After the Norman conquest of 1066, the English lands gradually lost their Saxon character and became much more similar to continental Europe than previously; feudalism was brought to the British Isles by the Normans, together with a new model of centralised monarchy, thus changing the administrative and social structures of England forever. After a few decades, however, the new royal family initiated by William the Conqueror disappeared due to the lack of direct heirs and thus the Kingdom of England entered a chaotic phase characterised by civil conflicts, as well as by the search for a new royal house that could assume control over the turbulent English lands. This historical period, known as 'The Anarchy', began in 1135 and ended only in 1154, when the first Plantagenet was crowned as monarch of the English realm. The new royal family would have kept power over its kingdom for more than three centuries, until the outbreak of the War of the Roses. During this long period, the Plantagenet kings fought a series of conflicts, which can be grouped into three main categories: wars fought against the French monarchy in continental Europe, wars fought in the British Isles against the 'Celtic nations' (Wales, Scotland and Ireland) and civil conflicts fought in England against rebel aristocrats. This book pays special attention to the wars fought by England against Wales, Scotland and Ireland; at the same time, it provides a detailed overview of the 'minor' conflicts that saw the Plantagenet monarchs campaigning in France. This book will cover the history, organisation and equipment of the English armies that fought the many wars of the early Plantagenet period. 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
