Edgehill 1642: First Battle of the English Civil War (Praeger Illustrated Military History)

Edgehill 1642, which covers the opening campaign of the English Civil War, is an excellent introduction to that conflict. Authors Keith Roberts and John Tincey enrich this addition to the Osprey Campaign series with in-depth research on the opposing commanders, doctrine and tactics. Following the standard Osprey format, the book starts with a good section on the origins of the Civil War (although the accompanying illustrations in this section are not very supportive), followed by an excellent campaign chronology. The next section, on opposing leaders, is broken down into sub-sections not only by Roundheads and Cavaliers, but also by foot, cavalry and artillery. There is no separate section on opposing plans, but strategic perspectives are addressed in the section on the opening moves of the campaign. In a surprising but welcome departure from standard Osprey format, the authors devote 23 whole pages (a quarter of the volume) to the section on opposing armies. This section, entitled "Raising the Armies," details a number of germane issues, such as the difference between contemporary Dutch, German and Swedish tactics (with excellent diagrams). The organization of foot, horse and artillery units is discussed, as well as unit structures and formations employed. Two points of relevance to the battle are discussed herewith; first, that the armies were about equal in strength, but second, the Royalist forces were hampered by equipment shortages and poorly-trained infantry. The four battle scenes that accompany the section on the battle are excellent, as well as the 2-D and 3-D maps. The result of the battle was mixed, with the Royalist cavalry routing their opposite numbers, but the Royalist infantry was smashed by a well-timed Roundhead counterattack. Both armies pulled back to lick their wounds. Although King Charles made a thrust toward London after the battle, he withdrew to Oxford after it became obvious that he lacked the numbers to storm the capital. Probably the only criticism of this volume is the lack of a separate appendix on order of battle. The information is included in several diagrams and the maps, but there is no comprehensive list. Also, the information on casualties is a bit vague. Otherwise, this is a welcome addition to any collection on 17th Century warfare.