Richard Mackinder, Bosworth The Archaeology of the Battlefield (Pen & Sword, 2021)
Most history students will recognise that there are 5 Ws* to consider when approaching historical events. Of those, the most important and open to interpretation is ‘why’, but that is often contingent on knowing the other 4 Ws. When it comes to the pivotal Battle of Bosworth (1485), Richard Mackinder tackles those questions, building on the archaeological discoveries that he helped to find. In doing so, he attempts to overturn much of what we thought we knew.
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Mackinder leaps straight into his interpretation of events based on artefacts by questioning the pre-battle build up, including the antagonists’ camps and a preliminary skirmish. The arrival of the forces and deployment at Bosworth follows, with an interesting discussion on the use of mediaeval cannons. Archaeological evidence also suggests who amongst the nobility might have been at the battle. Mackinder digs through that, along with the unsuccessful search for a grave-pit, before moving onto Richard III’s alleged deformity and the battlefield positioning of the passive but dangerous Sir William Stanley. Richard’s cavalry charge is next in the sequence, and, of course, his untimely demise. How he died – violently – is no longer open to conjecture other than in the exact details, but where he died is. Mackinder surmises that from the opening charge to Richard’s death only took a few minutes, but that was long enough for Stanley to choose his side and for the Earl of Northumberland to realise the game was up. The battle ended in a rout, and Mackinder traces where part of that might have happened, as he does for King Henry’s crowning.
The aim of his book, states Mackinder, is to open the floor for discussion. He has many questions, some of which he answers through speculation guided by the available evidence. After an oddly placed but interesting chapter on roundshot, Mackinder throws down the gauntlet to Mike Ingram’s recent theory on the battle. He does this through the changing nature of interpretation based on new or reinterpreted evidence. I wasn’t convinced, but at least Mackinder puts his cards on the table, which is good news for students of battlefields. Mackinder also adds a thorough self-guided tour of the battle, including useful maps, for you to judge for yourself what happened. He also suggests a plethora of potential future investigations. Five appendices listing archaeological finds concludes the book.
This isn’t a book I would recommend to anyone that lacks a passing knowledge of the Battle of Bosworth. Beyond that, this an absorbing survey of the battle that puts forward some well thought out arguments based on Mackinder’s interpretation of the evidence. Also, as he is a battlefield guide of longstanding at Bosworth, his views must be taken seriously. I wasn’t convinced, however, by all of Mackinder’s arguments, particularly his swipe at Mike Ingram’s theory, which I found a bit odd as it is presented in isolation and weakens the structure of the book and Mackinder’s thesis. Nevertheless, that discordant note aside, Mackinder’s presentation of the evidence is certainly thought-provoking, and his battlefield guide will undoubtedly be valuable for researchers on the ground.
*And an inconvenient H.
