The battle of towton extract from house of beaufort book the following is an edited extract from house of beaufort. Fought in the middle of a snow storm with perhaps as many as 100,000 men in the field, the battle of towton was the largest and bloodiest military engagement on english soil. Our complete guide to the best books to read, from novels to. The battle of palm sunday field and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. The following is an edited extract from house of beaufort. George goodwin, who has written a book on towton to coincide with the battles 550th anniversary in 2011, reckons as many as 75,000 men. The history of the battle of towton where our inspiration came from for our medieval. George goodwin, who has written a book on towton to coincide with the battles 550th anniversary in 2011, reckons as many as 75,000 men, perhaps 10% of the countrys fightingage population, took the field that day.
You can order the book here the lancastrians had scouted an ideal location on an exposed plateau between the villages of towton and saxton, a few miles south of. Somerset had the slightly higher ground but the cold wind was blowing in the faces of his forces. The battle of towton was the bloodiest battle to take place on english soil. I had to find out more about the atrocious conditions in which the battle was fought and the horrendous number of casualties. It involved around 50,000 60,000 men, almost onetenth of all the fighting men in england at the time. News uk this britain mass graves to shed light on britains bloodiest battle more than 28,000 died at towton, but the tudors pr machine almost wiped it from history. George goodwin, who has written a book on towton to coincide with the battles 550th anniversary in 2011, reckons as many as 75,000 men, perhaps 10% of the countrys. Mass graves to shed light on britains bloodiest battle. The battle of towton extract from house of beaufort book. The battle of towton was the largest, longest battle on english soil. Mar 29, 2017 the following is an edited extract from house of beaufort. To conclude, this book has been written by a man who has thought long and deeply about the battle of towton, and what warfare in the middle ages meant for the participants and the wounded. The battle of towton was fought on 29 march 1461 during the english wars of the roses, near the village of towton, now in north yorkshire. Many of the important lancastrian nobles either died in the battle, or were.
Blood on the roses the battle of towton daily scribbling. The battle of towton in north yorkshire, fought during the wars of the roses, was reputedly the bloodiest battle ever seen on english soil. On palm sunday, 29th march 1461, approximately 28 000 men died fighting for their lords and the king of england be it edward iv or henry vi. In terms of the number of troops involved, the ruthlessness of the fighting, the quantity of casualties and the decisive nature of its outcome, towton stands out from. Towton the battle of palm sunday field by sadler, john author sep302010 hardback. This was the catalyst for a multidisciplinary research project, still unique in britain ten years after the initial. Fast play rules for the battle of towton 1461 board. The murderous wars of the roses had already seen dukes, earls, lords and thousands of commoners butchered as two branches of the royal family struggled to gain firm control of the crown.
Sadler the battle of towton was the bloodiest battle to take place on english soil. An introduction to the battle of towton fought in 1461 and known as the longest, biggest and bloodiest battle of the wars of the roses. On a bitterly cold palm sunday, 29 march 1461, the army of king edward iv met that of his lancastrian enemies on a snowcovered battlefield south of the village of towton in yorkshire. The battle of towton was the most barbaric ever fought on english soil, a frenzied slaughter that led to the crowning of edward iv, our first yorkist king. Towton ebook by john sadler 9781844682683 rakuten kobo. The battle of towton was fought in falling snow on palm sunday, 29 march 1461. Feb 03, 2017 did the age of chivalry ever really exist. A book about the largest battle ever fought on english soil the battle of towton, one of the key turning points in the wars of the roses. In 1996 a mass grave of soldiers was discovered there by chance. Aug 23, 2014 the battle of towton was the most barbaric ever fought on english soil, a frenzied slaughter that led to the crowning of edward iv, our first yorkist king. The battle of towton illustrated history paperbacks. The battle of towton was fought on march 29, 1461, during the wars of the roses 14551485 and was the largest and bloodiest battle ever fought on british soil.
This is one of the most bitter, devastating battles in english history, and through his book, john sadler has. Mar 01, 2011 sadlers book is brilliantly researched and this is evident in the quality of the writing and the detail included. Boardman traces the events which led to the conflict, the progress of the battle itself and the aftermath, bringing out the personalities involved. The battle of towton took place on palm sunday in 1461 and was one of the grisliest battles of the wars of the roses 14551487. I read this book after being intrigued by the account of the battle in philippa gregorys historic novel the red queen. The battle of palm sunday field 1461 by john sadler. Englands bloodiest battle campaign christopher gravett, graham turner on. More the murderous wars of the roses had already seen dukes, earls, lords and thousands of commoners butchered as two branches of the royal family struggled to gain firm control of the crown. The battle of towton was the bloodiest ever fought on british soil, yet the battlefield itself is seldom visited and largely forgotten. An estimated 50,000 soldiers fought for hours amidst a snowstorm on that day, which was palm sunday. Read unlimited books and audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and. George goodwin, who has written a book on towton to coincide with the battles 550th anniversary in 2011, reckons as many as 75,000 men, perhaps 10% of the countrys fightingage population, took.
