"Bishop Takes Knight – The Showdown On A 13th Century..." Topic

… Battlefield That Changed History.

"WHEN THE CRUSADER clergyman Philip of Dreux went to war for his king in 1214, he expected merely to kill a few Englishmen. Instead, the ringing blows he struck with his heavy mace on the helmet of William Longsword, the Third Earl of Salisbury echoed down through the centuries. They still resonate today.

The obscure yet momentous event occurred at the Battle of Bouvines. The stunned English earl crumpled to the ground under Philip's wallops and was swiftly captured. Demoralized at the sight of their felled lord, the English soldiers fled, leaving their entire army's right flank exposed and and tipping the battle in France's favour. The resulting rout set off a chain of events that would change European and ultimately world history

To see how the dominoes were stacked before the first one fell, you have to start in 1214 England, where King John was facing down his rebellious barons. Sardonically dubbed "Lackland" because he was the king's fifth son and not expected to inherit much, John bled England white in his attempts to recapture the crown's old holdings in France…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Thanks for the link was an interesting read. Too bad we don't have Bishops like that anymore. Osprey should do a book on this battle, its been so many years Osprey has been churning out books and not one on this pivotal battle.

A votre service mon ami!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

It's my favorite medieval battle. I've been begging Osprey to cover it for years!!