Parliament's Generals: Supreme Command and Politics during the British Wars 1642-51 - Hardcover

Wanklyn, Malcolm

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1473898366 ISBN 13: 9781473898363

Publisher: Pen & Sword Military, 2019

Synopsis

Waller, Essex, Fairfax, Manchester and Cromwell are among the most famous military men who fought for Parliament during the English Civil War. While their performance as generals has been explored in numerous books on the campaigns, comparatively little has been written by military historians about the political aspects of high command, namely the ever-changing and often fractious relationship with the English Parliament and its executive committees. That is why Malcolm Wanklyn's study of these men is of such value, for he sheds new light on the qualities they employed in their attempts to achieve their military and political aspirations. In a series of insightful chapters he follows their careers through the course of the conflict, focusing on their successes and failures in battle and the consequences for their reputations and influence. Dissatisfaction with the leadership of Essex, Manchester and Waller in the inconclusive early campaigns is examined, as are the contrasting strengths of Fairfax and Cromwell. This reassessment sheds new light on how these commanders managed promotions, out-manoeuvred their fellow generals and controlled their subordinates.

About this title

About the Author

Malcolm Wanklyn was for many years head of the history and war studies division at the University of Wolverhampton, and he is now Emeritus Professor in the History Department. He has made a special study of the English Civil War, concentrating on the written records upon which modern understanding of the military history of the era is based. His best-known books are A Military History of the English Civil War 1642-1646: Strategy and Tactics, written in collaboration with Frank Jones, Warrior Generals: Winning the British Civil Wars, Reconstructing the New Model Army and Decisive Battles of the English Civil War.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1473898366
• ISBN 13: 9781473898363
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240