Bannockburn 1314: A New History

Book excerpt: Bannockburn 1314 is a history of the most celebrated battle between Scotland and England, in which a mere 7,000 followers of Robert the Bruce defeated more than 15,000 of Edward II's troops. The Battle of Bannockburn, fought over two days on 23 and 24 June 1314 by a small river crossing just south of Stirling, was a decisive victory for Robert, and secured for Scotland de facto independence from England. It was the greatest defeat the English would suffer throughout the Middle Ages, and a huge personal humiliation for Edward. Chris Brown's account recreates the campaign from the perspectives of both the Scots and English. Through an in-depth investigation of contemporary narrative sources as well as administrative records, and with a fresh look at the terrain where the battle was fought, he is able to come to firmer conclusions as to exactly what happened, and why, and thereby to rewrite the traditional history of the battle.