The August/September 2023 issue of Military History Matters, the British military history magazine, is out now.
The best way to access the magazine is to subscribe. Click here to find out more. To read the digital archive, click here. You can also access the magazine online (as well as exclusive extra content) at our new website, The Past.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Winning the civil war
The New Model Army was the finest professional military force of its age. It would win the English Civil War for the forces of Parliament, and help establish Oliver Cromwell as one of the most significant figures in British history. But, as we discover, the New Model Army was not solely the work of Old Ironsides, but also that of the often-overlooked figure of Sir Thomas Fairfax, the army’s first commander-in-chief. Graham Goodlad reveals how two such different men came to forge a war-winning partnership, then looks in detail at the Battle of Marston Moor, the epic victory in 1644 that enabled Parliament to win control of northern England
Nelson’s other great victory: the Battle of Aboukir Bay
Marking the 225th anniversary of the clash that made Nelson’s name, Stephen Roberts analyses the British commander’s 1798 triumph
Arguments, decisions, victories: Europe 1943
It was the year when the tide finally turned for the Western Allies, but also a period of great tension, as Taylor Downing explains
Terror in Tuscany: the cruel siege of Siena
William E Welsh reveals how it took terror and hunger for the army of Europe’s most powerful monarch to subdue Siena in 1555
It was just meant to be a night out: the Butterfly Effect
John Lock looks at Paul Revere’s famous ‘midnight ride’ and the events that became known as the ‘shot heard round the world’
Also in this issue:
The latest in our series on classic military history books, War Culture, Book Reviews, Museum Review, Back to the Drawing Board, Listings, Competitions, and more.
To subscribe to the magazine, click here. To subscribe to the digital archive, click here. You can also access the magazine online (as well as exclusive extra content) at our new website, The Past. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
From the acting editor:
Seven years before Trafalgar, the Battle of Aboukir Bay was the victory that made Nelson’s name. It catapulted the 39-year-old rear admiral to fame, and established his reputation as Britain’s greatest naval commander. Sighting the French fleet at anchor off the Egyptian coast, Nelson made the bold decision to attack immediately, even though night would soon be falling. His tactic caught the enemy off-guard, and when the smoke had finally cleared, all but two of France’s ships of the line had been captured or wiped out. With his army now stranded in Egypt, Napoleon’s long-cherished dream of dominating the East lay in ruins.
In our cover story for this issue, Stephen Roberts marks the 225th anniversary of Aboukir Bay – also known as the Battle of the Nile – by looking at what really happened on 1 August 1798, and what it can tell us about Nelson’s abilities. Elsewhere, in our latest two-part special, Graham Goodlad explores the partnership between Oliver Cromwell and Sir Thomas Fairfax, and reveals how they won a decisive victory at Marston Moor, the largest battle of the English Civil War.
Also in this issue, we have the latest in John Lock’s ‘Butterfly Effect’ series, uncovering the unintended consequences of Paul Revere’s famous ‘midnight ride’; while William E Welsh travels further back in time to examine the siege that led to the fall of the Republic of Siena.
And finally, 80 years on, Taylor Downing looks back on the key events of 1943, when hard-fought Allied victories at Stalingrad, in North Africa, and in Sicily saw the turning of the tide of WWII in Europe.
We hope you enjoy the issue!
Laurence Earle
To subscribe to the magazine, click here. To subscribe to the digital archive, click here. You can also access the magazine online (as well as exclusive extra content) at our new website, The Past. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.