David Grummitt – författare

The series of rebellions against royal authority and the violent clashes between aristocratic families that occurred in England between 1455 and 1487 have long been characterized as the 'Wars of the Roses'. Yet, far from being a continuous period of civil war, the Wars of the Roses were in fact an intermittent series of minor clashes, pitched battles, and sieges. These occurred against the backdrop of a demilitarization of the English aristocracy in the final years of the Hundred Years War.Drawing on extensive archival research and a wide-ranging synthesis of the secondary literature, David Grummitt here reconsiders the nature of war and the martial culture of the English in the second half of the fifteenth century. He places these experiences within the peculiar legal, constitutional, and political culture of late Lancastrian and Yorkist England, to reexamine in depth the motivation for fighting, the raising and equipping of armies, the experience of battle and its aftermath, and the ways in which civil conflict was rationalized and memorialized. These experiences are compared and contrasted to that in its continental neighbours in an age of expanding royal authority, gunpowder weapons, and emergence of standing, professional armies. The book's conclusions offer a new interpretation of the evidence for the size of armies and scale of conflict during these years, the weaponry and tactics employed, and the wider importance of war, chivalry, and martial culture in late medieval England.In so doing, and by drawing on a range of new conceptual approaches in the fields of the history of emotions, material culture, and conflict archaeology, alongside other more traditional disciplinary approaches to military history, the book offers a thorough and fulsome history of the Wars of the Roses, one that properly integrates war and marital culture into our understanding of the political and cultural history of fifteenth-century England, and late medieval European military history more generally.

Exploring the effects of war on state power in early modern Europe, this book asks if military competition increased rulers' power over their subjects and forged more modern states, or if the strains of war broke down political and administrative systems. Comparing England and the Netherlands in the age of warrior princes such as Henry VIII and Charles V, it examines the development of new military and fiscal institutions, and asks how mobilization for war changed political relationships throughout society. Towns in England, such as Norwich, York, Exeter, and Rye, are compared with towns in the Netherlands, such as Antwerp, Leiden, 's-Hertogenbosch and Valenciennes, to see how the magistrates' relations with central government and the urban populace were modified by war. Great noblemen from the Howard and Percy families are set alongside their equivalents from the houses of Cro and Egmond to examine the role of recruitment, army command, and heroic reputation in maintaining noble power. The wider interactions of subjects and rulers in wartime are reviewed to measure how effectively war extended princes' claims on their subjects' loyalty and service, their ambitions to control news and opinion and to promote national identity, and their ability to manage the economy and harness religious change to dynastic purposes. The result is a compelling but nuanced picture of societies and polities tested and shaped by the pressures of ever more demanding warfare.

In this new assessment of Henry VI, David Grummitt synthesizes a wealth of detailed research into Lancastrian England that has taken place throughout the last three decades to provide a fresh appraisal of the house’s last King. The biography places Henry in the context of Lancastrian political culture and considers how his reign was shaped by the times in which he lived.Henry VI is one of the most controversial of England’s medieval kings. Coming to the throne in 1422 at the age of only nine months and inheriting the crowns of both England and France, he reigned for 39 years before losing his position to the Yorkist king, Edward IV, in the early stages of the Wars of the Roses. Almost a decade later, in 1470, he briefly regained the throne, only for his cause to be decisively defeated in battle the following year, after which Henry himself was almost certainly murdered. Henry continues to perplex and fascinate the modern reader, who struggles to understand how such an obviously ill-suited king could continue to reign for nearly forty years and command such loyalty, even after his cause was lost. From his coronation at nine months old, to the legacy of his reign in the centuries after his death, this is a balanced, detailed and engaging biography of one of England’s most enigmatic kings and will be essential reading for all students of late medieval England, and the Wars of the Roses.

In this new assessment of Henry VI, David Grummitt synthesizes a wealth of detailed research into Lancastrian England that has taken place throughout the last three decades to provide a fresh appraisal of the house’s last King. The biography places Henry in the context of Lancastrian political culture and considers how his reign was shaped by the times in which he lived.Henry VI is one of the most controversial of England’s medieval kings. Coming to the throne in 1422 at the age of only nine months and inheriting the crowns of both England and France, he reigned for 39 years before losing his position to the Yorkist king, Edward IV, in the early stages of the Wars of the Roses. Almost a decade later, in 1470, he briefly regained the throne, only for his cause to be decisively defeated in battle the following year, after which Henry himself was almost certainly murdered. Henry continues to perplex and fascinate the modern reader, who struggles to understand how such an obviously ill-suited king could continue to reign for nearly forty years and command such loyalty, even after his cause was lost. From his coronation at nine months old, to the legacy of his reign in the centuries after his death, this is a balanced, detailed and engaging biography of one of England’s most enigmatic kings and will be essential reading for all students of late medieval England, and the Wars of the Roses.

