The Winning Of The Golden Spurs

Though most of his action-adventure tales were set against the backdrop of World War I, in The Winning of the Golden Spurs, author Percy F. Westerman takes readers back in time for a rip-roaring romp set in the Middle Ages. Fans of historical fiction will love this fast-moving tale of a skilled archer's exploits.

IT was early morning on the 5th day of August, 1303, the Royal City of Winchester. The sun had not yet risen, but a cold grey light filtered in through a narrow window and dimly illumined a small, scantily-furnished room overlooking the city walls. Seated on a rough wooden stool, his face buried in his hands, was a young fellow of about twenty years of age. His body swayed with uncontrollable grief, and, though dry-eyed, deep sobs of mingled remorse and despair showed the anguish that rent his body and distracted his mind. In a corner of the room a torch, burnt low in its iron socket, threw a yellow light that was fast being overmastered by the growing dawn, yet the glimmer was sufficient to play upon the naked blade of a sword, the steel of which was discoloured towards its point by a dull, rust-coloured stain. Suddenly the sound of a heavy footstep was heard on the stairs. The youth started to his feet and gazed wildly around, as if seeking a place of concealment or some means of escape. He was tall, well formed, and, in spite of his haggard looks, comely of face, and his clothes, though rent and covered with chalk and dust, showed that he was of no mean position.

Flemish townspeople defeat the cream of French nobility, and explode the myth of knightly invincibility for ever. Discussion of bias in sources and difficulties of interpretation preface careful account of what actually happened during the three-hour battle. On 11 July 1302, below the town walls of Courtrai, the most splendid army of knights in Christendom, the flower of the French nobility, was utterly defeated by Flemish rebels, common workers and peasants. The French knights, products of a lifetime's training, were ably led; but so too were the Courtrai townspeople, in addition to being well-armed, and their victory, despite their lack of military skills (and golden spurs), put an end to the enduring myth of the invincibility of the knight. A French explanation of the terrible defeat was immediately given, intended to save the honour and pride of the French nobility; in Flanders the victory was glorified as a just reward for the bravery of the townsmen and the competence of their commanders. Unfortunately there were no impartial witnesses. Any account of the battle must therefore pay careful attention to the personalities of the chroniclers, their nationality, and their political and social leanings, as well as their personal sympathies. Verbruggen's study is prefaced by discussion of the problems of reconstruction and extensive consideration of the sources, showing the difficultiesfaced by medieval military historians in attempts to interpret them. He then offers his own account of the events of that dramatic day, a case study in the reconstruction of events in one of the greatest battles of the middle ages.J.F. VERBRUGGEN lectured at the Royal Military School in Brussels, and then taught in Africa, retiring as Professor of History, University of Congo, and University of Bujumbura (Burundi). He is also the author of The Art ofWarfare in Western Europe. Originally published in Dutch in 1954, translated and updated.

The Franco-Flemish region of medieval Flanders was a locus of important trade routes in the 13th and 14th centuries. Located in a prime position between the Holy Roman Empire and the North Sea (present-day northern Belgium), the urban centers of the region were surpassed in population only by the city-states of central and northern Italy. This positioning afforded the Flemish citizens of the region great prosperity and they formed guilds to protect their rights, regulate their working hours and standardize their wages. These guilds produced a cohesive unit of people eager to retain the rights they had gained. In 1302, French cavalry faced the determined Flemish soldiers on foot at Kortrijk (Courtrai). This book analyzes the battle that ensued, its origins, consequences and legacy. It also examines the everyday lives of the inhabitants of Flanders; urban dwellers, knights, nobles, women and others. This is the first major English-language study of the historic 14th century battle between the French and the Flemish, a conflict whose repercussions linger in modern Belgium. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

From out of the west comes THE GOLDEN SPURS--the best Western short stories selected by the Western Writers of America. From the Indians before the coming of the white man, from the deadly shootouts to steadfast wagon trains, from women in horrifying Indian captivity to life and death battles between cattlemen and sheepmen, this is the Western short story at its very best. Included are the most popular, most read, and most loved of Western writers: James Bellah, author of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Dorothy M. Johnson, author of A Man Called Horse and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, and Will Henry, the most detailed and authentic Western writer of them all. The Gholden Spurs is a prize for anyone who loves the west as it used to be. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Book One of the Golden Spurs series. From the cradle, Lizzy Kemble had the powerful sense that she didn't belong in her family's notorious Texas empire. Her desire for land-grabbing Cole Knight, embittered son of the neighboring rancher, proved her right. Her daddy had done everything possible to turn her into a proper Kemble—all the way to leaving his vast Golden Spurs Ranch in her hands after he fell victim to a stroke. But when her father's death turns out to be murder, Lizzy knows someone is willing to kill to claim the Kemble wealth…and she's next on the hit list. With the Golden Spurs at risk, she';s fighting back…but who is the enemy? The enigmatic Cole? Her cutthroat family? Caught in a high-stakes game of win, lose or die, Lizzy is forced to gamble her ranch, her heart, her very life for the truth behind the Golden Spurs. Previously Published.