The Irish and British Wars, 1637û1654: Triumph, Tragedy, and Failure

This accessible study examines the wars of Britain and Ireland in the mid seventeenth century. After a period of stability and peace during the early years of the century, Charles I set about carrying out administrative and religious reform in England, Scotland and Wales. The revolution that this prompted in Scotland was to repeat itself in Ireland and four years later lead to civil war in England. Connecting the strategic and tactical levels of war with political actions and reactions, Wheeler discusses how Britain and Ireland became battlegrounds in the 'war of three kingdoms'. With numerous maps and illustrations, the various stages of this period of turmoil are clearly demonstrated, right through to the execution of Charles I, the conquest of Catholic Ireland and the eventual death of the English Republic.

James Scott Wheeler is Professor of European History at the United States Military Academy, West Point.