Customer Reviews

History of Warfare: The Renaissance at War

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4 star:		(1)
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this book is part of the Cassell History of Warfare series that is currently being published and is, in my opinion, one of the best books in this collection (along with Hanson's Wars of the Ancient Greeks and Goldworthy's Roman Warfare). The first half of the book covers the developments on siegecraft, artillery, infantry tactics, and strategy of European armies in the 16th century; the second half covers the history of wars between the Ottoman empire and Europe and between Europeans themselves during the same period. The writing is succinct and informative. The illustrations are well chosen - both relevant and pleasing to the eye. Charts and maps are plentiful. You will enjoy this book.

Thomas Arnold is a great writer, and having John Keegan as the editor of could only have helped the text. It is very easy to read and still extremely interesting, covering first the technical evolution of warfare from the 15th to the 17th centuries and then covering the major conflicts of the era.

Added to the strong writing and editing are many computer generated maps of individual battles and some great illustrations, many taken from period tapestries and paintings.

This book is probably the most clear, well-written book available on the subject, while still encompassing many lesser known facets of the Renaissance and even injecting some humor in a couple of passages.

Don't judge it by its textbook appearance and odd dimensions...it is anything but textbook-like and will undoubtedly lead you to buy more of the books in the series.

First off, I knew nothing about war during the European Renaissance before reading this book, so I went in with pretty low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised- this book is fascinating. Thomas Arnold writes in a very clear style, that is easy to follow. His research is detailed, but he does not bog the reader down with too many minute details.

Also, this book is full of excellent graphics. It has many period prints, maps, tapestry images, and some well done battlefield graphics. I thought this illustrations really helped emphasize many of the author's key points.

This is the first book in the series that I have read, so now I have rather high expectations for the other volumes I purchased with this one. I highly recommend this book to any military history student, or anyone interested in learning more about how warfare changed in Europe during the Renaissance.

This book is well worth buying by any history buff or for anyone who appreciates good writing. The author presents his subject clearly and vividly. The arrivial of gunpowder on the medieval scene, the beginnings of battlefield formations and an explanation of siege warfare are all well presented. Mr. Arnold's writing style is flowing and unobtrusive. That together with the beautiful illustrations makes this book a gem. Don't miss it.

Indeed a very nice book, with a lot of interesting information. The writer avoids the complicated style most historians dealing with the Renaissance prefer, and writes clearly, with regard of and respect to the ones who never have dealt with the complexities of the history of warfare, especially in a period such as this, when the wide use of gunpowder marked a turning point in the style of warfare and the perception of military tactics. Arnold covers every basic aspect of the Renaissance warfare, the decline of the Knight (in that old, medieval sense), the change in styles of fortifications, the change of the role of the general, the use of the artillery, etc, and does so while giving in the same time an accurate account of the main historical events (of military nature, obviously). Thus, the reader has an accurate, viewed from all sides, perspective of the matter. If there were more stars to give, I would definitely give them (!) although one must remember that this is an introductory study, and for particular details and a more in depth analysis there are other books to consider. In all this book is...a great place to start.

This book serves as a great singular introduction to warfare of the late 15th - early 17th Centuries, describing changes in military thought and practice in detail. The fortifications of this time period, heavily influenced by the increased usage of firearms, are described in detail, as are the pike phalanxes that dominated the Renaissance battlefield in Europe, and in the desperately fought wars between Christendom and the Ottoman Empire throughout this time frame. Included as appendices are ruler lists, timelines, and a dictionary to the major military figures of the era.

I Suppose the title says it all. This book IS a bit of a survey book, painting in broad strokes. But what strokes they are! The author covers the period's major conflicts, the evolution of warfare both ofensive and defensive, technical and theoretical. Really enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone wanting a good look at the period without being loaded with details. Details are here, but not so many as to put you to sleep or overwhelm. Read it!

Interesting and concise book. The first part with the weaponry evolution is detailed (probably overly so) but the rest has many interesting details and short stories that greatly liven up the reading. In all is very readable and informational, giving a very good picture of the whole era and the various aspects of military life and the small -and not so small histories of the period.

It's all been said before in other reviews. This is so well written and illustrated. Liked the chronology section in the front and the biography of major figures in the back. Amazing history particularly of events in France and Holland in the later half of the 16th century.
Hope the Warfare in the 17th Century is as good.

One of a very few readable descriptions of warfare during the Renaissance. I would recommend this book