A Knight in Battle [Paperback]

R. Eward Oakeshott (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0802313221 | ISBN-13: 978-0802313225 | Publication Date: September 30, 1998 | Edition: 2

Explore a fascinating dimension of medieval life in this engaging account of knights and their horses. Oakeshott reveals how war tactics changed because of the swift terror of fighting on horseback instead of on foot. The author brings us into the world of jousts and spear-play, where a horse's strength, speed, and resiliency were absolutely essential. To engage in such exciting, dangerous activities, a ""knight's horse had to have nerves of steel and a steadfast heart."" Oakeshott dispels myths about the so-called ponderous horse of medieval times. He tells how horses were bred and trained for war, and how they became symbols of social class and sources of pride. Without a horse, a knight was nothing. Originally published in 1962-and of interest to young and older readers-this updated and revised edition of A Knight and His Horse has an extensive and useful glossary. Accurately illustrated by the author, the book captures the wonder and magic of a past time. Also available from Dufour are A Knight and His Weapons, A Knight and His Castle, and A Knight in Battle.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This is another in Oakeshott's series of knight-related titles. This second edition of the 1971 original, which covers famous battles, has been updated and now includes an extensive glossary.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Dufour Editions; 2 edition (September 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802313221
• ISBN-13: 978-0802313225
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #364,783 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quite good, October 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Knight in Battle (Paperback)

Contrary to what my fellow countryman said here, it's exactly the way they put their shoes on (and many other interesting things, like how they handled their swords, how they rode their horses, what they ate and where they slept) that makes a history and an understanding of the epoch. This book is perhaps not the best, but good enough in the line of "technical-historical" books available about the medieval knight, one of the books intended to show how the things worked, not to retell a story of some specific event.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Par for the Series, April 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Knight in Battle (Paperback)

What the previous reviewer has missed is that this book is part of a longer series on the subject, a series that includes books specifically dedicated to armor, weapons, horses, and castles. Secondly, Oakeshott isn't interested in presenting the readers with long descriptions so one can come up with some kewl stats and new proficiencies for their D&D game. He is interested in historical fact and placing the medieval knight into this historical context. As he does in the other books of this series, Oakeshott both dispels that annoying romanticism out there that distorts the true merits and shortcomings of these historical people, and gives us insight into those details that other, more general, histories don't provide. Third, Oakeshott does keep to his thesis, and this would have been noticed by the previous reviewer if that reviewer had realized the four battles explained by Oakeshott represent four different and very important developments in medieval combat.

In short, this is an excellent book, but it is not an exhaustive reference guide to the medieval knight. It was not intended to be. For a complete picture of Oakeshott's factual fecundity and depth of insight it is critically important to read this book along with the other books in the series.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fun, June 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Knight in Battle (Paperback)

This was an enjoyable book. It communicates the general gist of militatry development of the era, illustrated by four blow-by-blow accounts of obscure but interesting battles. This is no tome of historical reference data, but a fun bit of historical storytelling.