Sieges determined the course of the English Civil Wars, yet they receive scant attention. In contrast, the major set-piece battles are repeatedly analysed and reassessed. As a result our understanding of the conflict, and of its outcome, is incomplete, John Barratt, in this lucid and perceptive account, makes the siege the focal point of his study. As well as looking at the theory and practice of siege warfare and fortification, he considers the often-devastating human impact. Using a selection of graphic examples, he shows how siege warfare could ruin the lives of the soldiers - and the civilians - caught up in it. He examines in detail a dozen sieges, using a combination of eyewitness accounts, other contemporary sources, archaeological surveys, and other modern research. His study provides a detailed and vivid reconstruction of these often neglected episodes of civil war history. AUTHOR: John Barratt has written widely on English sixteenth-and seventeenth-century history, especially on the land and sea warfare of the period.

His most recent publications include Cromwell's Wars at Sea, Armada 1588, The Civil War in South-West, Cavalier Generals: King Charles I and his Commanders in the English Civil War, and Cavaliers: The Royalist Army at War, 1642-46. In Addition to his books, he gives lectures on these subjects and contributes regularly to periodicals and magazines specializing in military and naval history. SELLING POINTS: Graphic account of a neglected aspect of the English Civil Wars. Examines the theory and practice of siege warfare and fortification. Analyses key sieges in vivid detail. Considers the impact of sieges on soldiers and civilians. Places Civil War sieges in the wider context of seventeenth-century warfare. 30 illustrations.