Anglo-Scottish Wars 1296 – 1603

My recommended book list is focused primarily on the period of the Anglo-Scottish Wars 1296 – 1603 and the era of the border reivers. I come from Northumberland, and the reivers are in my blood. My fascination with military history generally is probably down to Homer and Vergil, abetted by G. A. Henty, Dumas, Rosemary Sutcliff with Henry Treece. Movies like Zulu and Lawrence of Arabia fuelled the process. I base my selection on what I perceive as the quality of the writing, chiming with the book’s personal resonances. To me, history needs to be accessible – not as dry as dust. Pure academic writing has its place, of course, but ‘popular’ history, such as I now write myself, has an obligation to connect with readers who do not already possess a specialised interest. It is the job of popular historians like myself to engage and enthuse, to pass on the gift of history. I feel the books listed here achieve that, and I see myself as their complement and successor’.