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Out of the Woodwork Productions
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http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/renaissanceinfo.htm An outstanding site with all sorts of valuable information on the Renaissance era. Includes good essays on the military history of the time.
Baumgartner, Frederic J. France in the Sixteenth Century. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1995. ISBN: 0-312-09965-7 (cloth); 0-312-15856-4 (pbk). This volume presents in a very systematic manner the history of France from 1484 to 1614. This history is divided into three parts-1484 to 1530, 1530 to 1562, and 1562 to 1614. The framework for the examination of each part is a series of six chapters on The Monarchy, The Church, The Nobility, The People, Justice, and Culture and Thought. This is an excellent book. It is well written, well organized, and the chapters are very informative. It is not a book about the prominent personalities of France of the era. What it does provide is a coherent and comprehensive picture of France of this era that I have not seen elsewhere. The analysis of various aspects of French politics and society in this period is particularly good-in my own area of expertise, I was quite interested in the analysis of the essentially conservative nature of the French military of the time and the problems this caused. I recommend this volume. In a relatively small book (314 pages of text), one is provided a very comprehensive picture of the France of the 16th century.
Bush, M. L. Renaissance, Reformation, and the Outer World, 1450-1660. New York: Harper Colophon Books, 1969 (first published 1967). This is a good solid survey of the history of Europe in the period 1450-1660, with emphasis on western Europe. There are some particularly good sections on the religious issues of the time and political developments in Poland and Hungary. For different points of view and emphasis, also read Elliot, J.H. Europe Divided, 1559-1598, and Smith, Lacey Baldwin. The Elizabethan World.
Elliot, J.H. Europe Divided, 1559-1598. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers Inc., 2000 (first published 1968). ISBN: 0-631-21779-7 (hbk), 0-631-21780-0 (pbk). This volume is a clear, coherent and well written volume that summarizes competently the history of Europe in this era. One of its strengths is its treatment of Eastern Europe. I recommend this book highly as a general survey of the history of the period. As a supplement to it, and for a somewhat different point of view, those wanting a broad historical survey of the era ought to consider reading as well Lacey Balwin Smith's The Elizabethan World as well as M. L. Bush's Renaissance, Reformation, and the Outer World, 1450-1660 (see reviews this section).
Elliot, J.H., Imperial Spain , 1469-1716. New York: New American Library, Inc., 1966 (first published 1963). An outstanding analytical history of Spain during its rise to glory and steady decline from the 15th to the 18th centuries. For military historians, I particularly recommend reading this one in conjunction with Jan Glete's War and the State in Early Modern Europe for useful insights as to some of the reasons for the decline of Spain as a successful fiscal-military state in the 17th century. A really good and well written book.
Imber, Colin. The Ottoman Empire, 1300-1650: The Structure of Power. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. 405 pages. This work is a valuable contribution to the small number of general histories of the Ottoman Empire. The author provides a political history of the empire that emphasizes political and particularly military organization. The author perceives the need for a general synthesis of Ottoman history because it is necessary to understand contemporary problems in areas of the world that were ruled by the empire. Therefore he provides a context for the nonspecialist to approach more specialized works of Ottoman history. He begins with a long chapter, which chronologically summarizes Ottoman history until 1650. This is followed by seven chapters of varying lengths on the dynasty, recruitment, palace, provinces, law, army, and fleet. Imber concludes that the empire was a dynastic state, in which power was maintained by ties between the ruler and his subordinates, especially the elite of the empire. In many ways this is a traditional history of the empire, with its emphasis on the military might of the empire and its focus on the institutions through which the Sultan projected his power. In summary, this is an excellent text for the study of Ottoman political and institutional history. Information taken from a review by Christine Isom-Verhaaren in The Historian, Vol. 68, No. 2 (Summer 2006), pp. 329-330. Also reviewed in History: Reviews of New Books, Vol. 31, No. 3 (Spring 2003), pp. 120.
Kinross, Lord John P. D. B. The Ottoman Centuries: The Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire. New York: Morrow Quill Paperbacks, 1977. ISBN: 0-688-03093-9 (pbk). If one is to understand the history of Europe from the late 13th until the early 20th centuries (1288 to 1920), one must know something about the Ottoman Empire. In the 16th century, it was at the height of its power and influence and played a major role in the unfolding of events in Europe. Lord Kinross in this volume has made a major contribution to the understanding of the Ottoman Empire throughout its long history. The emphasis is on the political history of the Empire and is centered around the lives of the Sultans.
