Second Hand The New Model Army

Ian Gentles's substantial history of the New Model Army examines the creation, organisation, military achievements and political significance of the force that became Parliament's principal army during the English Civil War.

Beginning with its formation in 1645, Gentles considers recruitment, provisioning, pay, discipline and the religious character of the army before tracing its decisive military successes against Royalist forces during the closing stages of the First Civil War. The study goes beyond battlefield history to examine the increasingly important political role assumed by soldiers and officers following Charles I's surrender.

Detailed chapters cover the political conflicts of 1646–1648, tensions between Parliament and the army, the Second Civil War, the events surrounding the trial and execution of Charles I, and the relationship between the army and the Leveller movement. The narrative then follows the New Model Army into its campaigns in Ireland and Scotland between 1649 and 1653.

Gentles draws extensively upon contemporary sources to examine both senior commanders such as Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell and the experiences of ordinary soldiers. Particular attention is given to the army's religious beliefs, political radicalism, relations with civilian society and the tactical and organisational factors behind its battlefield effectiveness.

Illustrated with historical portraits and campaign maps, this substantial first edition remains an important scholarly study of the New Model Army and its role in the military and political revolution of the mid-seventeenth century.