Flodden

[fastolfrus]

Anyone spotted the 500th anniversary this year?

http://www.flodden1513.com/

[gringo]

much underated and ignored battle sadly

[Franz_Josef]

Is there even and Osprey?  (Other than a couple of plates in the Armies of Henry the VIII).  That seems to be what sparks interest.

[flags_of_war]

Yes there is an Osprey for it.
http://www.ospreypublishing.com/store/Flodden-1513_9781841769592

I was down at the Battlefield the other week. There is a few events on this weekend including a Reenactment.

http://thecamlachiewolfe.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/otterburn-and-flodden-trip.html

[fastolfrus]

I knew the Perry brothers had new suits made for this week.
https://www.facebook.com/tudortailor

[Iain R]

Always had an interest in this battle, the history of it is fascinating, and the possibilties of "what might have been" are endless. There are a few decent books kicking about, Peter Reese "Flodden: A Scottish Tragedy", Niall Barr "Flodden", the above mentioned Osprey title, John Sadler's "Border Fury" obviously covers it, as does Norman MacDougall's "James IV" and George MacDonald Fraser's "Steel Bonnets". Sadler has a new book out with Rosie Serdiville "Flodden 1513", which I've not started yet, but have been assured its excellent.

Should really start it and get my 15mm Flodden army moving again...

[gringo]

theres also an old Almark book called "Flodden" by Charles Kightly great potboiler loaded with illustrations (1975 gulp!!) worth it

regards
Ged
www.gringo40s.com
www.gringo40s.blogspot.com
and 28mm ranges

[Peter@BattleScape]

theres also an old Almark book called "Flodden" by Charles Kightly great potboiler loaded with illustrations (1975 gulp!!) worth it
regards
Ged

That is a GREAT book...I have a couple of copies of it. Well worth reading, and the pics are great.

Pete

[Lowtardog]

Off to see it tomorrow thanks to your great link will post pictures once back as Carol is a dab hand with the camera

[Franz_Josef]

Yes, I have the old Almark book, and picked up the Osprey.  Interesting Anglo-Scots battle, in that it is one of the few medival-renaissance battle between them where English victory isn't owed to the longbow.

[Iain R]

Yup... one of the things James IV doesn't get enough credit for is realising that if he wanted to actually get the bulk of his army into contact with the English, then they would need to counter that Scourge of The Shiltron, the longbow.

The only way to do it was to make sure that the commons, who formed the body of his troops, were sufficiently well armoured that they could shrug of the worst of the arrowstorm; traditionally the nobs would survive to make contact due to their fine suits of European armour, and then be slaughtered to a man because they were hopelessly out-numbered since the rest of the spearmen were lying back down the field doing brilliant hedgehog impressions!

As a result, James set up a harness mill at Stirling to provide munition quality plate for the commons. A combination of that and some of the front ranks hefting pavises, ensured that for once, the dreaded English arrow storm didn't achieve it's usual execution. Unfortunately for the Scots, the English artillery park made up the shortfall at long range; and once the main battle was joined and the momentum of the pike phalanxes slowed, the bill proved more decisive at close quarters than the long pike.

An interesting aside is that after the defeat of Flodden, the Scots army did a complete U-turn. Those in power were quick to see the writing on the wall and realise that even the finest armour was of limited utility against blackpowder weapons, so come the battle of Pinkie Cleugh the Scots were noteworthy in being equipped almost entirely (nobs and plebs alike) with light padded jacks and only pieces of plate in strategic areas of the body; thus affording the lumbering pike formations somewhat better mobility (not that it did a great deal of good at Pinkie, mind). So much for Scotland being a backward nation, unable to keep pace with military developments elsewhere...