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| Warfare |
| Agincourt 1415 Matthew Bennett, Jeffrey Burn At Agincourt, Henry V’s army, starving and riddled with disease, defeated a French army at odds of more than three to one. The battle, described here in detail using recently discovered evidence, illustrated the dominant power of the English longbowman in Medieval warfare. |
| Blood Red Roses: The Archaeology of a Mass Grave from the Battle of Towton AD 1461 Veronica Fiorato (Editor), etc. In 1996 a mass grave believed to be from the Battle of Towton was discovered by chance. This provided the opportunity for the first archaeological excavation of a mass grave from an English battlefield and was the catalyst for a multi-disciplinary research project, beginning with the excavation of the grave, and then a study of the skeletal remains, the battlefield landscape and the historical evidence and contemporary arms and armour. The discoveries were dramatic and moving; the individuals had clearly suffered traumatic deaths and subsequent research highlighted the often multiple wounds each individual had received before and, in some cases after they had died. The exciting forensic work was documented in the Channel Four programme "Secrets of the Dead". An important and controversial question that emerged was whether the soldiers had been killed in battle, or executed as prisoners in its aftermath. This volume publishes the excavation reports and subsequent research, revealing much information about how and in what circumstances the men died and the fighting techniques and weapons and armour employed. Also discussed are the wider implications of the discovery, both in terms of increasing our knowledge and understanding of what happened at Towton, and what it contributes to our knowledge of Mediaeval warfare |
| Medieval Warfare Maurice Keen This illustrated book explores over 700 years of European warfare, from the time of Charlemagne to the end of the middle ages (c .1500). The period covered has a distinctive character in military history. It was an age when organization for war was integral to social structure, when the secular aristocrat was by necessity also a warrior, and whose culture was profoundly influenced by martial ideas. Twelve scholars, experts in their own fields, have contributed to the book. It is divided into two parts. Part I seeks to explore the experience of war viewed chronologically with separate chapters on, for instance, the Viking age, on the wars and expansion of the 11th and 12th centuries, on the Crusades and on the great Hundred Years War between England and France. The chapters in Part II trace thematically the principal developments in the art of warfare; in fortification and siege craft; in the role of armoured cavalrymen; in the employment of mercenary forces; the advent of gunpowder artillery; and of new skills in navigation and shipbuilding. |
| The Hussite Wars 1419-36 Stephen Turnball While the dynastic struggles known as the Wars of the Roses were occupying the British a revolution was flowering in Bohemia. Riding on the back of sermons by Jan Hus, against the unfair wealth of the church and the abuses of the rival popes, and his death by burning at the stake, the so called Hussite Wars were to involve the state, church and mercenaries from many nations. This book gives a lively account of the war and its antagonists covering the rise of Jan Zizka as head of the largely peasant forces which, under their chalice banner, enjoyed success against the Royal army as well as mercenary forces in the form of "crusades" from across Europe. Men and women fought side by side using the tactics of Zizka including the war wagon which enabled them to create a highly mobile "fort" wherever they wished. The book concludes with a section on the weapons and tactics with descriptions of the hand weapons developed from agricultural implements, the guns of the day and, of course, the wagenburg. Richly illustrated with diagrams, photographs, contemporary art and, of course, the full colour work of Angus McBride this book introduces us to a little known area of medieval history. To view this book at the publisher's website click here |
| The Lancaster and York: the War of the Roses Alison Weir The war between the houses of Lancaster and York for England’s throne saw some of the bloodiest battles on England’s soil. This account of the war focuses on the human side - on the people and personalities involved in the conflict, chiefly King Henry VI and the Duke of York, Richard Plantagenet |
| The Medieval Soldier Gerry Embleton, John Howe This work features the recreation, in colour photographs, of the appearance of the fighting men of the past, their environment - even their families. The book features material on civilian costume, male and female, and on medieval life in general. The book presents a range of nearly 300 colour photographs of authentically costumed, armoured and equipped live models, posed realistically in outdoor settings and historical interiors in Continental Europe and Britain. The accompanying text details many aspects of 15th-century life and warfare, drawn from primary research sources in several language. |
| The Wars of the Roses (Men-at-Arms) Terence Wise There is currently no review for this book |