Introduction

The beautiful city of York has a varied and bloody history. As one of western Europe’s oldest settlements, there has been human presence since prehistoric times. From the Romans to the Vikings, right the way through to the War of the Roses there has been a military presence that has been ready to tackle any and every foe.

Review

York’s military legacy is another publication from Pen and Sword Military. Written by Ian D. Rotherham(a professor at Sheffield Hallam University) with cover design by Jon Wilkinson, this publication comprises of 128 pages on high quality paper with many black and white photographs and drawings throughout, with a colour section depicting the evolution of York’s military, and retails at £14.99.

The contents of the book are as follows:
Chronology
Introduction
Early History
Local conflict up to the Norman Conquest
Harrying of the North
Post-Conquest York and England at War
The English Civil War
The Jcobite Rebellion
The Second World War and the Cold War
Service, Honours and Awards
The Military Heritage
The Walls and Other Defences
Selected Bibliography
Acknowledgements
About the author

This history began in 71 AD when Quintus Cerialis established York by building a fortress between the rivers Foss and Ouse. Over the centuries York has seen many conflicts, in 1066 (Better known for the battle of Hastings) the Battle of Fulford took place and York is spared from sacking. In 1322 the Battle of Boroughbridge took place, 1455-85 was the War of the Roses, 1685 the first Yorkshire regiment was formed, during the 2nd World War York was important because of the training and development of the RAF, training of pilots and the development of bomber command airfields.

For an example of what you can expect from this publication: Church Fenton - Pocklington airbase was developed during the 1930s expansion of military airfields. In 1941 it was opened for No 4 Group Bomber Command, where it was the home to Halifax and Wellington bombers. Here the Halifax B Mk II and III were prepared for D-Day.

Conclusion

I found this book to be very interesting and a must for those who are interested in military history. I feel that this publication is well presented, and would make a handy guide if you were going to visit Yorkshire this will bring to life some of the historical sites of this beautiful county. I never realised that Yorkshire has such a rich and varied military history.