Campaign Journals of the Elizabethan Irish Wars

Book excerpt: When Elizabeth I succeeded to the thorne in 1558 her government was already involved in wars of conquest and containment in different parts of Ireland. Before her death in 1603 there would be many more. This book gathers together 19 journals of the Elizabethan campaigns, recording military operations by crown forces in all four provinces on land and at sea. The journals cover every aspect of fighting, from preparation to the often bloody aftermath, and offers unique insights into the Tudor conquest and how it was experienced by those who took part. Though they are key historical sources, the journals have been largely neglected by modern scholarship. This represents the first publication in their entirety of many of these sources, including those previously noted in the calendars of State Papers. The journals gathered here demonstrate the importance of record-keeping for Elizabeth's commanders, and the central role of soldering in their sense of themselves and their place in history. -- Publisher description