Almost a century after William the Conqueror's arrival on English soil, the Norman royal family that he had established disappeared due to the lack of direct heirs. This marked the beginning of a new phase in the history of England, which saw the outbreak of several civil conflicts in which rival armies fought bloody wars in a bid for control. Peace and order were restored only in 1154 when the first Plantagenet, Henry II, was crowned as monarch of the English realm. The Plantagenet kings' expansionist ambitions meant that they fought many wars against the Celtic nations (Wales, Scotland and Ireland) and against the Kingdom of France, in an attempt to create an empire that extended across the British Isles and the continent. This book reconstructs the military history of England and describes the main features of the armies that fought in the British Isles during such a turbulent period. The analysis of the history, organisation and equipment of the various military contingents is wonderfully illustrated with contemporary manuscript depictions alongside photographs of accurate re-enactments created specifically for this work. AUTHOR: Gabriele Esposito is a military historian who works as a freelance author and researcher for some of the most important publishing houses in the military history sector. In particular, he is an expert specialising in uniformology: his interests and expertise range from the ancient civilizations to modern post-colonial conflicts. During recent years he has conducted and published several researches on the military history of the Latin American countries, with special attention on the War of the Triple Alliance and the War of the Pacific. He is among the leading experts on the military history of the Italian Wars of Unification and the Spanish Carlist Wars. His books and essays are published on a regular basis by Osprey Publishing, Winged Hussar Publishing and Libreria Editrice Goriziana; he is also the author of numerous military history articles appearing in specialized magazines like Ancient Warfare Magazine, Medieval Warfare Magazine, The Armourer, History of War, Guerres et Histoire, Focus Storia and Focus Storia Wars. 110 colour illustrations
