Medieval Warfare [Paperback]

Helen J. Nicholson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0333763319 | ISBN-13: 978-0333763315 | Publication Date: January 3, 2004

Helen Nicholson offers a masterly synthesis and summary of the present state of knowledge and debates on various aspects of warfare in medieval Catholic Europe between AD 300 and 1500. Nicholson provides a general overview of the subject, with greater detail on topics of particular interest. Individual chapters consider the theory of warfare, military personnel, buildings and equipment, as well as the practice of warfare by land and sea.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Few would disagree that medieval military history is one of the most vibrant genres of medieval studies. Helen Nicholson, with her numerous studies on Military Orders, is one of the most prolific reasons for this vibrancy. Now she has turned her innumerable scholarly talents to the writing of a general study on medieval warfare. This work, Medieval Warfare: Theory and Practice of War in Europe, 300-1500, is a remarkable book, of interest both to students just beginning their studies in the field and to well-read scholars. Nicholson has a clear idea of all the aspects of medieval warfare, including theory, personnel, buildings, equipment, and practice.' - Kelly DeVries, Loyola College, Maryland, USA 'Nicholson's written style is superb as always.' - Oxbow Book News 'I am very impressed by the range that Helen Nicholson manages to cover, both chronologically and thematically. Her examples are well chosen, and the themes make excellent sense.' - Michael Prestwich, University of Durham

About the Author

Helen Nicholson is Senior Lecturer in History, Cardiff University

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (January 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0333763319
• ISBN-13: 978-0333763315
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #947,494 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

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars useful survey, August 9, 2007

By 

James R. Smither "Accidental Military Historian" (Grand Rapids, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Medieval Warfare (Paperback)

This book is a good starting point for anyone interested in reading up on medieval warfare. Its chronological sweep is very broad, and while it focuses on Western and Central Europe, it deals reasonably well with conflict between the peoples of these regions and others that they came into conflict with. The breadth of the work limits the amount of detail provided, but the author includes some effective examples. One real asset here, especially to the student, is that she surveys the recent literature and debates in different subfields, and provides references to key works that one can go to in order to learn more about them. The author also does her best to avoid overgeneralization, which is particularly helpful in her discussions of topics like feudalism and knighthood. While there are some factual or contextual errors here and there, there are not too many of these, and they do not significantly detract from the quality of the work. Undergraduates with no background in medieval history may find that the author assumes that they know more than they do, but anyone with some background in the field will find the book very useful. This is not a "battle book" with lots of ripping yarns, but it will help the reader to understand medieval warfare as described in such books, as well as in the chronicles and fictional literature from the time period.