The Medieval Knights

The 'knight in shining armour' has become a staple figure in popular culture, and images of bloody battlefields, bustling feasting halls and courtly tournaments have been creatively interpreted many times in film and fiction. But what was the medieval knight truly like? In this fascinating title, former Senior Curator at the Royal Armouries Christopher Gravett describes how knights evolved over three centuries of English and European history, the wars they fought, their lives both in peacetime and on campaign, the weapons they fought with, the armour and clothing they wore and their fascinating code and mythology of chivalry. The text is richly illustrated with images ranging from manuscript illustrations to modern artwork reconstructions and many photographs of historic artefacts and sites.

Enter the dark and dangerous world of the medieval knight. Find out how these skilled warriors fought in bloody battles, riding on fierce warhorses trained to kick and bite their masters' enemies. See the weaponry and armor used by knights, learn how knights began their training at just 8 years old, and explore the everyday lives of these historic warriors who fought in return for castles and treasure. And for fun!

Ancient and Medieval People profiles some of the fiercest warriors in history. Learn about their lives and times, notorious battles, and daring feats! In The Medieval Knights, read about bloody battles during the Crusades. Learn about chivalry among knights, their armor, and their code of honor. Special features in the series include: In Profile looks at some of history's greatest warriors, raiders, and heroes Spotlight On key historical events Timelines of historical events Quick Facts provide fascinating facts What's In a Name? defines and explains foreign or ancient words Locator maps, labeled illustrations, and diagrams. Book jacket.

Describes the job requirements, training, physical demands, compensation, and daily life of a knight in the Middle Ages.

Throughout the book, historical events are used to illustrate a particular military topic, which is analysed in the context of the time and circumstances. The story begins with the young Edward III's revenge for Bannockburn.

Superbly illustrated history of medieval warfare including the origins of knighthood, the rise of the knight, Charlemagne's knights, castles, chivalry, the crusades, brotherhoods of knights, tournaments and jousts, legendary leaders, celebrated wars, and the end of knighthood.

Various aspects of knighthood -- from armor & jousting to castle life & the Crusades -- are presented in this richly illustrated book. Step inside the world of the medieval knight--into his castle as he prepares for a feast in the Great Hall, as he enters into battle and as he mounts his horse preparing for the joust. In The World of the Medieval Knight stunning cutaway views, brilliant panoramas and step-by-step sequences are all created by the illustrator Brett Breckon. His unique "exploded views" reveal in lavish detail the intricate way the knight's armor was built. In The World of the Medieval Knight stunning cutaway views, brilliant panoramas and step-by-step sequences are all created by the illustrator Brett Breckon. His unique "exploded views" reveal in lavish detail the intricate way the knight's armor was built. Discover how a page learned how to become a knight, how a knight's horse was armed, how a castle was attacked and defended, how heavy the knight's armor really was and what happened to the role of the knight.--

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.