Medieval Warfare: A History

By Maurice Keen

Book Overview

The medieval period was a singular epoch in military history--an age profoundly influenced by martial ideals, whose very structure of society was organized for war, and whose leaders were by necessity warriors. Now, the richly illustrated Medieval Warfare illuminates this era, examining over
seven hundred years of European conflict, from the time of Charlemagne to the end of the middle ages (1500). Twelve scholars examine medieval warfare in two sections. The first section explores the experience of war chronologically, with essays on the Viking age, on the wars and expansion of the
eleventh and twelfth centuries, on the Crusades, and on the great Hundred Years War between England and France. The second section traces developments in the art of warfare: fortification and siege craft, the role of armored cavalrymen, the use of mercenary forces, the birth of gunpowder artillery,
and the new skills in navigation and shipbuilding.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0198206399
• ISBN13: 9780198206392
• Release Date: November 1999
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

An exceptional compendium of information

I found this book to be fraught with excellent information, and for the most part, highly readable. The contributors were obviously researchers and historians of the highest caliber, but sometimes their writing skills made it difficult to render all that was there to be gleaned. Still, the depth and breadth of the information makes this book worth the effort. Like any non-fiction book of any depth, it cannot be read swiftly like a novel, but it is rich in excellent information.

Huzzah!

In 'Medieval Warfare: A History', Maurice Keen, a fellow in Medieval History at Balliol Oxford (a college I attended briefly for lectures while I lived in Britain) has edited a superb compilation of essays, from a worthy collection of scholars from British and Irish Colleges, with one contributor from West Point. The book is divided into two broad categories: The Phases of Medieval Warfare, and The Arts of Warfare. This collection spans nearly a millenium of warfare in the European theatre and environs including Vikings, Crusades, French & English wars, and Charlemagne. There are investigations of tactics, strategies, politics, technology and weaponry innovations, and the growing importance of navigation and naval warfare. Each essay has accompanying illustrations and photographs, and this slim volume is a worthy addition to any medieval or military historian's library as a survey of medieval warfare. Keen's analysis is insightful, showing how developments in the medieval arts of war led to the the drive toward colonisation that has made the world's political geography what it is today. The essays work well at illuminating the subject, yet each essay has its own integrity. As Keen writes in the preface: 'Warfare was a formative influence on the civilisation and the social structures of the European middle ages. Its history in that period is in consequence of high significance alike for those who are interested in the middle ages for themselves and for their legacy, and for those whose interest is in war and its place in the story of human development. 'There are many theories of the development of history -- one of the strongest theories of history through much of history is that warfare is one of the primary driving forces, for social change, for political change, and for technological change. Keen pulls together in the last few paragraphs the themes of many of the essays, pointing the direction toward modern warfare. This is a book worthy of Oxford Press.

Great Book

This is a Great Book, provided me with a lot of information about medieval warfare, like the tactics and stuff. gotta give phat props to the author.