Stirling Bridge and Falkirk 1297-98: William Wallace's rebellion (Campaign) [Paperback]

Peter Armstrong (Author), Angus McBride (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Campaign | Publication Date: February 19, 2003

Osprey's study of William Wallace's rebellion in the First War of the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296-1357). The death of the last of the Scottish royal house of Canmore in 1290 triggered a succession crisis. Attempts to undermine Scottish independence by King Edward I of England sparked open rebellion culminating in an English defeat at the hands of William Wallace at Stirling Bridge in 1297. Edward gathered an army, marched north and at Falkirk on 22 July 1298 he brought Wallace’s army to battle. Amid accusations of treachery, Wallace’s spearmen were slaughtered by Edward’s longbowmen, then charged by the English cavalry and almost annihilated. In 1305 Wallace was captured and executed, but the flame of rebellion he had ignited could not be extinguished.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Highly visual guides to history's greatest conflicts, detailing the command strategies, tactics, and experiences of the opposing forces throughout each campaign, and concluding with a guide to the battlefields today.

About the Author

PETER ARMSTRONG went to Keswick School after which he travelled widely before taking a degree in Fine Art at Maidstone College of Art. He was an art teacher for several years but escaped and is now among other things the sculptor behind Border Miniatures, specialising in producing military miniatures from the medieval period. In the course of his model making, Pete’s previous publications include Campaign 102 Bannockburn 1314 – Robert Bruce’s great victory.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (February 19, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841765104
• ISBN-13: 978-1841765105
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,052,890 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Summary of the Scottish Hero, April 14, 2003

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R. A Forczyk (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stirling Bridge and Falkirk 1297-98: William Wallace's rebellion (Campaign) (Paperback)

Amateur historian Pete Armstrong provides a good summary of William Wallace's famous rebellion against English rule in Scotland during 1297-1298. The two principle battles of this rebellion were Stirling Bridge and Falkirk, the first a Scottish victory and the second an English victory. Overall, Armstrong provides both insight and detail of this epic phase of the Scottish struggle for independence from English domination.

Stirling Bridge & Falkirk 1297-1298 begins with a nine-page introduction that explains how Scotland's dynastic problems led to English intervention. The sections on opposing commanders and opposing armies are decent, but perhaps not as informative as they could have been (a diagram of tactical unit dispositions might have been helpful). The maps are a bit skimpy in this volume, as there are only four 2-D maps instead of the typical 7-8; they are: Edward I's invasion in 1296, the campaign of 1297, the campaign of Falkirk and the campaigns of 1300-1307. There are also three 3-D "Birds Eye View" maps - two of Stirling Bridge and one of Falkirk. The three battle scenes by Angus McBride depict William Wallace at Stirling, the Scottish attack at Stirling and the English cavalry at Falkirk.

One aspect of this book that is particularly welcome for military historians is the attention that the author devotes to issues such as the terrain over which the battles were fought. Clearly, the restrictive terrain at Stirling Bridge contributed significantly to the English defeat on that battlefield. Similarly, the lack of suitable defensive terrain at Falkirk led to the Scottish defeat. It is also clear that both sides were plagued by logistic problems and the lack of intelligence about enemy movements.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid history, attractively presented, January 22, 2006

By 

Peter Reeve (Thousand Oaks, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stirling Bridge and Falkirk 1297-98: William Wallace's rebellion (Campaign) (Paperback)

The Osprey Campaign account of the two major battles of William Wallace's rebellion has a solid, authoritative feel to it. Pete Armstrong's text is not particularly elegant and would have benefited from stricter editing, but he more than makes up for this with a thorough knowledge of his subject and an infectious enthusiasm for it.

It makes sense to combine these two battles in one volume because, together with a description of the background and linking events, they constitute an account of Wallace's entire campaign. Little is known about the man himself, so justice can be done to him in a relatively short book like this.

The maps, 2D and 3D, are informative and attractive. The illustrations of battle scenes are excellent, giving a real sense of how things must have looked, minus the mud and blood and guts, of course. The various sketches of seals and coats of arms will be rather too much for most general readers, but those depicting arms and armor should be of interest to everyone.

The Wallace episode is an important and absorbing one in the ancient conflict between English and Scot, rivals as only neighbors can be. It has accreted plenty of mythic elements also, which books like this may help to dispel.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great synopsis of these two battles, January 19, 2012

By 

J. D. Bates (Burns, OR United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stirling Bridge and Falkirk 1297-98: William Wallace's rebellion (Campaign) (Paperback)

Mr Armstrong does a really nice job covering the two battles between the English and Scots. A compact and informative history. The present day photographs the author provides are great as they provide readers who have not visited the battlefields a good idea of the landscape. There is also good information on visiting the sites at the conclusion of the book. Mr Armstrongs other histories on the medieval Scot-English wars are also recommended e.g. Bannockburn and Otterburn. The artwork of of Mr McBride is of its usual high quality.