Northumbria's Bloody History

'This absorbing study explores the violent tapestry of the North East's past via both the lens of significant events and the suffering of ordinary folk. From the great clashes that altered the course of nations to the routine brutalities that marked daily life, Dufferwiel excavates centuries in which Roman legions, Dark Age warlords, Viking raiders, Norman invaders, reivers and rebels all fought and bled on Northumbrian soil. The author shifts deftly between the epic and the intimate, his explorations of great military confrontations told alongside the human consequences of plague, social unrest and long-running local feuds. Anchoring the narrative is a sure sense of place. The author examines battlefields and policy with a historian's rigour, yet never loses sight of the communities shaped and often shattered by the relentless churn of conflict. The result is both panoramic in scope and profoundly human in its insights,' * <i>The Northumbrian Magazine</i> * 'Martin Dufferwiel's excellent book covers this bloody history, doing exactly what he says on the cover. A particular virtue of his book is that it is not just about the great events, the battles of Flodden and Heavenfield and, possibly, Brunanburh, but also tells the story of some of the other people caught up in the currents of violence, such as the Scottish soldiers taken prisoner after the Battle of Dunbar, who were held captive in Durham Cathedral. Archaeologists have recently discovered the mass grave where those who did not survive their captivity were unceremoniously dumped, further victims of the wars of the borderlands.' -- <i>History of War</i> magazine 'In a lively and engaging style, he manages to maintain momentum through a plethora of characters who wax and wane with the passing years.' * <i>Historical Novel Society</i> *