Medieval death on the Nile
Thomas Smith relates the saga of the remarkable crusade on the Nile that came close to reshaping the Near East.
medieval warfare
Defence to domesticity: Exploring the evolution of Irish castles
Marking the 1,000th anniversary of the birth of William the Conqueror, 2027 has been designated the Year of the Normans. Events to mark the millennium are planned all over Europe, with castles as a major theme. In Ireland, the best guide to the hundreds of defended structures surviving from the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1169 is the late David Sweetman, Ireland’s former Chief Archaeologist, whose book on The Medieval Castles of Ireland reveals how these 12th- and 13th-century symbols of Anglo-Norman power evolved from earthworks to commodious towers that dominated the landscape. Chris Catling reports.
Castles in the cliffs: Archaeology and myth in the Pyrenees.
In the 12th century, the counts of Foix began creating a unique network of fortifications using caves and other natural features in their part of the Pyrenees. Colin Duncan Taylor explores their origins and reveals how, starting in the 19th century, these castles in the cliffs were ransacked by early archaeologists and fortune hunters in search of fabled Cathar treasure.
Nineteen Days in Autumn: a new history of 1066
It’s a rip-roaring start, with three deaths in five pages as Harald Hardrada (or Haraldr Sigurdarson as he’s termed here), Tostig (wayward brother of Harold Godwinson), and an unnamed farmer all get decapitated. We start on a battlefield, yet not…
Hammer of the Gods
Don Hollway’s account of the life of the Norse warlord Olaf Tryggvason (king of Norway in the years c.995-1000) covers a period of momentous social and religious change in the lands bordering the Baltic Sea. The author tracks his hero’s…
Hereford Military History Festival returns
Following a successful inaugural event last year, the Hereford Military History Festival is back, from 25 to 27 September 2026. Held across three days in multiple historic venues around Hereford, Britain’s only global military history festival brings together an array…
MHM 152 Competition
Put your military history knowledge to the test with our competition.
The Two Hundred Years War: The bloody crowns of England and France, 1292-1492
The sheer length of the Anglo-French conflict known as the ‘Hundred Years War’ – which actually lasted 116 years – has long invited debate about the label. Contemporaries, of course, did not use the term, which was first coined by…
The Siege of Pavia: Defeating the Lombards, 773-774
In the second part of our special, Stephen Roberts reveals how a key victory helped Charlemagne establish the foundations for the Holy Roman Empire.
Assault on Shaizar: How the Assassins met their match
They were the world’s most feared killers. But, in 1114, the Assassins were thwarted – not by elite bodyguards, but by a group of middle-aged women who weren’t prepared to be pushed around. Steve Tibble reveals all.
Battle for Magna Carta: The First Barons’ War, 1215-1217
King John’s reign was a disaster – but, as Stephen Roberts reveals in the second of two articles about early civil wars, it left as its legacy one of the most important agreements in English history.
Medieval Warhorse: Equestrian landscapes, material culture, and zooarchaeology in Britain, AD 800-1550
REVIEW BY SUNNY HARRISON The mounted knight remains one of the iconic images of England in the Middle Ages, evoking King Arthur, massed charges, and the very notion of chivalry – all of which would have been impossible without ‘skilfully…
The Anarchy: The first English civil war, 1135-1153
A bloody succession crisis that tore England apart also gave rise to a dynasty that would rule for 300 years. In the first of two pieces about early civil wars, Stephen Roberts examines one of the country’s darkest periods.
England’s warrior kings
Infographics: Calum Henderson
Turncoats: When commanders swap sides
In the first of three articles about celebrated military figures who changed allegiances, Nigel Jones looks at shifting loyalties in English civil conflicts.
War of Words – ‘Constable’
With Marc DeSantis
Warhorse: Discovering the archaeology of a medieval revolution
Mighty warhorses, as richly adorned and armoured as their knightly riders, are an immediately recognisable icon of the medieval period. Until recently, they were understood mainly through analysis of written sources – but what can archaeology add to this picture? Oliver H Creighton, Robert Liddiard, Alan K Outram, Katherine Kanne, Carly Ameen, and Robert Webley explore the key findings of their recently published research.
