In the breadth of bitter-sweet Scottish history there is no more poignant, nor more important, battle than Flodden. Before Flodden a proud country under its dynamic Stewart king James IV was emerging as a distinct and flourishing nation within Europe. with defeat the inevitability of Scotland's Reformation and union with England is hard to deny. Flodden was an ignominious and disastrous moment for the Scots, all the more so for being a largely unnecessary encounter, fought with superior numbers and arms, which left the country weak, exposed and leaderless.

In his typically readable style Peter Reese recreates the drama and calamity of the battle fought just south of the River Tweed on 9 September 1513. Drawing together the political, military and historical background to the conflict, he examines the two armies and their leaders, and explains the crucial tactical moves both before and during the encounter. Thoroughly researched yet always accessible and realistic, Flodden serves as an engaging and enlightening account of the battle Scotland has tried to forget.