Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe: Gunpowder, Technology, and Tactics (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology, 22) New Ed Edition

by Bert S. Hall (Author)

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ISBN-13: 978-0801869945

ISBN-10: 9780801869945

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Winner of the Wallace K. Ferguson Prize from the Canadian Historical Association

Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe explores the history of gunpowder in Europe from the thirteenth century, when it was first imported from China, to the sixteenth century, as firearms became central to the conduct of war. Bridging the fields of military history and the history of technology―and challenging past assumptions about Europe's "gunpowder revolution"―Hall discovers a complex and fascinating story. Military inventors faced a host of challenges, he finds, from Europe's lack of naturally occurring saltpeter―one of gunpowder's major components―to the limitations of smooth-bore firearms. Manufacturing cheap, reliable gunpowder proved a difficult feat, as did making firearms that had reasonably predictable performance characteristics. Hall details the efforts of armorers across Europe as they experimented with a variety of gunpowder recipes and gunsmithing techniques, and he examines the integration of new weapons into the existing structure of European warfare.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Hall has long been recognized as a leading authority on early modern military technology. Scholars of the period and historians in general will find this the best treatment to date of the impact of gunpowder on Western Europe during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

― History: Reviews of New Books

Combines a good grasp of military history with an understanding of the history of technology . . . Hall manages to integrate his technical discussion into a refreshing reinterpretation of general military history in the period, and his book is an engrossing read.

― American Historical Review

The best book yet on military history in the era from the Hundred Years' War to the Thirty Years' War.

-- Frederic J. Baumgartner, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Hall's unmatched command of the sources and the science of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century military technology makes this book a must-read for any scholar interested in the subject.

-- Clifford J. Rogers, United States Military Academy

From the Publisher

"Hall has long been recognized as a leading authority on early modern military technology. Scholars of the period and historians in general will find this the best treatment to date of the impact of gunpowder on Western Europe during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries."History: Reviews of New Books

"Hall's unmatched command of the sources and the science of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century military technology makes this book a must-read for any scholar interested in the subject."Clifford J. Rogers, United States Military Academy

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0801869943
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Johns Hopkins University Press; New Ed edition (January 1, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780801869945
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0801869945
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.13 x 0.76 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,338,818 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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K. Yost

A Fascinating Overview

Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2007

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Bert Hall delves deep into the technological history of Renaissance warfare and demonstrates both how much and how little new technologies have changed the face of battle. It deftly combines both a technical understanding of how those technologies were made with Mr. Hall's detailed understanding of the military history of that period.

The work is primarily focussed on the effects of gunpowder and firearms, but begins in the pre-gunpowder era of the late middle ages. By demonstrating how wars in this period were waged, the author shows the reader just how little the first gunpowder technology changed the way wars were fought. In essence, he shows how commanders faced with the new technology tried to fit it into traditional roles previously occupied by the longbow and crossbow and how it did not immediately eclipse those weapons in such roles.

From there, the author goes on to show how the peculiar advantages and disadvantages of the increasingly sophisticated gunpowder technology came to revolutionize strategic and tactical thought.

It is a rare work that considers topics ranging from the way in which the differing "recipes" that existed for gunpowder vastly altered the explosive potential of the substance to the tactical innovations and battles of Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba. Mr. Hall handles both technological and historical matters with equal ease and effectively demonstrates how deeply the two are intertwined.

It is a tremendously engaging and enlightening work, and very well documented in its more than 800 endnotes. Perhaps surprisingly for an historical work, it was a real page-turner. When forced to set it down, I found myself counting the hours until I could get back to it. I will definitely be looking for additional books by this author.

9 people found this helpful

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Peter Deadman

A Good Study

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2013

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The first thing I would point out is that this is not a simple work. It's complex but also quite technical at times. Moreover it is focussed mostly on the gunpowder technology, weapons and tactics of western Europe. In this it achieves its goal.

If you are looking for a broad summary of 16th century warfare, tactics and mentality, this is only partially your work.

However, to explain the development of gunpowder, its effect and technical applications, this is very appropriate. The book is well written and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in the period with some background knowledge.

6 people found this helpful

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James D Cobb

Excellent combination of technology, society and tactics

Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 1998

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More than miltary buffs should read this book. Hall intertwines facets of technology and society to clarify how each can affect the other. Gunpowder did not sweep away the Middle Ages; the thought of the Middle Ages and Renaissance molded how and why gunpowder would be used. Hall makes the point that a new techology such as gunpowder does not dominate progress but is rather only an ingredient in a very complicated mix of elements.

14 people found this helpful

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hunter

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2015

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Great for papers concerning this era.

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Marco Morin

Outstanding.

Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2003

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1.000 words could be not enough to praise this book. Bert Hall produced a long needed work that will remain a foundation-stone in military technology of the black powder era.

2 people found this helpful

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E. A. Hunter

Original thinking and excellent scholarship.

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2003

It didn't take long for me to be pleasantly surprised at the high level of scholarship and clearly presented facts, the sort of writing all too often lacking from this area of history. As the author notes, many technology historians, military historians, and arms and armor writers propagate continuing myths and assumptions that can't be supported when the facts are examined closely. Here, Hall does the topic justice and it is clear he did his homework. The chapter discussing the technology of gunpowder was especially interesting, and supports his case for the reasons firearms developed as they did. I recommend a trip to the Metropolitan Museum in New York to have a look at their firearms, where many aspects of his discussion will further illuminate the items on display.

19 people found this helpful

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Arthur

fresh thinking

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 18, 2013

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I stumbled upon p. 142 in the surprise me section of the online book preview and it really impressed me. (This is the results of what happens when you bend a musket barrel slightly to the left like so many carnival stands are supposedly wont to do.) After getting the book, the rest seems to be in line with this thorough outline of medieval military history from a fresh perspective. I learned long ago that decisive battles are the result of new technologies and techniques, and this book holds to that precept, showing what was new and how it affected the battles.

2 people found this helpful

Jørgen Seit Jespersen

Many A+s

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 7, 2019

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The book is extremely good for lecturering and scientific work. I used it when I wrote a paper.

2 people found this helpful

david

ottimo libro

Reviewed in Italy on May 10, 2012

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Vorrei segnalare questo libro come uno dei pochi che affronta in maniera dettagliata e con cognizione di causa l'evoluzione delle armi da fuoco a partire dal XIV sec. Il soggetto viene trattato sotto ogni punto di vista: dall'applicazione pratica nelle più importanti battaglie, alla logistica, all'uso e alla produzione della polvere da sparo, alla sua evoluzione.

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Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe: Gunpowder, Technology, and Tactics (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology, 22) New Ed Edition

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