The Age Of Chivalry

The Resplendent image of the medieval knight is concentrated in the symbolism of his sword. The straight, two-edged, cross-hilted knightly sword of the European middle ages was an object of vital importance, a lethal weapon on the battlefield and a badge of chivalry in that complex social code. Ewart Oakeshott draws on his extensive research and expert eye (and hand, for he has a special sense for the feel of a sword) to develop a typology for and recount the history of the sword, from the knightly successors of the Viking weapon to the emergence of the Renaissance sword - that is, roughly from 1050 to 1550. Within this time-span, two distinct groups of swords successively evolved. Problems of dating are acute, and evidence is adduced from literature and art as well as from archaeology, for a sword (or some parts of a sword) could have been in use several generations after it first saw battle. To deal with such overlap, Ewart Oakeshott develops, refines and illustrates a detailed typology of swords which takes in entire swords, pommel-forms, cross-guards, and the grip and scabbard.

The third volume of Alison Weir's magisterial history of the queens of medieval England. 'Weir's history books are as gripping as novels' The Times Medieval queens were seen as mere dynastic trophies - yet, as Alison Weir shows in this group biography, many of the Plantagenet queens of the High Middle Ages dramatically broke away from the restrictions imposed on their sex. Using personal letters and fascinating sources, Weir evokes the lives of these five extraordinary women- Marguerite of France, Isabella of France, Philippa of Hainault, Anne of Bohemia and Isabella of Valois. At the same time, she recreates a truly astonishing period of history - the turbulent, brutal Age of Chivalry. 'Places the reader in the midst of...complex, gripping events, telling the stories of five royal wives who lived through them' BBC History 'Weir is an excellent storyteller' Spectator

YA. Biographical info. about the era's historic figures such as Charlemagne, Thomas Becket and Abelard and Heloise. 11 yrs+

'The Age of Chivalry', now commonly referred to as 'Bulfinch's Mythology', is a collection of myths by American Latinist and banker Thomas Bulfinch. The work is a highly successful popularization of Greek mythology for English-speaking readers, recounting myths and stories from three eras: Greek and Roman mythology, King Arthur legends, and medieval romances in prose. Bulfinch interspersed the stories with his own commentary and quotations from writings by his contemporaries that refer to the story under discussion. This combination of classical elements and modern literature was novel for his time.

Mount your trusty steed and prepare for a thrilling journey. 'Knightworld' is a lavish album of discovery in which the battles, legends and heroic deeds of these gallant horsemen are brought to sword-swinging life.

The five hundred years that separate the mid-tenth century from the mid-15th century constitute a critical and formative period in the history of Europe. This was the age of the system of legal and military obligation known as 'feudalism', and of the birth and consolidation of powerful kingdoms in England, France and Spain; it was an era of urbanization and the expansion of trade, of the building of the great Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals, of courtly romance and the art of the troubadour, and of the founding of celebrated seats of learning in Paris, Oxford and Bologna. But it was also an epoch characterised by brutal military adventure in the launching of armed pilgrimages to liberate Jerusalem from Muslim control, of the brutal dynastic conflict of the Hundred Years' War and of the devastating pandemic of the Black Death. In a sequence of scholarly but accessible articles - accompanied by an array of beautiful and authentic images of the era, plus timelines, maps, boxed features and display quotes - distinguished historian Hywel Williams sheds revelatory light on every aspect of a rich and complex period of European history.

On the great influence of a valiant lord: "The companions, who see that good warriors are honored by the great lords for their prowess, become more determined to attain this level of prowess." On the lady who sees her knight honored: "All of this makes the noble lady rejoice greatly within herself at the fact that she has set her mind and heart on loving and helping to make such a good knight or good man-at-arms." On the worthiest amusements: "The best pastime of all is to be often in good company, far from unworthy men and from unworthy activities from which no good can come." Enter the real world of knights and their code of ethics and behavior. Read how an aspiring knight of the fourteenth century would conduct himself and learn what he would have needed to know when traveling, fighting, appearing in court, and engaging fellow knights. Composed at the height of the Hundred Years War by Geoffroi de Charny, one of the most respected knights of his age, A Knight's Own Book of Chivalry was designed as a guide for members of the Company of the Star, an order created by Jean II of France in 1352 to rival the English Order of the Garter. This is the most authentic and complete manual on the day-to-day life of the knight that has survived the centuries, and this edition contains a specially commissioned introduction from historian Richard W. Kaeuper that gives the history of both the book and its author, who, among his other achievements, was the original owner of the Shroud of Turin.

The Middle Ages, with its crude reality and mystery, often enveloped in an air of religious and occasionally even mythical or fantastic mysticism, has always been one of the preferred themes of historians and history lovers in general. Since the end of the Roman Empire, with its manipulative tactics in which the infantry was the deciding factor in battles, the cavalry became the main player on the battlefields all over Europe, replacing other forms of weaponry and becoming important though not yet decisive factors in battle. It could be said that an army with a good cavalry had the advantage in battle. With the appearance of feudalism, in many cases, the knights became real warlords, with the corresponding legal and military obligations towards the lords they served, carrying out acts of war that would soon open up the doors of history to them, through the bards who narrated their achievements, lifting them up to the status of legendary figures, full of elements fruit of the imagination of narrators of the era, some of which have survived to our times. But these men's reality was far removed from this fantasy and numerous studies have been published on the topic revealing how their way of life and social condition determined their behavior during war and peace, their weaponry, status, etc. This book takes an extensive look at these and many other topics, distinguishing well between the scenes in which the most important battles of the Middle Ages took place and their players, because although they are enveloped in the same epoch, the reality was very different for, say a Teutonic knight than for a Spanish knight and so on. Furthermore, the book deals with all themes related to these historical characters, such as tournaments, equipment and saddle trappings, weaponry, different types of combat, siege machines and a long list of other items, until the first firearms appeared marking the end of the era.