This title was first published in 2002: This collection of essays is based on papers delivered at a conference held at the Public Record Office in November 1999. The purpose of the book is to highlight the close links between England and France and the role of England and Englishmen in Renaissance Europe. It provides a statement of current research by the leading scholars in that field and should serve as a basis both for teaching and for further work. It is necessary to fill the gap that exists in the history of this period, which is currently concentrated in narrative, diplomatic history or general surveys of the role of England in Europe. This coherent set of essays, built around complementary themes, and with the addition of a historiographical and thematic introduction, focuses solely on England and France in the period after the end of the Hundred Years War and before the onset of French Wars of Religion.

This title was first published in 2002: This collection of essays is based on papers delivered at a conference held at the Public Record Office in November 1999. The purpose of the book is to highlight the close links between England and France and the role of England and Englishmen in Renaissance Europe. It provides a statement of current research by the leading scholars in that field and should serve as a basis both for teaching and for further work. It is necessary to fill the gap that exists in the history of this period, which is currently concentrated in narrative, diplomatic history or general surveys of the role of England in Europe. This coherent set of essays, built around complementary themes, and with the addition of a historiographical and thematic introduction, focuses solely on England and France in the period after the end of the Hundred Years War and before the onset of French Wars of Religion.

Now in its second edition, A Short History of the Wars of the Roses is an accessible history of the English civil wars of the mid-15th century. It offers a comprehensive account of the major political events, detailing the 30-year struggle between the dynastic houses of Lancaster and York, and analysing the formal clashes of royalist and rebel armies, such as the battles at St Albans, Towton, and Bosworth. Grummitt explores the roles of the era’s key personalities, such as the ‘Kingmaker’ Earl of Warwick, and Margaret of Anjou, who ruled for a time in her husband’s stead – highlighting how their actions shaped events on a local and national scale.Grummitt places the violent developments of this complex period in the wider context of fifteenth-century kingship, and the development of English political culture – without losing sight of the impact of the war on the lives of those who both fought in and were touched by battle.Expanding on the successful foundations of the 1st edition, this 2nd edition has been updated to include:- New material analysing the struggle for Ireland (1459-64) - New research concerning the battle of Edgecote and the Northern and Lincolnshire rebellions of 1469-70- A new section on gender and the role of women, with a focus on the agency of women and how they navigated the impact of the Wars on themselves and their families- Expanded analysis of the role of chivalry, and its centrality to the gendered identity of aristocratic men and women

Now in its second edition, A Short History of the Wars of the Roses is an accessible history of the English civil wars of the mid-15th century. It offers a comprehensive account of the major political events, detailing the 30-year struggle between the dynastic houses of Lancaster and York, and analysing the formal clashes of royalist and rebel armies, such as the battles at St Albans, Towton, and Bosworth. Grummitt explores the roles of the era’s key personalities, such as the ‘Kingmaker’ Earl of Warwick, and Margaret of Anjou, who ruled for a time in her husband’s stead – highlighting how their actions shaped events on a local and national scale.Grummitt places the violent developments of this complex period in the wider context of fifteenth-century kingship, and the development of English political culture – without losing sight of the impact of the war on the lives of those who both fought in and were touched by battle.Expanding on the successful foundations of the 1st edition, this 2nd edition has been updated to include:- New material analysing the struggle for Ireland (1459-64) - New research concerning the battle of Edgecote and the Northern and Lincolnshire rebellions of 1469-70- A new section on gender and the role of women, with a focus on the agency of women and how they navigated the impact of the Wars on themselves and their families- Expanded analysis of the role of chivalry, and its centrality to the gendered identity of aristocratic men and women

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle was developed in the 1970s to counter the new Infantry Fighting Vehicles of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies. Designed to survive the imagined high-intensity, Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) battlefield of the Cold War, it became, alongside the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank, the mainstay of US armoured forces during the 1980s. As the Cold War ended, however, it would go on to prove its worth on other battlefields. During the First Gulf War the Bradley would destroy more Iraqi AFVs than the Abrams, while during the 1990s it would prove itself an effective weapons system in the missions to Bosnia and Kosovo. During the 2003 invasion of the Iraq and the fighting that followed it confirmed its reputation as a versatile and deadly AFV.This volumes examines the development and service history of both the M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle. The various modifications and improvements over its long service history are described, as is the experience of the soldiers who have fought alongside and in it during the past three decades. The book also gives a full account of the wide range of kits and accessories available in all the popular scales and includes a modelling gallery covering the most important Bradley variants. Detailed colour profiles provide both reference and inspiration for modellers and military enthusiasts alike.

It is for good reason that artillery is known as the ‘king of battle’. In World War II the United States made good use of self-propelled howitzers, including those based on the chassis of the M4 Sherman tank. After 1945 the US developed both light and medium self-propelled howitzers, based on the M24 Chaffee, M41 Walker Bulldog and Sherman chassis. The first designs were plagued with problems and self-propelled artillery played only a minor role in the Korean War. By the mid 1960s, however, the M107 175mm, M109 155mm and M110 203mms self-propelled howitzers had entered service, and they proved their effectiveness during the Vietnam War. The M107 was relatively short-lived in US service, being retired in the late 1970s, but it played an important role with the Israel Defence Forces. The M109 served with the US Army, as well as in many NATO armies and elsewhere, and saw action in the Middle East, in the Balkans, during the liberation of Kuwait, and in the invasion of Iraq. The M109 has now been in service for some sixty years and remains, in the guise of the M109A7, the current self-propelled howitzer of the US Army. The larger M110 203mm self-propelled howitzer similarly saw widespread service before it was retired in the early 1990s. Despite the emergence of rocket artillery, such as the Multiple Launch Rocket System, the self-propelled howitzer will remain one of the principal weapons systems of US military in the decades to come.The M107, M109 and M110 have proved popular subjects among modellers with a variety of kits available from the major manufacturers. As well as describing in detail the technical development and operational history of these guns, this book gives a full account of the wide range of modelling kits and accessories available in all the popular scales. Included is a modelling gallery which covers a range of variants and a section of large-scale colour profiles which provide both information and inspiration for modellers and military enthusiasts alike.

