Defending Oxfordshire

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A01=Mike Osborne
Age Group_Uncategorized
Age Group_Uncategorized
Author_Mike Osborne
automatic-update
Banbury
Bletchingdon
Category1=Non-Fiction
Category=AMKL
Category=JWK
Category=JWL
Chipping Norton
Civil War.
Cold War
COP=United Kingdom
Culham
Delivery_Pre-order
eq_art-fashion-photography
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_non-fiction
forthcoming
Harwell
hillfort
Language_English
Oxford
PA=Not yet available
Price_€20 to €50
PS=Forthcoming
Queen Victoria
RAF
River Thames
Saxon burh
softlaunch
Stephen and Matilda
USAAF
Wallingford

Product details

  • ISBN 9781781559147
  • Weight: 765g
  • Dimensions: 156 x 234mm
  • Publication Date: 24 Apr 2025
  • Publisher: Fonthill Media Ltd
  • Publication City/Country: GB
  • Product Form: Paperback
  • Language: English
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Evidence for Oxfordshire's strategic location in ancient times can be found in the remains of prehistoric hillforts, fortified Roman towns and Saxon burhs. Both Oxford and Wallingford were besieged during Stephen and Matilda's war of succession and again 500 years later during the Civil War. Charles I chose Oxford as his capital, defending it with garrisons at Bletchingdon, Banbury and Chipping Norton. Later, local volunteer forces formed in the county, gaining state recognition during Queen Victoria's reign and bolstering regular regiments in the two world wars. In the Second World War, Oxfordshire's River Thames was a critical component in anti-invasion defences, and the county's air bases provided the means for the RAF and USAAF to launch bombing raids into Nazi Germany. Lastly, since before the Cold War, the villages of Harwell and Culham have been contributing to Britain's development as a nuclear power. 'Defending Oxfordshire' delves deep into the county's military landscape, revealing a unique and fascinating perspective of its history.
Dr Mike Osborne's interest in fortifications began with childhood visits to castles and forts. It has developed over the years to include all aspects of the subject from Iron Age hillforts to Cold War bunkers. He was a volunteer-coordinator for the 'Defence of Britain Project', recording twentieth-century military structures. After a thirty-year career in education he took early retirement to write, producing twenty-six books to date on topics ranging from Civil War sieges and fortifications to the Volunteer Training Corps. His best- selling 'Defending Britain' led to a series of county surveys of defences including five titles for Fonthill and the award-winning 'Defending Cambridgeshire'.