The World History Shelf

A History and Guide to Scottish Castles
Jenna Maxwell
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399016131, $36.95, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/History-Guide-Scottish-Castles/dp/139901613X

Synopsis: At one time, Scotland was home to more than 4,000 castles. It's a=
n extraordinary number for such a small country and today, around 3,000 sti=
ll stand. Some are world famous, others have inspired great works of litera= ture, while others have lit up the silver screen. There are grand, ticketed=
visitor attractions but there are others which are unassuming structures s=
o tucked away that only the locals seem to know about them.

From the triangular-shaped Caerlaverock Castle in Dumfries and Galloway to = the imposing New Slains Castle in Aberdeenshire, and from the magnificent f= ortress that dominates the Edinburgh skyline to the haunting battlements th=
at stand on the banks of Loch Ness, each tower tells a story, every turret = holds a secret and, together, they span centuries of fascinating Scottish h= istory.

With the publication of "A History and Guide to Scottish Castles", jounalis=
t Jenna Maxwell explores the history, architecture, and legends of some of = these fascinating fortresses and looks at why they are so appealing to visi= tors today.

Sharing amazing facts and her own unique experiences, Maxwell takes her rea= ders on an unforgettable tour of some of Scotland's most amazing castles wh= ich she has documented on her journey on her Instagram page @queenofthecast= les

Critique: Illustrated throughout with numerous black-and-white photos of Sc= ottish castles, "A History and Guide to Scottish Castles" will have a speci=
al appeal and value for readers with an interest in Scotland's history, lan= dmarks and monuments -- and of course, its castles. Exceptionally well writ= ten, impressively informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization=
and presentation, "A History and Guide to Scottish Castles" is a particula= rly recommended contribution to personal, professional, community, and acad= emic library collections. It should be noted that "A History and Guide to S= cottish Castles" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.00=
).

Editorial Note: Jenna Maxwell (https://muckrack.com/jenna-maxwell) is a fre= elance travel and lifestyle journalist from Edinburgh. Over the years, she = has written extensively about the country of her birth and a lifelong fasci= nation with its castles, legends and ghost stories has led to this - her fi= rst book. She has written for publications including The Telegraph, Buzzfee=
d, Closer Magazine, The Sun, The Daily Record, Scotland Magazine, and Scott= ish Field.

Invasion! Rome Against the Cimbri, 113-101 BC
Philip Matyszak
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399097314, $34.95, HC, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Invasion-Rome-Against-Cimbri-113-101/dp/1399097318

Synopsis: Partly as a result of poor commanders and partly because the Roma=
ns had an innate and misguided belief in the invincibility of their legions=
, the first battles against the Cimbri were a series of Roman military disa= sters. These culminated in the Battle of Arausio in 105 BC when two Roman a= rmies were utterly destroyed.

Rome finally realized that their republic faced an existential threat, and = made the necessary painful political and military changes that were needed =
to face that threat. Rome also found a commander who could take on the Cimb= ri. While Caius Marius was a deeply flawed man -- scheming, cautious to the=
point of cowardice, and quick to claim credit for the achievements of othe= rs. Nevertheless, he was also a massive improvement on the leaders who had = preceded him.

The reshaped Roman army eventually worked out how to weather the savage onr= ush of the initial barbarian assault. Thereafter, the grim discipline of th=
e legions was enough to wear down the opposition. It helped that Marius nev=
er fought unless the situation favored him, and as a result his army gradua= lly became accustomed to victory.

Had the Cimbri overwhelmed Rome, as at one time it seemed inevitable that t= hey would, then European history would have been very different.

Critique: A fascinating and informative study, "Invasion! Rome Against the = Cimbri, 113-101 BC" by Philip Matyszak is a critically accomplished and unr= eservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university librar=
y Roman History collections in general, and Roman Military Studies suppleme= ntal curriculum studies lists in particular. It should be noted for the ben= efit of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an inte= rest in the subject that "Invasion! Rome Against the Cimbri, 113-101 BC" is=
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Philip 'Maty' Matyszak (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phili= p_Matyszak) holds a doctorate in Ancient History from St John's College, Ox= ford University, and has been studying, teaching and writing on the subject=
for over twenty years. He specializes in the history of Classical Greece a=
nd of the Late Republic and Early Imperial periods of Rome. Maty has person=
al military experience both as a conscript in Rhodesia and with the Territo= rial Army in Britain. He currently splits his time between writing in his h= ome in Canada's Monashee Mountains and providing e-learning courses for Cam= bridge University's Institute of Continuing Education.

