1245 - The Pope writes to the Monols - an exercise in wishful thinking

1245 - The Pope writes to the Monols - an exercise in wishful thinking
Cum non solum was a letter written by Pope Innocent IV to the Mongols on March 13, 1245.

Since not only men but also irrational animals and even the very elements of the world machine have been connected by a certain unity of natural affinity on the model of the heavenly spirits, whose hosts God the creator of the universe has established in the unending stability of a peaceful order, we are strongly compelled – not without cause – to be astonished that you, as we have heard, having invaded so many regions of the Christians as well as those of other peoples, laid waste to these with a terrible devastation; and that up to this time you, not ceasing to send pillaging bands in your continuous anger into further regions, with the restraint of natural reason broken and making no exception for age or sex, you have raged against all indifferently with the sword of your anger.

We therefore, desiring to live together by the example of the Pacific King in the unity of peace under the fear of God, warn, request, and advise your unity intently: desist completely from further attacks of this kind and especially from the persecution of Christians, and through the satisfaction of a fitting penance placate the anger of Divine Majesty which on account of so many and such great offenses you most certainly have provoked through these incitements. You ought not accordingly take up the audacity of ravaging further, because, as the sword of your power rages against others, the all-powerful Lord has so far permitted diverse nations to be laid low before you; but He in our age frequently passes over chastening the proud until the right time, so that if they neglect to become humble of their own accord, He may not hesitate to punish their wickedness in time and may exact more serious retribution in the future.

And behold, a chosen son Brother I. and his colleagues the bearers of letters, men conspicuous in religion, distinguished by honesty, and gifted with knowledge of the Holy Scripture, we have led to you concerning this matter. I ask you to receive these men generously and treat honorably as you would us by trusting them in those things they will say to you from us and holding fruitful conversation with them about the things mentioned above and especially those matters pertaining to peace. Tell us fully through these brothers what has moved you to the extermination of other peoples and what further you intend; and look after these in their coming and going through a secure conduct and other necessary things, so that they may return safe to our presence.

 from "The Popes - Every Question Answered" by Rupert Matthews

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http://www.amazon.co.uk/Popes-Every-Question-Answered/dp/1626862346/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424783235&sr=1-1&keywords=rupert+matthews+popes

Video - Book Launch - The Battle of Lewes

Video - Book Launch - The Battle of Lewes

Video - The Grimsby Fisher Lads

Video - The Grimsby Fisher Lads

The Apaches of Paris

The Apaches of Paris

During the final quarter of the 19th century Paris was plagued by gangs of tough young criminals who mugged passersby, stole whatever they could grab and fought murderous feuds with each other and the police. The gangs adopted a distinctive style of dress that included flared trousers, loose fitting shirts, neck scarfs, peaked caps and pointed, brightly coloured shoes. The press dubbed the gangs "Apache" as their violence was meant to be on a par with that of the Apache tribe from the USA. In time the Apache style of dress became fashionable among French youth seeking a rebellious style and all sorts of objects were termed "Apache" in an effort to give them a flavour of youthful rebellion. The gunsmiths of Liege produced this murderous looking weapon that combines knuckleduster, pistol and dagger and called it an "Apache pistol", though its link to the Parisian street gangs is dubious.

from "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Small Arms" by Rupert Matthews.

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http://www.amazon.co.uk/Illustrated-Encyclopedia-Small-Rupert-Matthews/dp/1626860890/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1424249208&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=rupert+matthews+weapons

Video - Douglas Bader

The Battle for Rochester & Strood: The True Story of the 2014 Parliamentary By-Election

The Battle for Rochester & Strood: The True Story of the 2014 Parliamentary By-Election

The Rochester & Strood by election of 2014 was perhaps the most important in a generation. For decades the seat had been a key Conservative-Labour marginal. Whoever won here won the country. But then in 2014 Mark Reckless the Conservative MP suddenly defected to UKIP and resigned to force a by-election. Now nobody knew what would happen.
Consdervative leader and Prime Minister David Cameron declared that he “would throw the kitchen sink” at Rochester & Strood. Soon the Conservative Party was pouring money, people and resources into this corner of Kent. Taking many people by surprise, Labour quickly pulled back and ran a very quiet campaign. It was UKIP that was turning out to be the main rival to the Conservatives.
Very soon the by-election developed into a fascinating example of how national politics and interplay with local issues. . And the final result came as a surprise to even the most seasoned commentators.
The full story of the campaign is told here, for the first and only time.


Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 - The Defection of Mark Reckless
Chapter 2 - The Battleground of Rochester & Strood
Chapter 3 - The Candidates in Rochester & Strood
Chapter 4 - The Campaign for Rochester & Strood
Chapter 5 - The Results and Comment
Credits


About the author
Rupert Matthews followed the by election from start to finish. He was at UKIP Conference when Mark Reckless announced his defection, and he was at the Count when Reckless wone. He is an experienced writer and politician. He has stood for Parliament and for the European Parliament as well as for local council.

Additional reporting by David Stepney

Get your copy HERE

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Rochester-Strood-Parliamentary--Election-ebook/dp/B00PYWRUUM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1424072363&sr=1-1&keywords=bretwalda+rochester

New Ebook - The Grimsby Fisher Lads: The story of the Humber fishing apprenctices

New Ebook - The Grimsby Fisher Lads: The story of the Humber fishing apprenctices

The true life account of the a little known aspect of Grimsby history.
The Workhouse Fisher Lads are an integral part of the history of Grimsby and other Humber ports. Orphans and foundlings had the chance to escape the miseries of the workhouse by going to sea as apprentices on board the fishing boats. This is their story.
The earliest known Fisher Lad went to sea in the early 19th century and the system continued up to the First World War. For more than a century young boys - some only 8 years old - went to sea in the traditional sailing boats that braved the North Sea to bring back the fish that kept Grimsby prosperous. It was a brutal life.
In this book, Grimsby-born Marc Jones traces the harsh life of the Fisher Lads at sea and on shore. He details individual stories of some oustanding lads who found fortune, disaster, happiness, tragedy and even murder as they worked the boats to escape the Workhouse.

About the Author
Marc Jones was born in Grimsby and has lived in Lincolnshire all his life. He lives locally with his wife and daughter and is very active in the local community. He is a school governor, active fundraiser for local causes and a county councillor as well as standing for the Great Grimsby seat in the 2015 General Election.
Marc says “outsiders can have an unjustly negative view of Grimsby. We need those in positions of influence within the town to have and portray a much more positive view of Grimsby. It has got some cracking potential and its main asset remains the people who live here. They deserve support, investment and new ideas instead of just more of the same.
This book shows the hard-working history of Grimsby people and their willingness to overcome whatever nature or the EU has thrown at them. This centuries old town can and will have many more exciting stories to tell about the lives of those who live, love and work here. The next chapters need to be tales of success, innovation, transformation and prosperity. I truly believe this can be the case if we all pull together to make Great Grimsby a town that respects and remembers its past but works for a better future.

Get your ebook copy HERE

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Grimsby-Fisher-Lads-fishing-apprenctices-ebook/dp/B00SA9TAGS/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1424019458&sr=1-5&keywords=grimsby

VIDEO - The Battle of Yeovil

NEW EBOOK - The Siege of Canon Frome 1645

NEW EBOOK -  The Siege of Canon Frome 1645

The village of Canon Frome nestles among the rolling hills of Herefordshire. Today it is a quiet, rural place, but in 1645 bloody war came here as Roundhead faced Cavalier in a brutal struggle that left the land strewn with the dead and maimed.
The siege of the manor housewas one of the final clashes of the English Civil War, taking place soon after King Charles lost the key Battle of Naseby. The defending Royalists had been occupying the manor house for over two years by the time the army of David Leslie, Earl of Leven, arrived to take it from then. What followed was one of the most savage sieges fought during the English Civil War.
This book brings an exciting new look to the English Civil War. The course of the campaign is given, but the emphasis is on the Battle itself and the men who fought there. There are analyses of weapons, tactics and strategies, and a study of the commanders. The course of the battle is followed with explanation of how it relates to the ground today. The aftermath of the battle, its effects and importance to the progress of the war are then described.
The “Bretwalda Battles” series has been running with increasing success as printed books and as ebooks for five years.

Contents
Chapter 1 - Canon Frome
Chapter 2 - The English Civil War
Chapter 3 - The Commanders at Canon Frome
Chapter 4 - The Siege of Canon Frome
Chapter 5 - Aftermath
Chapter 6 - The Battlefield Today
Acknowledgements


About the Author
Leonard James is an author of military books. He comes from a military family that has fought in every major war since at least the Crimean War, and probably before that. His forebears were mostly cavalrymen, though his father served in the RAF. Leonard has made a particular study of battlefields in Britain, walking over dozens of them to get an eye for ground. He has also handled genuine and replica weapons to better understand the use of pre-modern weapons and the men who wielded them.