Britons and their Battlefields: War, Memory, and Commemoration since the 14th century
REVIEW BY SOPHIE AMBLER Battlefield commemoration has hitherto been the territory of historians of the modern age, leaning too heavily on the First World War and US Civil War, and linking battlefield memorialisation to the rise of nationalism. Atherton instead…
Seizing the crown
Henry Bolingbroke was the rebel leader who inspired Shakespeare and – as Henry IV – founded the Lancastrian dynasty. Here, Stephen Roberts looks at the campaign that brought him to power.
Henry V: The astonishing rise of England’s greatest warrior king
REVIEW BY STEPHEN ROBERTS One of the shoutouts on the cover of Dan Jones’ new biography of Henry V is courtesy of Dan Snow, which tickled me as I know the two historians have been mistaken for one another on…
Crusader criminals: The other side of soldiering
The Crusades are known for spectacular military engagements. But they also saw all manner of crimes committed beyond the battlefield. In a new book, Steve Tibble uncovers some dark secrets.
UK news in brief
Shots from 13th-century catapult discovered outside Kenilworth Castle Eight stone catapult-shots from Henry III’s siege of Kenilworth Castle have been found perfectly preserved outside its walls. The shots range in weight from 20kg to 105kg, and would have been launched…
New trail marking the Battle of Bosworth field to be launched next year
It was one of the most significant battles in English history. Now a new trail will reveal the ‘lost’ stories of the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. The trail will be launched in Leicestershire in spring next year. A crowdfunding…
1217: The battles that saved England
REVIEW BY DUNCAN CAMERON The reign of King John is a period of immense significance in English history, comparable to the events of 1066 and the Norman Conquest a century and a half previously. John’s signing of the Magna Carta…
The Lionheart in winter: Richard I’s last campaign, 1194-1199
He was the ‘Crusader King’, whose exploits made him a national hero. But does Richard I deserve his reputation as a martial genius? Stephen Roberts studies his final campaign in search of clues.
1385 and all that: The failed French conquest of England
The Norman Conquest of 1066 remains one of the best-known events in English history – but French attempts to invade three centuries later have now largely been forgotten, as Duncan Cameron explains.
The British Templars: A new warrior elite
The Knights Templar were renowned for their extraordinary feats of bravery in defence of the Holy Land. But the British contribution to their story is often overlooked, argues Steve Tibble.
MHM 136 Competition and Crossword
Put your military history knowledge to the test with Our competition and crossword.
MHM Book of the Year 2023 – The Winners
The ballots have been cast, the votes have been counted, and we are delighted to announce the winners of the MHM Book Awards.
The real Vlad Dracula: in search of a 15th-century warlord
The fanciful character of Dracula the vampire evolved from a real-life figure who was just as terrifying as any fiction. Tim Newark explores the myth and reality of a deadly medieval warrior.
The Battle of Baugé, 1421: when the Scots saved France
One of the bloodiest encounters between Scottish and English armies took place not on British soil – but in northern France, as part of the Hundred Years War. William E Welsh describes the events that lead to the Battle of Baugé, on 22 March 1421.
MHM 132 January Competition: win a copy of The Last Viking!
Put your military history knowledge to the test with Our competition and crossword
‘For battle it was none’: the murder of Evesham, 1265
It was a battle that changed the course of English history – at which the royalist forces of King Henry III won a famous victory over the rebellious barons led by Simon de Montfort. But the events of 4 August 1265 are ripe for reappraisal, says Stephen Roberts.
The fight for Sweden: the battle of Brunkeberg, 10 October 1471
As part of Sweden’s long struggle for independence, its army of peasant militia won a crucial battle against a Danish invasion force camped outside Stockholm. William E Welsh describes the action.
Memorial to significant Anglo-Scots battle unveiled
Fought at Sutton Bank in North Yorkshire, near Harrogate, on 14 October 1322, Byland saw Scottish forces led by King Robert the Bruce inflict on the English a defeat as serious as that of Bannockburn eight years previously.
The end of everything: the Battle of Mohács, 29 August 1526
Hungary’s devastating defeat by the armies of Suleiman the Magnificent signalled the country’s demise as a unified independent kingdom. Andrew Southam describes the action.