Customer Reviews

The Mamluks 1250-1517 (Men-at-Arms)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Perhaps because of the narrower scope of this title compared to others in the Osprey series, Dr. Nicolle went into greater depth in writing this title. A good overview of the Mamluk state.The Mamluks were slaves taken from pagan populations and trained to be soldiers for Muslim leaders. They ended up overthrowing their ruler in Egypt and establishing their own state there. Mamluks would square off against the Christian crusaders in Syria as well as the Mongols. Minuses: poor maps and the stereotyping mentioned by the other reviewer. Pluses: Artwork and bibliography. One day Osprey will learn to devote at least one or two pages to decent maps!

Although at the end of their training period they were released, but the basis for the european legend was true. The Mamluks overthrew their Ayyubid rulers and began the Mamluk sultanate.

Professor Nicolle, an extraordinary scholar of this period and islamic history, gives the reader a worthy introduction to the history, daily life, weaponry and armor, hierarchy, etc. Both dinasties are covered (Bahri and Burji Mamluks), so the covered period is almost three centuries.

The Mamluks were divided in categories like the Sultan's own, the Amir's Mamluks, etc, with different pay and serving conditions. Other interesting aspects are the fact that Mamluk armies also had large numbers of free-born warriors (although lower ranked).

The siege warfare is covered including fortifications and the classification of siege engines.

The mamluk military manuals - furusiyah - provide precious information, but probably they're like all other military manuals giving optimum conditions and not always reflecting current practices. Some care must be taken while considering most evidences and claims.

As usual, the immense love of the author for Islamic history leads to some "conclusions" and ideas that are somewhat one-sided. For example multiple references on Christian piracy, forgetting that most were corsairs and Islamic pirates were also prolific in the Mediterranean; better treatment of slaves in the Islamic world, stating that religious rules forbade ill treatment of slaves; well Christians also had rulings forbidding ill treatment of "brothers", that didn't stop many things occurring; having a conviction doesn't mean that someone will obey all directives of said conviction (the slaves destined for war were very well treated, that's true...but the others? There were Islamic slave revolts in medieval Islam; it happened in ancient Europe but never in the medieval period; and the death rate of slaves was huge, that's why they needed so many). In another topic you will find a comment where the author refers that contrary to Christian Knights, the Mamluk didn't need help donning his armor; well knights also didn't need help with their armor when said armor was a mail hauberk for example (it's not particularly hard to don the popular jawshan/lamellar armor of the mamluks)...I would like to see a mamluk trying to get in early XVI cent plate without help.

In a new edition the author should insert a chronology. The art from Angus McBride is very good and this work is well illustrated with photos of architecture and artifacts.

Recommended.

These books of the Osprey Series I find them quite informative, and that's good for me to polish my abilities, cause I like to draw exactly this kind of subjects. They present seriously researched reconstructions of the warriors of the period, all based in as much physical evidence (archeological & historical would be better to say) as possible, and as rigorously treated as possible, too. The only pitfall I find in this series is that once you have bought several books dealing around a common subject you will see quite a lot of repeating of the same information: same photographs, same reconstructions, etc. Anyway, as far as my web searches have indicated me, this is THE reference when historical reconstructions of warriors of the past is what you ar looking for. I hope I will polish my abilities as much as needed to be an illustrator of one of this books someday.

And now, specifically dealing with the mamluks, I regret I have to say goodbye to my beloved curved scimitar, because it is simply not sufficiently sustained by evidences. Weird for me to be forced to draw the arabs with straight swords! But the truth is the truth.Armies of the Muslim Conquest (Men-at-Arms)

The experienced Osprey reader should already know the jist of this book just by the names of the author and the artist. For anyone else, this title combines dry, raw history from a very anti-Western perspective with eight spirited colored plates.
The Mamluks were a continuation of medieval Islamic civilization, holding together the conquests of their forebearers by several centuries of constant warfare, which finally ended with a defeat by the Ottomans at Cairo in 1517.

This is one book which has good information on the Mamluks and thier resulting actions and training. For a Historian like me this is very valuable since my studies are in a field which is very small and does not have that much information. A 5/5 for me.

As for all david nicolle books, he is strongly influenced by the islams and is against the europeans. It's going to be the opposite of victor hanson's books.