Get your copy HERE

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Siege-Canon-Frome-Bretwalda-Battles-ebook/dp/B00PQYB7R0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423651909&sr=8-1&keywords=bretwalda+canon+frome

Lord Grey of Ruthin at the Battle of Northampton

Lord Grey of Ruthin at the Battle of Northampton
Serving under Buckingham was Lord Edmund Grey of Ruthin. By his family links Grey was firmly linked to the Lancastrian cause. By his mother he was a great grandson of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and therefore a cousin to Henry VI. He married Lady Katherine Percy, daughter of Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland. The Percys had a long running feud with the Nevilles, the family of the Earl of Warwick. However, Grey had got involved in a bitter dispute with Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter and a key supporter of Queen Margaret. Exeter was bad tempered and particularly rapacious when it came to exploiting contacts at court for his own benefit. Exeter had made a bid to seize control of the wealthy manor of Ampthill, Bedfordshire, from Grey on rather dubious grounds and was busily using bribery and pressure to get his way. Nevertheless, Grey had remained a staunch supporter of Buckingham in his efforts to find a compromise peace and to be loyal to the anointed King, Henry VI, come what may.
Grey, like Buckingham, had seen extensive service in the French wars. He had fought in the Aquitaine campaigns of 1438-40 and been knighted as a consequence. He sat on the Council of Regency from 1456 to 1458 and was notable for his refusal to get dragged into supporting either York or Queen Margaret. At the time of the Battle of Northampton he was 44 years old.

from "The Battle of Northampton" by Rupert Matthews
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http://www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Northampton-1460-Bretwalda-Battles/dp/1909099554/ref=sr_1_1_twi_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423466645&sr=8-1&keywords=rupert+matthews+northampton

NEW EBOOK - The Spanish Army in the Peninsular War: Weapons, Tactics and Strategy

NEW EBOOK - The Spanish Army in the Peninsular War: Weapons, Tactics and Strategy

The Spanish Army was the first to stop Napoleon’s veterans in open battle - crushing a French army at the Battle of Bailen in July 1808 and forcing the survivors to surrender. Despite this the Spanish Army has had something of a poor reputation among English-speaking historians, due in part to the reluctance of some Spanish generals to co-operate with Wellington’s army in the Peninsula. This ebook explains why this reputation was partly deserved, but mostly not.

This book takes an exciting new look at the Spanish Army between 1807 and 1814. It explains tactics and strategy, looks at weapons and training. Biographies of the leading commanders are included. There is a chapter on the Guerrillas. The illustrations show the equipment, the text explains how it was used.

The “Warriors of the Word” series is a continuing series of ebooks looking at fighting men from across the centuries, from the ancient world to the present day.


Contents
Chapter 1 - The Spanish Army
Chapter 2 - Spanish Organisation & Uniforms
Chapter 3 - The Guerrillas
Chapter 4 - Spanish Commanders
Chapter 5 - Weapons, Soldiers and Tactics


About the Author
Leonard James is an author of military books. He comes from a military family that has fought in every major war since at least the Crimean War, and probably before that. His forebears were mostly cavalrymen, though his father served in the RAF. Leonard has made a particular study of battlefields in Britain, walking over dozens of them to get an eye for ground. He has also handled genuine and replica weapons to better understand the use of pre-modern weapons and the men who wielded them.

Get your copy HERE
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spanish-Army-Peninsular-War-Strategy-ebook/dp/B00PIOSOOC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423213705&sr=8-1&keywords=bretwalda+spanish+army

The Reasons for Sieges in the English Civil War

The Reasons for Sieges in the English Civil War

By the time of the English Civil War, sieges were becoming the dominant form of warfare. The history books may be filled with battles, charging horsemen and fluttering flags, but for the commanders of the time far more men, weapons and money were devoted to the grinding work of sieges than to the more exciting adventures of marching across the countryside fighting battles.

The reasons for this were partly to do with the strategic reasons that the Civil War was fought and partly to do with the technology of warfare in the mid 17th century. The first was peculiar to England, the second was a general trend across Europe.

Both sides were interested in taking and holding ground, mostly so that they could raise the usual taxes on the population and so boost their ability to keep their army in existence. By and large that meant keeping garrisons in position in towns or fortresses. Those garrisons could then march out to patrol the surrounding region and enforce control. 

from "The Sieges of Newark" by Rupert Matthews

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http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sieges-Newark-1643-Bretwalda-Battles/dp/1909099570/ref=sr_1_1_twi_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422861079&sr=8-1&keywords=bretwalda+newark