Sudan 1898 colonials wars. In Omdurman in 1989 the whole European arsenal was tested against a numerically superior and very determined enemy. One of the most cheerful depicters of war was Winston Churchill, later Nobel winner for Prize for literature. Was the war correspondent of the Morning Post. ‘Nothing like the battle of Obdurman will ever be seen again’, wrote Churchill in a book published after the experience. Exterminate All the Brutes s1e3: Killing at a Distance or … How I Thoroughly Enjoyed the Outing *****
An Historical Account of the Reconquest of the Soudan by Winston Spencer Churchill: ‘They were a condensed mass: 2,800 yards from the 32nd field battery and the gunboats. The ranges were known. It was a matter of machinery. The mind was fascinated by the impending horror. I could see it coming. In a few seconds swift destruction would rush on these brave men … It was based on a fatal underestimation of the effectiveness of modern weapons. Within the space of five hours, the strongest best armed and savage army yet arrayed against a modern European power had been destroyed and dispersed with hardly any difficulty, comparatively small risk and insignificant loss to the victors. Thus ended the Battle of Omdurman, the most striking triumph ever gained by the arms of science against barbarians … only a sporting element in a splendid game. ibid.
A mighty battle was fought between the Britons and the Anglo-Saxons. Invasion! with Sam Willis e1, BBC 2017
He [Henry II] was defeated in battle by Richard and the king of France. Monarchy by David Starkey s1e4: Dynasty, Channel 4 2004
The two sides came face to face at Bosworth in the Midlands … Henry was crowned Henry VII two months later promising to restore the glory days of his namesake King Henry V. Monarchy by David Starkey s2e1: The Crown Imperial, Channel 4 2005
In March 1689 James landed in Ireland with 20,000 French troops. The Catholic Irish flocked to their King. Like the English they had become pawns in someone else’s chess game ... Two armies, two worlds faced each other across the River Boyne. Monarchy by David Starkey s3e2: The Glorious Revolution
The Bayeux Tapestry is an extraordinary work of art. Made in the 11th century it tells the incredible story of the Norman conquest of England. Betrayal, bravery, invasion, and bloody battle. It is a truly epic saga. Nearly seventy metres in length, the tapestry depicts hundreds of characters, animals, buildings and ships, illustrating the end of the Viking and Anglo-Saxon era and the beginning of the age of chivalry. The tapestry still holds many mysteries: who commissioned it, who created it, where was it made and for what purpose? Mysteries of the Bayeux Tapestry, BBC 2022
A group of islands sitting deep in the south Atlantic … On April 2nd Argentine forces invaded the Falklands and claimed them as their own. A British taskforce of over a hundred ships travelled south to take back the territory. Falklands War: The Forgotten Battle, ITV 2022
This battle happened the day that Argentina invaded … The only line of defence against a three-thousand strong invasion force … The garrison was just a collection of old buildings and Nissen huts and the small detachment of Royal Marines based there were known as Naval Party 8901. ibid.
They volunteered to immediately return to the south Atlantic and caught up with the Task Force that had been dispatched to retake the Falklands. ibid.
For the first time in old world history, we have a major battle that was fought between nations, not only rivalling chiefdoms or rivalling cities, but the Hittites on the one side, and the Egyptians on the other. Thomas Zimmerman, Bilkent University associate professor
The eight hundred or so ships that made up the invasion force ... They failed to spot any armed warriors at all ... The Romans formed a battle-line and waited for the Britons to attack. Bettany Hughes, The Roman Invasion of Britain I: Onslaught, History 2009
Across a vast plain in central Britain tens of thousands of Celtics prepare to go into battle. Their leader was Boudica, Queen of the Iceni. Warrior Queen Boudica, History 2020
‘Right was on their side but they were up against a professional seasoned army.’ ibid. historian
It was not until July 1938 that the decisive battle took place … A river in south-west Catalonia … one of the most brutal of the entire war. The Truth About Franco: Spain’s Forgotten Dictator I: The Rise to Power, PBS 2019
The competing wings for the Plantagenet family: for thirty years the Houses of York and Lancaster slogged it out in a roll-call of battles we know as the Wars of the Roses. Simon Schama, A History of Britain: King Death, BBC 2000
The history of Britain has often been shaped by war. Our ancestors fought to defend their lands, their cultures, and their beliefs. Sometimes against invaders like the Normans and the Romans. And other times against their fellow countrymen. Rob Bell, Britain’s Lost Battlefields s1e1: The Battle of Bannockburn, Channel 5 2020
I’m curious to learn more of the key battles in British history to discover how they’ve influenced our past and our present … To find out how six key battles changed the path of this country. ibid.