The Rise and Fall of the Mounted Knight
Clive Hart
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399082044, $42.95, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-Mounted-Knight/dp/1399082043

Synopsis: The medieval mounted knight was a fearsome weapon of war, captiva= ting and horrifying in equal measure, they are a continuing source of fasci= nation. They have been both held up as a paragon of chivalry, whilst often = being condemned as oppressive and violent.

Occupying a unique place in history, knights on their warhorses are an enig=
ma hidden behind their metal armor, and seemingly unreachable on their stee= ds. "The Rise and Fall of the Mounted Knight" by Clive Hart seeks to unders= tand the world of the medieval knight by studying their origins, their acco= mplishments and their eventual decline.

Forged in the death throes of the Roman Empire, the mounted knight found a = place in a harsh and dangerous world where their skills and mentality carve=
d them into history. From the First Crusade to the fields of Scotland, knig= hts could be found, and in this historical study their human side is examin=
ed to see how these men came to both rule Europe, and ride into enduring le= gend.

The challenges facing the mounted knight were vast and deadly, from increas= ingly professional and competent infantry forces to gunpowder, the rise of = political unity and the crunch of finance. The factors which forced the kni= ght into the past help to define who and what they were, as well as the leg= acy that they have left indelibly imprinted on the world.

The standout feature of "The Rise and Fall of the Mounted Knight" is the fo= cus on the equine half of the partnership, from an author who practices the=
arts of horsemanship on a daily basis, including combat with sword and lan= ce. The psychology of the horse, refined by the experience of actually trai= ning warhorses, has helped the author to add to the body of academic work o=
n the subject. This insight opens up the world of the mounted knight, and i= mportantly and uniquely, challenges the perception of what he and his horse=
could really do.

Critique: Featuring an informative Introduction, twenty-four pages of Notes=
, a fourteen page Bibliography, and a four page Index, "The Rise and Fall o=
f the Mounted Knight" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addi= tion to personal, community, college, and university library Medieval Warfa=
re History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. With its = unusual emphasis on the role of the horse in armored medieval combat, it sh= ould be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers wi=
th an interest in the subject that "The Rise and Fall of the Mounted Knight=
" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

The Battles That Created England 793-1100
Arthur C. Wright
Frontline Books
c/o Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.frontline-books.com
9781399087988, $42.95, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Battles-That-Created-England-793-1100/dp/1399087983

Synopsis: In popular imagination the warfare of the Early Middle Ages is of= ten obscure, unstructured, and unimaginative, lost between two military mac= hines, the 'Romans' and the 'Normans', which saw England invaded and partit= ioned. In point of fact, we have a considerable amount of information at ou=
r fingertips and the picture that should emerge is one of English ability i=
n the face of sometimes overwhelming pressures on society, and a resilience=
that eventually drew the older kingdoms together in new external responses=
which united the 'English' in a common sense of purpose.

With the publication of "The Battles That Created England 793-1100: How Alf= red and his Successors Defeated the Vikings to Unite the Kingdoms", Arthur =
C. Wright presents the story of how the Saxon kingdoms, which had maintaine=
d their independence for generations, were compelled to unite their forces =
to resist the external threat of the Viking incursions. The kingdoms of Eas=
t Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria, Kent, Essex, Sussex, and Wessex were gradual=
ly welded into one as Wessex grew in strength to become the dominant Saxon = kingdom.

From the weak AEthelred to the strong Alfred, rightly deserving the epithet=
'Great', to the strong, but equally unfortunate, Harold, this era witnesse=
d brutal hand-to-hand battles in congested melees, which are normally portr= ayed as unsophisticated but deadly brawls. In reality, the warriors of the = era were experienced fighters often displaying sophisticated strategies and=
deploying complex tactics.

Our principal source, replete with reasonably reliable reportage, are the A= nglo-Saxon Chronicles, comprehensive in collation though subject to oral di= stortion and mythological excursions. The narrative of these does not appea=
r to flow continuously, leaving too much to imagination but, by creating a = complementary matrix of landscapes, topography and communications it is pos= sible to provide convincing scenery into which we can fit other archaeologi= cal and philological evidence to show how the English nation was formed in = the bloody slaughter of battle.

