Arthur and the Anglo-Saxon Wars (Men-at-Arms) [Paperback]

David Nicolle (Author), Angus McBride (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Men-at-Arms | Publication Date: March 26, 1984

The Arthurian Age; the Celtic Twilight; the Dark Ages; the Birth of England; these are the powerfully romantic names often given to one of the most confused yet vital periods in British history. It is an era upon which rival Celtic and English nationalisms frequently fought. It was also a period of settlement, and of the sword. This absorbing volume by David Nicolle transports us to an England shrouded in mystery and beset by savage conflict, a land which played host to one of the most enduring figures of our history – Arthur.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Packed with specially commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams, the Men-at-Arms series is an unrivalled illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.

About the Author

David Nicolle was born in 1944, the son of the illustrator Pat Nicolle. He worked in the BBC Arabic service for a number of years, before going 'back to school', gaining an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, and a doctorate from Edinburgh University. He later taught world and Islamic art and architectural history at Yarmuk University, Jordan. He has written many books and articles on medieval and Islamic warfare, and has been a prolific author of Osprey titles for many years. David lives and works in Leicestershire, UK.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (March 26, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0850455480
• ISBN-13: 978-0850455489
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.2 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #556,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting information; title way off the mark, July 22, 2000

By 

J. Angus Macdonald "bibliovore" (Concord, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Arthur and the Anglo-Saxon Wars (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

Assuming that King Arthur actually existed in some form, which is still at best a problematic assumption, this book goes well outside any particular era he would have lived through; if nothing else there is a vast amount of information on the Anglo-Saxons in here, the people he supposedly fought against. Still and all, the book does a fine job on illuminating one of the darker eras of European history.

David Nicolle does his best, as always, at reading between the lines of chronicles, art, and many works that were written well after the fact to try and peice together informaion on this broad time period. His notes on weapons, armour, and tactics are very solid, not too far out on speculation, yet not so conservative to stifle any real potentiallities. "Arthur" himself makes only a fleeting appearance in these pages, which is appropriate.

Angus McBride (absolutely no relation) does his usual magnificent job of illustrating the warriors of the era. Not only does he show a fine sense of detail, but the paintings are characters, not merely "soldiers on parade" -- each of them is a unique individual and looks at home and quite comfortable (as well as one can be) in the armour worn.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly text in harmony with beautiful illustrations., October 11, 1998

By 

Nelson R. Willis "Rob Willis" (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Arthur and the Anglo-Saxon Wars (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

I love Osprey Military books, so of course I will give this one a favorable review. The folks at Osprey understand the truth in the cliche that "a picture is worth a thousand words." It is a terribly frustrating experience to try to follow a book which is almost all text trying to convey ideas to you which really require some sort of visual representation, be it a photo, drawing, map, graph, or whatever; it is equally awful to try to make sense of a book which is almost entirely made up of illustrations and doesn't provide anywhere near adequate text to explain them. One thing I like about Osprey books is that they have a good ballance of text and illustrations which allows them to get information across to the reader in an efficient and entertaining manner. The title of this one is slightly misleading; only part of the book is spent on the Arthurian period, and the book as a whole runs all the way through the Viking period and up to the Norman Conquest. Some of the dates in the chronology section could stand to be corrected, but there is so much uncertainty in the Arhurian era, so debate is inevitable. Like other Osprey books, there are many informative illustrations and maps, and there are beautiful color plates. There is at least one major error, I think, in Nicolle's interpretation of the evidence, however: the Aberlemno Stone, a Pictish relief sculpture, shows what is clearly a battle; Nicolle interprets all that is depicted on it as typical Pict war gear, but Dan and Susannah Shadrake in _Barbarian Warriors_ point out that this stone portrays a Pictish victory over the Northumbrians, and it seems that the knights depicted as unarmored are on the Pictish side, while those with helmets are the Angles. Despite this, most of the information appears to be top-notch, drawing as much from archaeological evidence as from writen and artistic evidence. I highly recommend this book, and Osprey books in general.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The real King Arthur, August 6, 2002

By 

ignorance is bliss "therazorsedge555" (Tempe, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arthur and the Anglo-Saxon Wars (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

Dr. Nicolle once again sheds light on an era that is foggy. Anyone interested in the peoples that rose up from the ashes of Rome will find this book stimulating. Excellent illustrations, as usual, from Angus Mcbride. Cons ( true for most of the Osprey books ): the timespan is perhaps too great for a work of this size ( 4th Century to 11th century ). Not enough concise maps. Pros: Sums up the major political trends that set the stage for the Normans. Exposed me for the first time to the real Arthur. Hence, 4 stars instead of 5.