Steel Lobsters

A dramatic history of the Steel Lobsters, Sir Arthur Hesilrige's Regiment of Horse, in the English Civil War - the last fully armoured knights in England.
The 17th-century battlefield ushered in a new era, with formed musketeers and pistol-wielding cavalry gradually taking over from the knights and men-at-arms that had dominated the European battlefield. Based on a detailed study of the primary sources, Steel Lobsters tells the story of this transition through the history of the last fully armoured knights in England.
Myke Cole, an award-winning novelist, historian, and veteran, examines the life and times of Sir Arthur Hesilrige and his Regiment of Horse, known as 'the Lobsters' as they were encased in plate armour. Steel Lobsters covers the full history of England's last knights, from the seeds of their creation in Hesilrige's experience as a young cavalry officer, to their final defeat at Roundway Down in July 1643, and the decision to abandon their armour. It provides lavish detail on arms, armour, and tactics, but also covers the human story of Sir Arthur Hesilrige, the men who served under him, and even those who opposed him.
The story of this amazing unit is the story of the end of super-heavy cavalry, and this book delves into how wars were fought in the 17th century, the personalities, politics, and even spiritual beliefs of the combatants, how they fought, and why they ultimately lost.

Following a long career in the military, intelligence, and law enforcement, Myke Cole is a fire/rescue responder in NY's Hudson Valley. He is a freelance historian and writer, and has published ten novels with publishers including Penguin Random House and Macmillan in addition to his history books for Osprey. Myke's short work has appeared in The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, The Daily Beast, Foreign Policy, The New Republic, McSweeney's, and Slate. He's starred on TV shows on CBS and Discovery, and has featured on NPR.

Preface
List of Illustrations
List of Maps
Introduction
Section I: Political Radicals
I. Divine Right, Common Law, and True Religion
II. Vivat Rex Carolus
III. Tech, Tactics, and the Battle of Breitenfeld
IV. Decade of Defiance
Section II: Military Conservatives
V. Edgehill (1642)
VI. Ripple Field (1643)
VII. Lansdown (1643)
VIII. Devizes (1643)
IX. Roundway Down (1643)
Epilogue: The Dustbin of History
Notes
Index