Thomas Audley

Tudor ‘Arte of Warre’

by Terry Gore

by Jonathan Davies

This book, published by the Pike and Shot Society, 16 Cobbetts Way, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8TL, U.K was written by a professional soldier and veteran of Henry VIII’s French wars for the young King Edward VI. It includes an extensive list of troops and tactics used in the armies of Henry VIII, referencing company ratios of pike, billmen, arquebusiers and archers. Archers and arquebusiers, for example, were formed together in ranks and used on the flanks of the armies. The decisive formations were those blocks of pikemen. Audley also notes that Henry held mercenaries in very high regard, especially Germans.

As the English armies of the time had little armored cavalry with their continental army, only 196 men-at-arms used in the 1544 expedition, German and Burgundian mercenary cavalry were very much in evidence, fully 2,000 of them were used. Light cavalry were made up of Border horse. The proportion of foot to mounted in 1544 was 7-1.

This is just an example of the information in this booklet. There are also sections on tactics, use of artillery, leaders, supply, sieges and battles. At the end are 22 pages of engravings from the Cowdray House Paintings (noted to be the equivalent of the Bayeux Tapestry by the author) that illustrate Henry’s 1544-5 French campaign.

No price was included, but if you go to the Society website www.pikeandshot.org I’m sure they will have it. This is a very good booklet packed with useful information and is highly recommended.

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