The Medieval Siege [Paperback]

Jim Bradbury (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 6, 1992

In medieval warfare, the siege predominated: for every battle, there were hundreds of sieges. Yet the rich and vivid history of siege warfare has been consistently neglected. Jim Bradbury's panoramic survey takes the history of siege warfare in Europe from the late Roman Empire to the 16th century, and includes sieges in Byzantium, Eastern Europe and the areas affected by the Crusades. Within this broad sweep of time and place, he finds, not that enormous changes occurred, but that the rules and methods of siege warfare remained remarkably constant. Included are detailed studies of some of the major sieges including Constantinople and Chateau-Gaillard. Throughout, Bradbury supports his narrative with chronicles and letters. First-hand accounts of danger, famine and endurance bring the acute reality of siege warfare clearly before the reader.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The chapter on weaponry is descriptive and there are excellent drawings as well as contemporary illustrations. Equally, the final chapter on the conduct of sieges is admirably forthright... the index is particularly good. --Times Literary Supplement

Fills a notable gap left by the battle-centric nature of earlier military historiography and by the concentration of castle studies on the evolution of defensive structures to the comparative neglect of the methods of assault which prompted such developments... An informed overview... herein lies the book's great value, mapping broad trends and affording a host of comparative material. --History

About the Author

JIM BRADBURY is the author of The Medieval Archer; he writes and lectures on battles and warfare in England and France in the Middle Ages.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Boydell Press (August 6, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0851153577
• ISBN-13: 978-0851153575
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,337,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A thorough exposition of the reality of medieval warfare., December 23, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: The Medieval Siege (Hardcover)

The battles of the Middle Ages are well known, but the medieval siege has long been a neglected subject. Bradbury's central theme is that sieges, and not battles, were decisive in medieval warfare. Looking at siege warfare from the early Middle Ages to the beginnings of the Renaissance, he shows that siege warfare was lengthy, brutal and unchivalrous, with conventions and a morality all of its own. His subject is breathtaking; the beautiful stone castles of Europe were built for war, and he shows them facing siege engines, assault towers, starvation and disease. Above all, this book is accessible; far from being the specialist book that its title suggests, it is an excellent introduction to medieval military history, looked at from a new and intriguing perspective. If this book has a fault, it is that it fails to relate the medieval siege to other aspects of warfare, especially logistics. Nevertheless, for its great scope in time and geography, and its detailed description of the practices and weapons of siege warfare, this book is a valuable contribution to medieval military history.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good stories, but weak on systematic analysis, October 17, 2001

By 

M. A Michaud "michael_michaud" (Dulles, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Medieval Siege (Hardcover)

This could have been a first-rate book. The author has researched a wide variety of sources, collecting many examples of events that took place during sieges. These stories, ranging from amusing to horrifying, are told in a very readable way. Unfortunately, the book is weak on systematic analysis. Not until page 241 does the author begin describing siege weapons and techniques in a comparative way. Many of the illustrations from the medieval period are small and not well-reproduced, making it difficult for the reader to see details. There are not enough plans of castles and fortresses to illustrate the author's points. The book also follows the unfortunate modern trend of using inadequate maps composed of lines and dots, with no indication of terrain features. Michael Michaud, an American living in Vienna, Austria

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Medieval Siege, February 26, 2008

By 

F. D. Warren "Freddy Warren" (Newport, Victoria, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Medieval Siege (Paperback)

This is a comprehensive social and military history of siege warfare and its development and affects throughout Medieval times. It deals in detail with the various 'ages' of Siege warfare and eleoquently demonstrates that sieges and counter sieges were the predominant form of warfare which shaped the social, military and political landscape in Europe and the Middle East for almost a millenia in the period from 450 CE to 1565 CE. The pages are crammed with historical detail and the work finishes with two fascinating chapters on the Weapons of Siege Warfare and the Conventions and Laws of Siege Warfare. A real must for those interested in the serious study of military and social history in Medieval times when sieges affected almost all aspects of daily life for those from peasants and soldiers to princes and popes.