The Art of Medieval Hunting: The Hound and the Hawk [Hardcover]

John Cummins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2003

The gentlemen of medieval and Renaissance Europe had three all-consuming passions: warfare, courtly love, and hunting with a hawk or hound--and the philosophy behind the last of the trio really encompasses them all. Hunting, the sport of kings, served as training for battle, a rite of manhood, and a powerful ritualistic pastime. In vivid and engrossing detail, here are all the appropriate methods for hunting deer, boar, wolves, foxes, bears, otters, birds, hares...even unicorns! A dazzling diversity of sources (poems, ballads, letters, court directives, royal accounts, gamekeepers' handbooks, psalters) illustrate how hunting and hawking appear throughout medieval art and literature as metaphors and motifs for everything from romance to combat.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Cummins was born in Hull, and educated at the University of Manchester. He gained his Ph.D. at the University of Aberdeen, and is currently Reader in Spanish there. He lives in Aberdeen. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Booksales (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785815929
• ISBN-13: 978-0785815921
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #944,505 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid and helpful, July 13, 2001

By 

Cordelia - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hound and the Hawk: The Art of Medieval Hunting (Phoenix) (Paperback)

This book is essential for anyone who wants to know about western European medieval hunting. Cummins admirably completes the task of being thorough, with frequent references to and quotations of primary texts. The structure makes the book easy to follow and inclusions of anecdotes and poems makes the reading fun.

This book captures both the practice and the romance of hunting throughout the centuries of the middle ages. It is generous of detail. My one complaint might be that there is little attempt to discuss different practices in different regions of Europe, though the author acknowledges the existence of slight regional variations and does try to delve into them here and there.

It is hard to imagine that any other book on the subject need be written for some time.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to the world of the Medieval Hunt, May 11, 2001

By 

J.B. (Rhode Island USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hound and the Hawk: The Art of Medieval Hunting (Hardcover)

Over all, an excellent introduction to the world of the Medieval Hunt. Some knowledge of medieval history and/or study is helpful, as the author does sometimes seem to assume you know what he is talking about. Full of vivid descriptions, (especially concerning the chapters refering to "Par Force" hunting) One can almost see the Hunt as it unfolds. The chapters concerning the "Par Force" and the "Bow and Stable" Hunts are excellantly done with much intricate detail covering everything from how the hounds were taken care of to how much the Huntsman made. This section alone makes the book worth purchasing. The section on falconry, I found was not quite so in depth as the "Hounds" section, though it was definately useful and interesting.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars John Cummins is a superb historian, May 17, 2005

By 

starflakes "starflakes" (Drinkwater) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Medieval Hunting: The Hound and the Hawk (Hardcover)

I purchased this book over a year ago and found after the first chapter that it was uninteresting. Finally, I went back to it and am pleased I did.
The following chapters on the beasts and fowl hunted by hound, hawk and other methods are very good reads. At times the olde English which accounts for about one quarter of the book really are difficult as 1400 English is not modern English, but in saying that there is a definite charm to it being included and it is a thankful reality.
John Cummins unlike most modern historians is superb in easily telling a story when he needs to do his vocation and then sits back and allows the original texts to tell the story. Cummins appears in his work to have an existential experience with the world he is speaking, instead as I stated before with most historians these days who write from cramped apartments smelling of book mold.....Mr. Cummins also pleasingly does not include his ego in writing his opinions. In this book, you see the world through the eyes of era 1400 hunters.
I did find one mistake in his writing as to why a hunter of that period would dress as a huge woodcock, in thinking size mattered. In truth, for birds that are preyed upon, like geese, a decoy 6 feet tall actually has more appeal than a regular size decoy, that explanation should have been secured by Mr. Cummins.
The only drawback, beside the first chapter, was he only wrote a few paragraphs about the setters when employed in hawk and other hunting. As one who has a great affection for the Irish Setter, I would have liked a chapter on the intricate training of this breed.
In relating all of that, this book pleased me as it is historical prose. I will look for Mr. Cummins other books on Christopher Columbus and Francis Drake as I am certain after this book, he will not displease me in reciting history through the words of those in which he records.