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Medieval Warfare
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Medieval Warfare is a valuable summary of the state of knowledge and scholarly understanding of the practice war in Europe from the fall of Rome to the Renaissance. The thirteen essays, are divided into two parts. The first part is essentially a survey of the military history of the Middle Ages in chronological fashion (e.g., "Carolingian and Ottonian Warfare," "Warfare in the Latin East," etc.). The second part deals with specific aspects of warfare in the period (e.g., "Fortifications and Sieges in Western Europe," "War and the Non-Combatant in the Middle Ages").
Medieval Warfare is the warfare of the Middle Ages. In Europe, technological, cultural, and social developments had forced a dramatic transformation in the character of warfare from antiquity, changing military tactics and the role of cavalry and artillery. Similar patterns of warfare existed in other parts of the world. In China, weapons employing gunpowder date back to the 10th century, and the first permanent standing Chinese navy was established in the early 12th century by the Song Dynasty.
Medieval warfare was ... very dependant on the quality of leadership. The troops didn't vary much from area to area (except in the case of the yeomen or Swiss pikemen), nor did the methods. There were few books on "how to make war," and most military leaders obtained their positions because of their social standing, not their military track records. As a result, when good leaders were present, they would quickly reorganize their troops, redistribute what good subordinate leaders there were more effectively, and run their army on a more efficient basis than their opposition.
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Warfare in medieval times was never static or predictable - although there were ideals and conventions to follow, in the field commanders had to use their initiative and adapt to the needs of the moment. In this concise, wide-ranging study, Helen Nicholson provides the essential introductory guide to a fascinating subject.
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Challenging many common assumptions about the glamour of medieval warfare, this highly readable history recreates the real war experience of thirteenth- and fourteenth-century England. Filled with anecdotes and illustrations, it examines how English medieval armies fought, how men were recruited, how the troops were fed, supplied, and deployed, what new weapons were developed, and what structure was set in place for military command.
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Medieval Siege warfare was an extremely expensive and time consuming business. Siege warfare was... a common form of warfare during these violent times. Siege warfare was a common occurrence especially during:
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