One of the most important battles in Scottish history. A battle still celebrated to this day … 1314: 8,000 Scots squared up against the mighty English army of at least 12 men … the Battle of Bannockburn. ibid.
Robert the Bruce: He’s going to have to defeat Edward II himself … He’ll arrive with huge numbers of professional soldiers … One of the most significant battles in British history. ibid.
In 1314 Robert the Bruce and his Scottish army surrounded the English stronghold of Stirling Castle and kept it under siege for a year. This prompted the King of England to bring an army into Scotland to relieve the castle. ibid.
‘The baggage train was something like 20 miles long.’ ibid. historian
The first day of the battle of Bannockburn couldn’t have gone better for the Scots Robert the Bruce killing an English knight by slamming an axe into his helmet. ibid.
On England’s south coast the town of Hastings … the big event that took place in the region nearly 1,000 years ago which changed Britain forever. Rob Bell, Britain’s Lost Battlefields s1e2: Battle of Hastings
Their leader was William, Duke of Normandy. William believed he had a claim to the throne of England. ibid.
The Norman invasion fleet of 776 ships and 7,000 men landed on 28th September 1066. ibid.
Harold Godwinson wanted to be king but he had a problem. Edward the Confessor had already promised that he’d support William of Normandy. ibid.
Norman and Anglo-Saxon soldiers were now primed and ready. ibid.
Halfway through the Battle of Hastings, both the Anglo-Saxon and Norman soldiers stopped for lunch. ibid.
I’m in the west Midlands about 20 miles east of Birmingham on my way to the site of one of the bloodiest battles that ever occurred on English soil. Rob Bell, Britain’s Lost Battlefields s1e3: The Battle of Watling Street
Nealy 2,000 years ago: the might of the Roman army and our ancestors the Celts led by the warrior queen Boudica. ibid.
One of the bloodiest battles in our island’s history. ibid.
‘We have up to 230,000 native Britons.’ ibid. expert
South of Market Bosworth: Over 500 years ago a defining moment in British history took place here. The Battle of Bosworth was the final chapter in the Wars of the Roses, a series of conflicts in which two rival dynasties, the white rose of the York and the red rose of the Lancasters, fought for control of the throne over 30 years. Rob Bell, Britain’s Lost Battlefields s1e4: The Battle of Bosworth Field
With the princes out of the way, the Yorkist Richard faced another threat: this time from Lancastrian Henry Tudor, who for the last 14 years had been living in Brittany. ibid.
Henry sailed in from France and marched his invasion force from Wales through the Midlands. His men clashed with Richard’s at Bosworth field. ibid.
I’m in Northamptonshire on my way to a battlefield where England changed from being a monarchy to a republic … Members of parliament were in armed conflict with their king. Rob Bell, Britain’s Lost Battlefields s1e5: Naseby
At the start of 1640s Charles I was King … There was growing disapproval of the King.
At around 3.30 p.m. as the Royalist foot soldiers lay down their arms, King Charles I and his lifeguards fled the battlefield. ibid.
I’m in Northamptonshire on my way to a battlefield where England changed from being a monarchy to a republic … Members of parliament were in armed conflict with their king. Rob Bell, Britain’s Lost Battlefields s1e5: Naseby
At the start of 1640s Charles I was King … There was growing disapproval of the King.
At around 3.30 p.m. as the Royalist foot soldiers lay down their arms, King Charles I and his lifeguards fled the battlefield. ibid.
Wymondham: 460-odd years ago a little local trouble here sparked a huge rebellion that resulted in the death of thousands. It’s called Kett’s Rebellion, and it’s one of the most fascinating and violent struggles for justice this country has ever seen. Rob Bell, Britain’s Lost Battlefields s1e6: Class War in Tudor England
What started out as a minor disagreement about sheep between a farmer and the local townsfolk developed into an extraordinary uprising against the establishment. A class war in which hundreds lost their lives for what they believed was a just cause.
The movement attracted 16,000 supporters from all over Norfolk … But when the marched on Norwich they were branded as traitors and fired on by the city’s guns. ibid.