Medieval Siege Weapons (1): Western Europe AD 585-1385 (New Vanguard) (Paperback)

~ David Nicolle (Author), Sam Thompson (Illustrator) "Siege warfare dominated military operations in most of western Europe throughout the Middle Ages, so it is no surprise that the medieval period was amongst..." (more)
Key Phrases: great crossbows, armoured roof, counterweight trebuchet, Greek Fire, Middle East, Byzantine Empire (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Medieval era was a period of huge variety and invention in the field of siege warfare. Before the use of cannon and other gun-powder artillery, siege engines relied on assorted sources of power, from torsion 'energy storage' systems to man-power, counter-balances and others. This book reveals how the combinationof technological traditions from the Graeco-Roman world, Persia, India and above all China made a massive contribution to the development of siege techniques. Medieval military engineering was equally inventive in terms of mining, counter-mining, the breaking of walls, the use of noxious and chemical fumes and in the use of fire-weapons.

From the Publisher

The unrivalled illustrated reference on fighting vehicles, transport and artillery through the ages. Each volume is illustrated throughout, making these books uniquely accessible to history enthusiasts of all ages.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (September 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841762350
• ISBN-13: 978-1841762357
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #60,175 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #30 in	Books > History > Military > Weapons & Warfare > Conventional
  #81 in	Books > History > World > Medieval
  #100 in	Books > History > Military > Strategy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars History Lesson, August 15, 2006

By	Jeff Travis "Stormfury" - See all my reviews

I purchased this book in hopes that it would have a lot of information on Siege weapons and how they were used. The first thing I realized is that this book has a great deal of writing for such a small book and it gives detailed descriptions on the history and background of several Siege Weapons. There are some really nice illustrations in the book as well, however I was hoping for a bit more. I would have liked to have seen more information on how these weapons were constructed and some heads up comparisons of the various Siege weapons. It's certainly a nice historical reference for the Siege enthusiast.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Medieval Siege Weapons, February 23, 2007

By	Benjamin E. Holmes - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

overall a good book.
good diagrams, but laking "how to" instructions if you wish to build your own.

4 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Buena informacion, July 12, 2005

By	Ingeniator (Colima, México) - See all my reviews

Buena informacion relacionada con las armas de asedio de la Edad Media. Sin embargo faltó un poco más sobre trebuchet y tipos de trebuchets.