Their immediate entourage comprised mounted menatarms, in armour and armed with sword, lance and shield, although often fighting on foot. It was the now allbutforgotten battle of towton, fought on palm sunday 1461, between lancastrians and yorkists in one of their many clashes. In contrast, the events from the aftermath of the battle until the end of the wars in 1487 are covered far too briefly in a seemingly rushed five page chapter. The battle of towton was fought on 29 march 1461 during the english wars of the roses, near the village of towton in yorkshire. The battle of towton britains bloodiest battle documentary. The battle of towton on 29th march 1461 was possibly the largest and bloodiest battle ever fought on english soil. That conflict was so bloody that its estimated that tens of thousands of soldiers were massacred. Fought on the 29 th of march 1461, the battle of towton was the bloodiest battle ever fought in england.
Although the lancastrian king henry vi had transferred the right of succession to the english throne to richard, duke of york and his heirs, his wife queen margaret was not prepared to. With the arrival of yorkist reinforcements under the duke of norfolk, the lancastrian line eventually broke and their. Uniforms, arms and equipment at the battle of towton. In terms of the number of troops involved, the ruthlessness of the fighting, the quantity of casualties and the decisive nature of its outcome, towton stands out from the long sequence of battles fought for control.
The yorkists won a major victory at the battle of towton. The battle took place on march 29, 1461, on an open field between the villages of saxton and towton. Henry vi was not at the battle he, margaret and the young edward would spend the battle in york, well behind their lines. In terms of the number of troops involved, the ruthlessness of the fighting, the quantity of casualties and the decisive nature of its outcome, towton stands out from the long sequence of battles fought for control of england in the fifteenth century. Its believed the day of fierce fighting in the mud destroyed a generation, leaving a longer list of the dead than any other engagement in. Towton skeletons confirm the brutality of medieval. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. The battle the exceptional importance of the battle of towton a major turning point in english history. The royal clerks claim for compensation for the loss of cash and a book on the battlefield at towton. In a bitter melee that lasted many hours, it saw the fall of the lancastrian dynasty and heralded the start of. Yet mention the battle of towton to most people and you would.
Before the battle of towton, edward, earl of march, soon to be crowned king edward iv, announced to his soldiers that whoever had a mind to depart, might freely do so before the battle. Englands total population at the time is thought not to have exceeded 3m people. The archaeology of a mass grave from the battle of towton ad 1461, second edition. Smashwords the battle of towton 1461 a book by leonard. Although the lancastrian king henry vi had transferred the right of succession to the english throne to richard, duke of york and his heirs, his wife queen margaret was not prepared to accept an arrangement that deprived her son of. The battle at towton in yorkshire on 29 march 1461 was the largest, longest f. The male commanders and their noble supporters and knights rode to battle on horseback, in armour, with sword, lance and shield. That fell to the duke of somerset, a member of the beaufort family and commander during the battle of wakefield when richard of york had been defeated and killed. Thousands of people died in the wars of the roses, but this10hour battle was particularly deadly. The battle of towton 1461 george goodwin gripping account of the wars of the roses battle of towton the most brutal day in english history. Battle of towton in the wars of the roses thoughtco.
Much of the lancastrian nobility had been killed, edward iv secured the english throne, and henry vi was forced to go into hiding. Mar 20, 2011 news uk this britain mass graves to shed light on britains bloodiest battle more than 28,000 died at towton, but the tudors pr machine almost wiped it from history. In a single day, thousands of men lost their lives, important leaders were lost, and the balance of power in the country changed. There men pitted themselves against the ultimate, not only against the enemy, but also against the final enemy, death. Mar 22, 2020 battle of towton march 29, 1461, battle fought on palm sunday near the village of towton, about 10 miles 16 km southwest of york, now in north yorkshire, england. Palm sunday 1461 was the date of a ruthless and bitterly contested battle, fought b. The battle at towton in yorkshire on 29 march 1461 was the largest, longest fought and bloodiest day in english medieval history. The struggle lasted all day in the longest and bloodiest battle of the. Anecdotes and traditions from the battle of towton. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. There are several reasons for this, but the most accepted one is that the eventual victors of the final war of the roses had little interest in promoting and preserving a victory that was not theirs.
