‘Essential Agony’: The Battle of Dunbar 1650

On 3 September 1650, two former allies fought a bitter clash of arms in the rain-soaked fields around the quiet seaside town of Dunbar. For one, it was a signal mercy which cemented his reputation and paved the way for political as well as military supremacy. For the other, it meant defeat, occupation, and the end of a cause. In England, Dunbar is remembered as one of Cromwell’s most brilliant victories. In Scotland, as an avoidable tragedy caused by the placement of blind faith over sound judgement. And for those whose ancestors suffered in its terrible aftermath, it is a story of both sorrow and survival. This new analysis of the Battle of Dunbar explores the battlefield and its events in close detail, using the author’s intimate knowledge of the landscape. From the high politics to the individual experience, Arran Johnston brings the story of the Dunbar campaign vividly to life and sets its significance within the context of both the seventeenth century and our own times. AUTHOR: Dr Arran Paul Johnston was born and raised in Derbyshire, where he first discovered the interest in the Jacobite Risings which would later lead him to Scotland. Arran graduated from the University of Edinburgh with an MA(hons) in Latin and Ancient History, and achieved his doctorate on the Scottish diaspora at the University of the West of Scotland. Arran is the founder and director of the Scottish Battlefields Trust, campaigning for greater understanding and protection for Scotland’s battlefield heritage. He lives with his wife and two children in Dunbar, where he is leading new interpretation and engagement initiatives raising the profile of the 1650 battlefield. 50 colour and b/w illustrations