Very few living men have taken part in a battle, and many must wonder how they would acquit themselves if ever they had to. A medieval battle was a very complex affair; it was far from being a simple kill or be killed. It could be won or lost at any stage; it could turn on the action of one man, and it could settle nothing, or alternatively the fate of a nation. But for the majority, when thinking of a battle, the overriding question would be: how would I behave? What would happen to me? Would I emerge unscathed and join in the celebrations, or would I be left wounded on the battlefield waiting for someone to save me, or for some ghoul to finish me off? Would I lose all fear in the excitement? In Volume 3 – The midlands, Philip Warner, one of Britain's foremost military historians describes the battles from the actual locations they were fought bringing not only a military but a human eye to this chapter in our history. Volumes 1–5 are also available.
