Medieval Warfare

As a child, he was given his own suit of armor; at the age of 16, he helped defeat the French at Crecy. At Poitiers, in 1356, his victory over King John II of France forced the French into a humiliating surrender that marked the zenith of England's dominance in the Hundred Years War. As lord of Aquitaine, he ruled a vast swathe of territory across the west and southwest of France, holding a magnificent court at Bordeaux that mesmerized the brave but unruly Gascon nobility. He was Edward of Woodstock, eldest son of Edward III, and better known to posterity as "the Black Prince".

The 10 enlightening (and often humorous) lectures of Medieval Myths and Mysteries will show you how far from the “dark” times of legend these centuries were. Uncover the facts about the Knights Templar. Reveal the truth behind the tales of legendary creatures like the Questing Beast and the unicorn. Trace the events of the Black Death and the ways it altered the world in its wake, and much more. With Professor Armstrong, you will dig deep into the ways that later generations reshaped the narrative of the medieval years and perpetuated the myths.

This book offers a high level overview of warfare throughout the ages, providing concise summaries of the various aspects of weaponry and tactics employed throughout each historic period. The book covers the origins of war during the neolithic age, warfare among ancient societies, the transitions within the nature of warfare throughout the medieval period, the development of firearms through the gunpowder age, and the major classes of weaponry employed in modern warfare. The discussions are Eurocentric, recognizing that other regions around the world tended toward following similar patterns...

Following the fall of Rome, the sea is increasingly the stage upon which the human struggle of western civilization is played out. In a world of few roads and great disorder, the sea is the medium on which power is projected and wealth sought. Yet this confused period in the history of maritime warfare has rarely been studied; it is little known and even less understood. Charles Stanton uses an innovative and involving approach to describe this fascinating but neglected facet of European medieval history.  

Medieval manuscripts can tell us much about power and art, knowledge and beauty. Many have survived because of an author’s status - part of the reason we have so much of Chaucer’s writing, for example, is because he was a London-based government official first and a poet second.

This richly detailed and dramatic account takes listeners deep into the heart of feudal conflict—from the roar of charging cavalry to the silence before a siege. Whether you're a student of history, a fan of epic warfare, or simply curious about how medieval people fought, survived, and conquered, this book delivers a vivid and immersive journey.

What connects a simple bowstring to a modern cannon that can fire faster than a jetliner flies? Across 2,500 years of human history, one truth has never changed: our relentless drive to strike farther, faster, and with greater power. From Bows to Big Guns uncovers the extraordinary journey of artillery, showing how each leap in innovation reshaped not only the battlefield but the very course of civilization itself. Few people know that the first mechanical bows could outshoot the strongest warriors… or that medieval trebuchets hurled flaming stones and even severed heads to break enemies ...

In the time period between the fall of Rome and the spread of the Renaissance across the European continent, many of today's European nations were formed, the Catholic Church rose to great prominence, some of history's most famous wars occurred, and a social class system was instituted that lasted over 1,000 years.

From the schism between Rome and Constantinople to the rise of the T'ang Dynasty, from the birth of Muhammad to the crowning of Charlemagne, this erudite book tells the fascinating, often violent story of kings, generals, and the peoples they ruled.

The year is 448, forty years after the Roman legions left the people of Britannia to defend themselves. The old ways of Rome still linger but they are weakening with the passing years. Many long for Rome to return, others have given up all hope of it. Some wish to rule in any way they see fit. Proconsul Virgilius still maintains power in the realm but he is aging and his grip is failing. He does not trust his two sons and relies on the advice of Ambrosius Aurelianus. A descendent of emperors, Ambrosius wishes to renew the severed links with the empire. But now the first of a series of ...

A weary knight, a sacred goal, and a brutal march through blood and betrayal. In the aftermath of Acre’s brutal siege, Sir Alaric of Normandy faces a new trial: the unforgiving road to Jerusalem. Torn between duty to his king, the haunting echoes of past violence, and whispers of doubt, Alaric must lead his men through a landscape as treacherous as the enemies lurking in the shadows. As King Richard’s army marches onward, Saladin’s forces wage a silent war—poisoning wells, scorching earth, and letting the desert claim its victims. Amid this chaos, Alaric finds an unlikely ally in ...

