Caulfield Maria. The Battle of Lewes, 1264

Bretwalda Books, 2014. — 50 p.A book about the bloody Battle of Lewes, fought in 1264 that was a key victory for the rebels under Simon de Montfort who sought to limit the powers of the king. The sweeping victory of the rebels at Lewes had a profound effect on England. A Parliament was summoned that for the first time included commoners as well as nobles and clergy, the king was to be answerable to Parliament and to a Council of Nobles and government documents were to be published in English as well as in Latin. The battle itself began on the downs northwest of the town when the rebels launched a surprise dawn assault on royal scouts about where the racecourse now stands. The fighting then spilled southward as the rebels advanced and ended outside the priory with total defeat for the forces of King Henry III and his son Edward (later Edward I). This book brings an exciting new look to the medieval wars of England.