England and Scotland 1286-1603

On a stormy night in 1286 a man fell off his horse and broke his neck setting two kingdoms on a 300-year course of war. Edward I seized the opportunity to pursue English claims to overlordship of Scotland; William Wallace and Robert Bruce headed the 'patriotic' resistance. Their collision shaped the history politics and nationhood of the two realms and dragged in a third with the formation of the Franco-Scottish Auld Alliance. It also created a unique society on both sides of the Anglo-Scottish border. What prevented peace from breaking out? And how at the dawn of the seventeenth century could a Scottish king succeed peacefully and unopposed to the Auld Enemy's throne?<br/><br/>Andy King and Claire Etty trace the fractious relationship between England and Scotland from the death of Alexander III to the accession of James VI as James I of England. Spanning medieval and early modern history this book is the ideal starting point for students studying Anglo-Scottish relations up to the Union.