Medieval Warfare: A Reader examines how armed conflict was experienced in the Middle Ages both on the field of battle and at home. This comprehensive collection of more than 130 primary-source materials—some translated here for the first time—traces over one thousand years of military developments, including the fall of Rome, the fight for Jerusalem, the building of castles and other fortifications, the rise of gunpowder, and the negotiation of treaties. Developed by two of the le...

First published in 1992, Medieval Military Technology has become the definitive book in its field, garnering much praise and a large readership. This thorough update of a classic book, regarded as both an excellent overview and an important piece of scholarship, includes fully revised content, new sections on the use of horses, handguns, incendiary weapons, and siege engines, and eighteen new illustrations.The four key organizing sections of the book still remain: arms and...

In 'The Art of War in the Middle Ages (378-1515),' Charles Oman provides a detailed and scholarly analysis of military strategies and tactics employed during the medieval period. Written in a clear and engaging style, Oman's book explores the evolution of warfare from the late Roman Empire through the end of the Middle Ages, drawing on a wealth of historical sources and firsthand accounts. His meticulous research and insightful commentary shed light on the pivotal role of military operatio...

There is much more to the Norman story than the Battle of Hastings. These descendants of the Vikings who settled in France, England, and Italy - but were not strictly French, English, or Italian - played a large role in creating the modern world. They were the success story of the Middle Ages; a footloose band of individual adventurers who transformed the face of medieval Europe. During the course of two centuries they launched a series of extraordinary conquests, carving out kingdoms from...

In this modern age the regional and national boundaries which define Scotland seem fixed and permanent. But of course this has not always been so.In this book Alistair Moffat looks at the shifting political shape of the land long before its modern borders were created. In doing so he brings to vivid life the half-forgotten kingdoms that came and went during Roman times, the Dark Ages and the early medieval period. This is a fascinating journey into a tantalisingly little-known peri...

This biography of an overlooked but important Anglo-Saxon ruler sheds light on the Dark Ages of England.In the eighth century, Offa ruled Mercia, one of the strongest Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. For over thirty years he was the dominant warlord in the territory south of the Humber River and the driving force behind the expansion of Mercia's power. During that turbulent period, Offa commanded Mercian armies in their struggle against the neighboring kingdoms of Northumbria ...

The definitive classic used as a source for Game of Thrones: "The Gieses succeed in making a remote and unfamiliar world accessible." — Kirkus ReviewsA bestseller by two widely respected historians, Joseph and Frances Gies's Life in a Medieval Castle remains a timeless work of popular medieval scholarship.Focusing on Chepstow, an English castle on the Welsh border that survived the turbulent Middle Ages with a relative lack of viole...

The centuries after the end of Roman control of Britain in AD 410 are some of the most vital in Britain's history - yet some of the least understood. Warlords brings to life a world of ambition, brutality and violence in a politically fragmented land, and provides a compelling new history of an age that would transform Britain. By comparing the archaeology against the available historical sources for the period, Warlords presents a coherent picture of the...

The Clash of History's Titans is part of the series conveniently portable, stylishly packaged and eminently collectible set of six books that each open a window onto a selection of remarkable stories, characters and themes from the past. When two supremely powerful political rivals lock horns in a clash of personality and ideology, they can change the course of human history.The Clash of History's Titans brings to life the drama of history's most vicious political...

A treasure hunt that uncovers the secrets of one of the world’s great civilizations, revealing dramatic proof of the extreme sophistication of the Celts, and their creation of the earliest accurate map of the world.Fifty generations ago the cultural empire of the Celts stretched from the Black Sea to Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland. In six hundred years, the Celts had produced some of the finest artistic and scientific masterpieces of the ancient world. In 58 BC, Julius Caesa...

When people think of Richard the Lionheart they recall the scene at the end of every Robin Hood epic when he returns from the Crusades to punish his treacherous brother John and the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham. In reality Richard detested England and the English, was deeply troubled by his own sexuality and was noted for greed, not generosity, and for murder rather than mercy. In youth Richard showed no interest in girls; instead, a taste for cruelty and a rapacity for go...

"Practically all new information on the greatest empire of all and how it controlled and policed its frontiers. Absolutely fascinating!"— Books MonthlyAt its height, the Roman Empire was the greatest empire yet seen with borders stretching from the rain-swept highlands of Scotland in the north to the sun-scorched Nubian desert in the south. But how were the vast and varied stretches of frontier defined and defended?Many of Rome's frontier defenses ha...