Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
Examines the organisation behind societies which were 'organised for war' on a day to day basis. Drawing on a substantial body of Anglo-Scottish archive material the authors trace the first developed form of 'marcher' society.
Synopsis
The frontier or "marcher" societies flourished in the Middle Ages and their influence has lasted well into modern times. In this study of Anglo-Scottish relations and of border society, the contributors examine the infrastructure beneath societies which were permanently "organized for war." They draw on Anglo-Scottish archival material to argue that the issues which feature in other frontier societies—acculturation and the creation of special institutions—appeared also on the Anglo-Scottish frontier. The book uses the celebrated Battle of Otterburn as a starting-point for a major reassessment of border society, challenging the view put forward in popular ballads that the borders were isolated and self-contained.