Fighting for Liberty - Argyll & Monmouth's Military Campaigns Against the Government of King James, 1685

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Account of the campaign of 1685, the so-called Monmouth Rebellion, which started in Orkney and ended on the battlefield of Sedgemoor. Includes 30 illustrations and 30 maps.

After the political purges of 1683, rebel Whigs planned an invasion of Britain to restore the liberty of Parliament and stop the divine rule by Kings. They have vast stockpiles of the latest weapons, including bayonets, grenades, and firelock muskets. On the death of Charles II in February 1685, and the succession of his brother James, they loaded ships with soldiers, arms, and ammunition.

Led by the Earl of Argyll and the Duke of Monmouth, an audacious plan will attack in three strategic locations, supported by an uprising in London. With enough drums, colours, and officers to raise three well-led and paid armies, the fight for liberty began.

To counter this threat, the Government of King James locked down the country, closing borders and arresting dissenters. As the Militia struggled to contain the invasions, and with the Whig armies growing day by day, James rushed regular forces to the landing sites. But even with a network of spies and the nation's military resources in play, James still struggled to gain the initiative against the Whig invaders.

For centuries, historians have ignored the planning and logistical aspects of the conflict, instead the focus has been on the personalities of Monmouth, Marlborough, and James II. However, the military campaign reveals the true scale of the conflict, it shows us forgotten skirmishes and naval actions. By returning to the original sources to understand Whig strategy, the events in England and Scotland merge into a single operation against the Government of James. Fighting for Liberty describes the whole campaign, from the initial planning by the Whigs, to the military reaction by the Government. Each army movement is placed in the historic landscape, and the detail of every battle covered; from the weapons, uniforms, and drill, to the Regiments deployed. For the first time, the campaign of 1685 is shown as a Whig invasion, that placed the Government and its unprepared forces on its back foot. It is not a forgone conclusion, instead it is a fight between two professional armies, with commanders struggling to gain the initiative, both facing different operational challenges.