London was the critical location throughout the English Civil Wars - a fact that has been emphasized by countless historians, with some going as far to say that by fleeing his capital in January 1642, King Charles I lost the war several months before the fighting actually started. Most studies focus on London as the political and economic powerhouse - overlooking the fact that militarily, London was just as important; it is 'London: the militarized city' which is the focus of this new history. At the outbreak of the fighting, Parliament was able to call upon the capital's 'citizen soldiers' -...