Synopses & Reviews
Review
'A vivid and extremely wide-ranging account,andnbsp;which will draw its readers in.' - Mark Stoyle, author of Soldiers and Strangers: An Ethnic History of the English Civil War
Review
and#8216;Carlton explores with great insight the many dimensions of warfare over an impressive chronological span. This Seat of Mars is a major achievement.and#8217; - Mark Charles Fissel, author of English Warfare, 1511-1642
Review
and#8220;This Seat of Mars deserves to become a classic text on war itself and on Britainand#8217;s martial ancestry.and#8221;and#8212;Allan Mallinson, The Times
Synopsis
Shakespeare was not exaggerating when he defined being a soldier as one of the seven ages of man. Over the early modern period, many millions of young men from the four corners of the present United Kingdom went to war, often--and most bloodily--against each other. The almost continuous fighting on land and sea for the two and one-half centuries between Bosworth and Culloden decimated lives, but created the British state and forged the nation as the world's predominant power.
In this innovative and moving book, Charles Carlton explores the glorious and terrible impact of war at the national and individual levels. Chapters alternate, providing a robust military and political narrative interlaced with accounts illuminating the personal experience of war, from recruitment to the end of battle in discharge or death. Carlton expertly charts the remarkable military developments over the period, as well as war's enduring corollaries--camaraderie, courage, fear, and grief--to give a powerful account of the profound effect of war on the British Isles and its peoples.
About the Author
Charles Carlton is professor emeritus of history at North Carolina State University.