Too little academic writing takes full account of the great body of grey literature available. Many influential archaeological studies rely too heavily on material that should have been, if not superseded, then expanded by the reports of commercial archaeologists. Richard Israel is to be commended very highly for his thorough knowledge and excellent use of the grey literature relating to Civil War archaeology in the Severn Valley. It is an example to others of how this literature can be used in academic writing. His knowledge of 17th century literature on military tactics is also outstanding. The two have been combined with landscape archaeology to produce a thorough and enlightening study.
Israel proceeds chronologically through the Civil War sieges in the Severn Valley, showing in each instance how contemporary and historical military tactics were adopted and adapted to suit the needs of particular bodies of soldiers in particular localities. His in-depth study of the capabilities of 17th century artillery and siege tactics in conjunction with a landscape approach allow for genuine insights into the successes and failures of some of the Civil War’s major military undertakings. As we read of tens of thousands of artillery rounds fired each day in modern warfare, it is striking to think that the Royalist army could manage only 17 shots a day during its siege of Gloucester. He has shown especially well how engineers’ understanding of the landscape contributed to the efficacy of the designs of their siege works. Israel is able to relate these designs to theoretical developments in warfare published in English in the early 17th century, showing clearly that strategists on both sides of the English Civil War were aware of continental technique, and that they were frequently willing to depart from the received wisdom of the military manuals to suit their defences to the landscape. He is less successful in demonstrating the continuity of certain tactics from Classical Antiquity into Early Modernity, except in the most general sense. Further discussion of the direct influence of Classical writing on the English texts available to a commander would have been useful.
The book is exceptionally detailed. Discussions of the ranges of different artillery pieces, dimensions of earthworks, comparisons with military field manuals and extracts from municipal accounts ledgers can be expected on almost every page. It is clear that considerable archival research has been undertaken, and the reader benefits from it. The accounts of the sieges, siege works, tactics and even costs are commensurately detailed. At times, this level of detail renders the book a difficult read, but it could not have been otherwise. From the exigencies of the construction of Captain Singleton’s Bastion (in Gloucester, and now the nickname I have given to my bedroom) to the role of women in the defence of Bristol, the detail makes Israel’s analysis of tactics and landscape possible, adding also a more human element in the recognition of the personal impact of the destruction of houses to provide clear lines of fire.
The author’s claim for the significance of the fall of Gloucester in 1643 is an interesting and important assertion that deserves to be considered further in studies of the Civil War. In this respect, it is surprising that he makes no bibliographic reference to such major historians as Christopher Hill and Austin Wooldrych. Wooldrych’s comprehensive study would surely have enriched Israel’s argument here. That being said, events at a national level are not the major focus of the work. This an excellent study of Civil War archaeology in a limited area, complementing and expanding on Harrington’s English Civil War Archaeology. I hope that others will follow Israel’s lead and produce similar research on other areas of the country.
The style of writing is clunky at times. Superficial attempts at phenomenological analysis bolted clumsily onto the end of the 4th chapter read rather like a dissertation and should either have been expanded or discarded. A few quotations from Sun Tzu in the later chapters are irritating flourishes of no relevance to the subject. Compared with the author’s overall success in providing for the first time a comprehensive account of Civil War archaeology in the Severn Valley, the criticisms are minor. While certainly a deeply academic text unsuitable for beginners in Civil War studies, this is a book that will be of use to professional archaeologists/historians, local historians, students and interested amateurs. I would recommend it to all such. It is one of a series on European warfare between 1618 and 1721 published Helion. I have already underlined several of the other titles listed. If Cannon Played from the Great Fort is anything to go by, they will be well worth reading.