Critique: A fascinating and informative study that is unreservedly recommen= ded for personal, community, and academic library Medieval Studies collecti= ons in general, and British, Norwegian, and Danish History supplemental cur= riculum studies lists in particular, "The Battles That Created England 793-= 1100: How Alfred and his Successors Defeated the Vikings to Unite the Kingd= oms" must be considered a core and invaluable acquisition. It should be not=
ed for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an inter= est in the subject that "The Battles That Created England 793-1100: How Alf= red and his Successors Defeated the Vikings to Unite the Kingdoms" is also = available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Editorial Note: Arthur Wright (https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Arthur-C-Wri= ght/a/3487) was for thirty years a museum curator, ultimately responsible f=
or four museums. A military historian by training, the scope of his profess= ional responsibilities encouraged him to focus on social history. Two of th=
e museum buildings being medieval, he was drawn into this period and then d= eveloped a forty-year obsession with the Domesday Book, finding that there = was no mathematically demonstrable solution to its cryptic statistics in an=
y published work. Wrestling with the logic and arithmetic he deduced it was=
possible to decode its contents, eventually publishing his research. He is=
also a 'living history' educator and craftsman with a wide range of manual=
and traditional skills.

Rorke's Drift By Those Who Were There
Ian Knight, author
Lee Stevenson, author
Gary Bayhnam-Jones, author
Greenhill Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781784388317, $34.95, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Rorkes-Drift-Those-Were-There/dp/1784388319

Synopsis: On 22 January 1879, during the final hour of the Battle of iSandl= wana (one of the greatest disasters ever to befall British troops during th=
e Victorian era) a very different story was about to unfold a few miles awa=
y at the mission station of Rorke's Drift. When a Zulu force of more than 3= ,000 warriors turned their attention to the small outpost, defended by arou=
nd 150 British and Imperial troops, the odds of the British surviving were = staggeringly low. The British victory that ensued, therefore, would go down=
as one of the most heroic actions of all time, and has enraptured military=
history enthusiasts for decades.

Featuring a wide range of first-hand accounts and testimonies from those pr= esent during the Battle of Rorke's Drift, Rorke's Drift By Those Who Were T= here is a remarkable work of Anglo-Zulu military history by those who know = the topic best, Lee Stevenson and Ian Knight. This updated edition of the c= lassic work of the same name includes even more first-person accounts from = the combatants on both the British and Zulu sides.

Providing personal, microscopic accounts of events, while at the same time = presenting a clear overview of the battle in its entirety, readers will gai=
n an impressive, unique breadth of knowledge about one of the most awe-insp= iring battles in British history.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a six=
page Bibliography, three pages of Notes, and a seven page Index, "Rorke's = Drift By Those Who Were There" by co-authors Ian Knight, Lee Stevenson, and=
Gary Bayhnam-Jones is a seminal contribution to personal, professional, co= mmunity, and academic library 19th Century British Military History collect= ions in general, and the Southern African Anglo-Zulu War in particular. Ide=
al for supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for studen= ts, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the su= bject that "Rorke's Drift By Those Who Were There" is also available in a d= igital book format (Kindle, $2.99).

Editorial Note #1: Ian Knight (https://ianknightzulugallery.com) is an auth= ority on the Anglo-Zulu War. As well as lecturing and writing articles on t=
he subject for journals and magazines, he has compile museum catalogues and=
acted as a consultant for television documentaries produced by the BBC and=
the History Channel. His many books include Brave Men's Blood: The Anatomy=
of the Zulu Army, The National Army Museum Book of the Zulu War and a biog= raphy of the Prince Imperial. He is also vice-president of the Anglo-Zulu W=
ar Historical Society.

Editorial Note #2: Lee Stevenson has a long-standing fascination with the D= efence of Rorke's Drift thanks to his late father, Ray, who sparked his int= erest with a gift of a book about the Anglo-Zulu war when Lee was fourteen.=
Forty years later he is still researching the lives of the men who fought = and has written numerous articles for magazines and regimental journals. In=
2003, along with his friend and fellow Rorke's Drift enthusiast Alan Baynh= am-Jones, he published their joint collection of first-hand accounts and st= ories written by the defenders, Rorke's Drift - By Those Who Were There. Th=
is is an expanded and updated version of that book.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

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(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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