The English Aristocracy at War is a detailed study of the thousands of soldiers who served the English kings between 1272 and 1314. The author draws on many different sources, including pay-rolls and wardrobe books to build up a picture of the military careers of the men who held important roles in the English armies of the medieval period.
Military Service in Medieval Times
The book has five main themes: mobilisation, military command, service patterns among the gentry, retinues and their composition and feudal service. Dr Simpkin has carried out research on over 5,000 soldiers who served at sub-knightly rank and above. Through his study, he reveals the loyalty of medieval soldiers, the recruitment and deployment of military forces and the use of feudal service during the medieval period.
English soldiers of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries were required to serve in a variety of locations, including Wales, Scotland, Gascony and Flanders. Many of these men had to bear the considerable costs of equipping themselves with a horse, armour and attendants so that they could enter a battle in accordance with their own rank.
The Recruitment of the Medieval Knight
Dr Simpkin discusses what factors influenced which members of the aristocracy were chosen by their monarch to provide military service. He explores various factors, including military experience, physical location, financial standing and family ties to explain how military recruitment could vary depending on the particular military campaign and the monarch who ruled at the time.
The author takes the view that the years between 1294 and 1314 saw an overall increase in the military recruitment of the English aristocracy. He attributes this largely to the forceful personality of Edward I, coupled with this king’s determination to subdue his Welsh and Scottish subjects. This was an age when a huge number of the king’s noble subjects were called upon to provide military support and to defend the Crown’s lands. The granting of estates and titles were one of the ways in which the king could ensure the continuing support of his important subjects.
Summary
This is a detailed and fascinating study of warfare in the medieval Edwardian age. The author draws on a wide variety of source materials including original records from the National Archives and the British Library, as well as a huge number of reference works. There is a Warfare in History reading list and the tables which are printed throughout the book help make the most important facts stand out.
The English Aristocracy at War contains plenty of information on all aspects of this subject, from the age and financial situations of individual warriors, through to the overall picture of medieval military service across this period. The amount and quality of material in this book makes it a valuable reference to anyone interested in warfare of this period.
Publication Details
Simpkin, Dr David The English Aristocracy at War. From the Welsh Wars of Edward I To The Battle of Bannockburn [The Boydell Press,2008]
229 pages ISBN 9781843833888
