• First major study of this campaign, including the capture of Chester, Hereford and Worcester
• Discussion of possible sites of the Battle of Stow
• Detailed Orbats of opposing forces
• Impact of the fighting on civilian population

Although the Battle of Naseby (14 June 1645) is generally regarded as the decisive action of the First Civil War, dooming the Royalist cause to inevitable defeat, fierce fighting continued for over a year, including several pitched battles and numerous sieges.

By the end of 1645, with his forces crumbling and his territory shrinking, King Charles' hopes were increasingly dependent on the Royalist heartland of the Welsh Marches and the tiny field army which Jacob Lord Astley was struggling to muster there.

This book describes the often dramatic preliminaries to this and sets in context Astley's campaign which ended on 21 March 1646 with his defeat at Stow-on-the-Wold - the last pitched battle of the First Civil War, together with the last stand of the royalist garrisons in the Marches.

This book, making comprehensive use of both Royalist and Parliamentarian sources, will be the first complete detailed study of these events which finally doomed Royalist hopes in the First Civil War. It will be of interest to military and local historians, the general reader, re-enactors, wargamers and modellers.

REVIEWS

Thoroughly-researched and well written, with a good balance of narrative and contemporary accounts. […] This is a very good study fo the royalist's war campaign of the First Civil War, and is recommended.
Battlefield Magazine

Well written, with a good balance of narrative and contemporary accounts, the book is also nicely illustrated, with some good colour plates by artist Bruno Mugnai … Barrat's book is a very good study of this little known campaign. Recommended.
Military History Matters (Reviewer)

A thoroughly researched and readible account of an ideal scenario for wargamers.
Miniature Wargames - Arthur Harman