Northern Frontier in the Early Middle Ages.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available