A great book about a nasty little fight
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Otterburn 1388 was not a very big battle and in fact it was not much more than an episode in the long story of Scottish plundering expeditions and English punitive raids that took place from XIII to XV centuries. And still, the author managed to give of it a really passionating (although rigorously sticking to historical evidence) account. There is something in Peter Armstrong writing that make me think about Tolkien - if Tolkien was writing about real history. For example, when dealing with the aspect of the battlefield, it is really a "tour de force" to describe the hills, hedges and some old trees in such a way, that the reader is "hooked" even before any actual fighting took place. Once the author moves to describe the leaders of both armies and some of the principal warriors, things got even better. The story is well written, clear and interesting. Maps are good, and the colour plates are strangely appealing, although the style used by Stephen Walsh is usually not my favourite. I just loved this one - if there is anything more about Scottish wars by Peter Armstrong coming from Osprey, I will buy it with my eyes closed.
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