The M60 was a second-generation American main battle tank, the last in the line of Patton tanks that had first been developed at the end of World War. It entered operational service with the US Army in 1960 and some 15,000 M60s were manufactured by Chrysler at the Detroit Tank Arsenal Plant between then and when production ceased in 1983. It served with both the US Army and the US Marine Corps and was the principal tank deployed in Europe in the sixties, seventies and early eighties, providing NATO's main armoured force at the height of the Cold War. It became one of the most widely used armoured fighting vehicles of the twentieth century, serving in the armies of over 25 countries. It continued to serve alongside the M1 Abrams into the 1990s before this venerable Cold War warrior was finally retired from active service with the US military in 1997.This volume charts the development of the M60 from its origins in World War II to the Cold War. It focuses on its service with the US military and other NATO armies, examining its combat service in the First Gulf War and also with other armies in the Middle East. The book gives a full account of the wide range of kits and accessories available in all the popular scales and a modelling gallery features builds covering a range of M60s in service with various armed forces. Detailed colour profiles provide both reference and inspiration for modellers and military enthusiasts alike.

Since its introduction in 1981, at the height of the Cold War, the Abrams main battle tank has been one of the most visible and iconic symbols of American military power, and it is the fascinating subject of this heavily illustrated historical and modelling guide in the TankCraft series by David Grummitt.Designed to meet head-on the massed tank forces of the Warsaw Pact, its combat debut in fact came in a different scenario in 1991 during the First Gulf War. Since then it has served in the peace-keeping role in the former Yugoslavia and seen combat in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen. It has gone through a series of modifications and modernizations that see it set to remain the backbone of the US Army until at least 2050.As well as charting the development and combat history of the vehicle, the book is illustrated throughout with colour photos and specially commissioned colour profiles. Five different models, covering the service history of the Abrams, are featured, as is modeller's guide to the existing kits and accessories in the all the popular scales.

When the Leopard 2, a third-generation main battle tank, first entered service with the Bundeswehr in 1979, at the height of the Cold War, it was indisputably the most advanced and potent tank in the world. During the last four decades it has undergone numerous upgrades and modifications to ensure it remains one of the most powerful tanks operating today. It currently serves with the armies of seventeen nations, from Canada to Turkey and including many European states.The Leopard 2 is also a popular subject for modellers which is why David Grummitt's highly illustrated expert guide is so valuable. As well as describing in detail the Leopard 2's design, development and combat history, he gives a full account of the wide range of modelling kits and accessories available in all the popular scales. Included is a modelling gallery, which features six builds covering a range of Leopard 2s serving with different nations and a section of large-scale colour profiles which provide both reference and inspiration for modellers and military enthusiasts alike.

The Stryker interim combat vehicle was a stop-gap measure, designed to meet the needs of the United States to project its military force quickly by air into hotspots around the world. In 2003 it had its baptism of fire in Iraq and has since proved itself an integral part of the US's warfighting capability and now, two decades into its service, the Stryker has been adapted to face the new threat of a resurgent Russia.This volume in the LandCraft series of modelling guides examines the Stryker and LAV III in US, Canadian and New Zealand service. In addition to describing in detail the design, development and operational history of the Stryker and LAV III, David Grummitt gives a full account of the wide range of modelling kits and accessories available and features six builds covering the most important variants. Detailed colour profiles provide both reference and inspiration for modellers and military enthusiasts alike.

Definitive account of the English garrison at Calais - the largest contemporary force in Europe - in the wider context of European warfare in the middle ages.For over 200 years, following its capture by Edward III in 1347, the town of Calais was in English hands; after 1453 it remained the last English possession on the continent, a commercial, cultural, diplomatic and military frontier, until its recapture by the French in 1558. This book - the first full-length study so to do - examines the Calais garrison, the largest standing military force available to the English crown. Based on extensive archival research, it covers recruitment and service in the garrison, the problems of pay and logistics, the weaponry and tactics used, and the chivalric and professional ethos among the soldiers. It also investigates the effectiveness of English arms against their European counterparts, through a detailed study of the failed Burgundian siege of 1436 and the successful French siege of 1558. Overall, it reaffirms the importance of Calais to successive medieval and early modern English kings, and challenges the perceived notion that England lagged behind its northwest European rivals in terms of military technology and effectiveness. The Calais garrison is placed in the wider context of the development of European warfare in general during this period.