The only sign that we are near a famous battle site is a small cross and a sign indicating the way to the battle of towton trail which starts in towton and traverses the large area where the battle was fought. Originally published in 1994, an illustrated study of the battle of towton in 1461 between the armies of york and lancashire, which discusses what drove the armies to fight at towton, and examines read more. Wakefield and towton battleground war of the roses by haigh, philip a. The battle was fought on sunday 29 march 1461 in freezing temperatures. Fought on palm sunday, 29th april 1461, this battle confirmed the newly crowned edward iv, son of richard duke of york, as king. The archaeology of a mass grave from the battle of towton ad 1461.
The two armies deployed facing each other on a plateau between the small villages of towton and saxton. The battle of towton, a decisive victory for the yorkists, was not only the bloodiest battle ever fought on british soil, it also changed the course of british history. Battle of towton project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. On palm sunday 1461, in atrocious weather howling wind, driving sleet and snow the armies of two disputing kings of england fought all day on a plateau of land a dozen or so miles southwest of the great medieval city of york in the north of england. The battle of towton was the most barbaric ever fought on english soil. Smashwords the battle of towton 1461 a book by leonard james. Mar 30, 20 englands total population at the time is thought not to have exceeded 3m people. It was almost certainly the bloodiest battle of the intermittent armed clashes that took place during the civil conflict in england now known as the wars of the roses. The battle of towton, the culmination of the first phase of the wars of the roses, was one of the bloodiest fought on english soil. It is increasingly important that the known places of battle in our islands should be protected and honoured. The history of the battle of towton where our inspiration came from for our medieval race day in february.
Read towton the battle of palm sunday field by john sadler available from rakuten kobo. The battle at towton in yorkshire on 29 march 1461 was the largest, longest fought and bloodiest day in english medieval. The war of the roses 1455 1487 was an english civil war fought between the house of york and the house of lancaster. It was probably the largest and bloodiest battle ever fought on english soil. The battle of towton 1461 by leonard james book read online. Sadlers book is brilliantly researched and this is evident in the quality of the writing and the detail included. In 1996, a mass grave unearthed near the battlefield that contained the skeletal remains of some of. The battle took place on 29th march 1461, palm sunday, on a plateau between the villages of towton and saxton, about 12 miles southwest of york and about 2. The battle of towton nasty, brutish and not that short. A culminating battle in the dynastic struggles between the houses of lancaster and york for control of the english throne, the engagement ended in an overwhelming victory for. The towton battlefield society is a registered charity 1043080 created to promote, protect and preserve the battlefield at towton, where on palm sunday. Even by the standards of tumult that had become customary over the previous decade, the winter of 146061 was a disturbed and dangerous time. Read the battle of towton 1461 by leonard james for free with a 30 day free trial. Battle of towton britains bloodiest battle the maritime.
This bitter contest of arms was a turning point in the wars of the roses and as a result of. The struggle lasted all day in the longest and bloodiest battle of the wars of the roses. Mass graves to shed light on britains bloodiest battle the. Having been crowned earlier in march, yorkist edward iv moved north to engage henry vis lancastrian forces. Jan 20, 2017 the history of the battle of towton where our inspiration came from for our medieval race day in february. On palm sunday, 29 th march 1461, approximately 28 000 men died fighting for their lords and the king of england be it edward iv or henry vi. To buy a book titled towton the battle of palm sunday field 1461, you want to read about the battle and not waste your time on too much detail of the events of the previous sixty years. The battle of towton, the culmination of the first phase of. Battle of towton march 29, 1461, battle fought on palm sunday near the village of towton, about 10 miles 16 km southwest of york, now in north yorkshire, england. We stop at the junction of a small country lane where we are met by a lady and gentleman dressed in 15th century attire.
This was the catalyst for a multidisciplinary research project, still unique in britain ten years after the initial discovery, which included a study of the skeletal remains, the battlefield. The battle pitted the forces of henry vi king since 1422, but a weak ruler whose last fifteen years had seen a catalogue of foreign and domestic disasters against edward iv, proclaimed king. The battle of towton holds a fascination for many authors and the books currently available, rate high in the amazon worldwide rankings. We know surprisingly little of the battle that ended the first war of the roses.