Myke Cole

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 examines the life and times of Sir Arthur Hesilrige and his Regiment of Cuirassiers, known as 'the Lobsters' as they were encased in plate armour. It 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 and decision to abandon their armor in 1643.