Discover the Untold Truth Behind History's Most Feared Warriors They came from the North with fire and steel. They conquered kingdoms, discovered new worlds, and left a legacy that echoes through a thousand years of history. This is their complete story. From the blood-soaked shores of Lindisfarne to the gates of Constantinople, from the frozen fjords of Scandinavia to the mysterious shores of Vinland, the Vikings carved their names into history with blood, steel, and glory. ★ A Complete Journey Through the Viking Age ★ Part I: The World of the Vikings Witness the birth of Norse ...

Medieval knights were like armoured tanks in combat. They often made quick work of their enemies. They may not have realized it, but they owed their success to science. Learn how science helped medieval knights win victory!

The walls of Acre hold the key to Jerusalem. In the sweltering summer of 1191, as Christian armies lay siege to the city, three lives collide in a story that will reshape their understanding of faith, duty, and the true cost of holy war. Sir Alaric of Normandy arrives in the Holy Land, burning with zeal, certain of the Crusader cause’s righteousness. But his convictions begin to waver when he encounters unexpected compassion among those he was taught to hate. As the brutality of siege warfare tests his faith, he must choose between his vows as a knight and the growing truth in his heart. ...

The Viking army is about to face its greatest challenge, the Kingdom of Wessex. King Æthelred and his brother Alfred are determined to wage war to the death. The Great Viking Army has conquered Northumbria and East Anglia. Two English kingdoms remain independent, Mercia and Wessex. The sons of Ragnar, leaders of the army, must decide which to attack next. Leif Ormson, once Skald to Ivar the Boneless, has now been made a jarl. He is a reluctant warrior and is grateful and relieved when he is given rich lands in which to live in peace and prosperity. But the Vikings’ relentless lust for ...

The Duchy of Winterhaven lies at the edge of human civilization. There, Great Lords scheme to expand their borders and take control of the dukedom. Meanwhile the young knight Dhrugal of Edgefield investigates a most unusual murder, little suspecting how this gruesome crime links to a much greater threat. A decade of relative peace is about to collapse, and only Dhrugal and his brothers and sister stand between Winterhaven and dark-spun chaos.

Discover the brutal, unvarnished truth of Viking-era medicine and battlefield survival. For generations, the Norse sagas and modern mythmakers have fed us a sanitized fantasy of the unfeeling Viking berserker. Beyond the Shield-Wall: The Savage Medicine and Silent Agony of the Viking Age by Tomas Somerled completely shatters this cinematic lie. This immersive historical nonfiction book plunges you into the terrifying reality of 9th-century warfare, revealing the horrific trauma and crude medical interventions that defined survival in the Dark Ages. The Norse did not possess a magical ...

What Modern Warfare Myths Get Wrong About The Vikings The shield wall was not broken by courage. It was broken by exhaustion, bleeding, and the brutal reality of human limits. Most modern portrayals of Viking warfare are built on a false premise: that violence in the Dark Ages was driven primarily by berserker rage, strength, and fearlessness. But open the archaeological record, and a very different reality emerges. Viking warfare was not an expression of rage—it was a highly engineered system constrained by logistics. Viking Warfare and Engineering presents the gritty, operational ...

Brought to you by Penguin. This Penguin Classic is performed by David Sibley, best known for Henry V, War & Peace and Silent Witness. This definitive recording is translated by, and includes an introduction by Gwyneth Lewis and Rowan William. Taliesin's is one of the most important names in all...

The romanticized Viking saga is a comforting lie. Discover the brutal reality of the 793 AD Lindisfarne raid. In Wolves on the Tide: The Slaughter of Lindisfarne, Tomas Somerled dismantles the heroic myths of the Norsemen to present a gritty, historically uncompromising autopsy of the attack that ignited the Viking Age. For the monks of St. Cuthbert’s sanctuary, the ocean was an impenetrable divine wall. They possessed no early warning systems and no defensive naval patrols. On June 8, 793, that profound geographical delusion invited their total annihilation. Introducing The Asymmetric ...