Lynch, John. Spain, 1516-1598: From Nation State to World Empire. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1994 (this edition first published 1991; there are other editions going back to 1964). ISBN: 0-361-17696-9; 0-631-19398-7. Spain was a major player in the history of 16th century Europe; her story is an important part of the historical tapestry of that century. Unfortunately, Americans are generally exposed to that history through a biased Anglophile perspective-hardly objective, given the relationship between the two countries after about 1565. Lynch's history is an excellent corrective to that point of view. I have seen few political histories which come up to the high standards of this work. The style is good, the organization is excellent, and the story is well-crafted and told objectively. It is not an apologia for Spain-the author does not have an axe to grind here. It is a balanced and clear exposition of the history of Spain in the 16th century and, as well, provides excellent biographical insights into the lives of Ferdinand and Isabella, Charles V, and particularly Phillip II.
MacCaffrey, Wallace T. Elizabeth I: War and Politics, 1588-1603. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1992. ISBN: 0-691-03188-1 (hbk); 0-691-03651-9 (pbk). This is the third in a series of three volumes that deal with the high politics of the Elizabethan era. The primary subject of this volume is war, but it is not a military history. Most particularly, it deals with the political aspects of the military campaigns waged by England in the Low Countries, France, Ireland, and against Spain. The analysis of how war policy was made is excellent, as are the details on the campaigns. . The retrospective at the end of the volume on the reign of Elizabeth is very good and has some excellent insights into her personality. It is very thorough, competently written, and provides useful insights from the English perspective on the wars of this period. There is a review in American Historical Review, Vol. 98, No. 4 (Oct. 1993), pp. 1244-1245, as well as in English Historical Review, Vol. 110, No. 438 (September 1995), pp. 996-997.
Parker, Geoffrey. The Grand Strategy of Phillip II. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1998. ISBN 0 300 07540 5. For some excellent insights on Spain and Philip II in the latter half of the 16th century, you cannot do much better than this book. After reading it, you will have a much better understanding of Philip II, both as a political figure and a man, and the immense complexities he faced in ruling an enormous and far-flung empire. It is a useful counter to the heavily Anglo-centric information on Philip II and 16th century Spain to which the majority of English speakers interested in this era are exposed. There is a solid review in THE JOURNAL OF MILITARY HISTORY, Volume 65, No. 1 (January 2001), pp. 177-178. To quote from it, "This is an exceptionally thoughtful, gracefully written book. Based on the documents generated by Philip II and his ministers and ambassadorial reports, it is exceedingly well researched...its conceptual and analytical framework, using modern-day examples of strategy [sic; strategic] planning as analogies, give this book a freshness and vitality, even as it confirms so many traditional views about Philip II and the ethos of the last half of the sixteenth century". This is not for the casual reader, but it is a good book to read if you are really interested in the subject. It is also reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 105, No. 1 (February 2000), pp. 289-290
Smith, Lacey Baldwin. The Elizabethan World. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1991 (originally published 1966). ISBN: 0-395-59771-4 (pbk). This is an excellent brief survey of the Elizabethan era and, particularly, the roots of Elizabethan England. It not only looks at Elizabethan England but also the other major European powers during the latter part of the 16th century. This book's particular strength is its description of the 16th century as a period of transition between the Middle Ages and the early modern world. The book is well written, with only slight use of "purple prose" from time to time, and is well organized and lucid. If you only have time to read one book to introduce you to Western Europe in the 16th century, this is it.
http://www.jasinski.co.uk/wojna/index.htm
An interesting site on Polish Renaissance Warfare, 1450-1699
http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_hussars.html
http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/HowHussarFought.htm
A couple of sites about the winged Hussars of Poland.
http://www.landsknechts.org/index.html
http://www.st-max.org/files/Flint_10-99.pdf
Information on Landsknechts
Black, Jeremy, "Civilians in Warfare, 1500-1789", History Today, Vol. 56 (5) (May 2006), pp. 10-17. An interesting and informative article about the plight of the civilian in early modern warfare.
Kingra, Mahinder S. "The Trace Italienne and the Military Revolution During the Eighty Years' War, 1567-1648", The Journal of Military History, July 1993 (Vol. 57, No. 3), pp. 431-446. This article initially discusses the issue of the "Military Revolution" in the 16th century as set out by Michael Roberts and Geoffrey Parker, and then examines the issue of the relationship between the existence of bastioned fortresses and increases in military manpower, basing the analysis on a case study of the Eighty Years War-the Dutch War of Independence. Well done and competently expostulated.
Kleinschmidt, Harald. "Using the Gun: Manual Drill and the Proliferation of Portable Firearms", The Journal of Military History, July 1999 (Vol. 63, No. 3), pp. 601-629. An interesting article on the development of manual drill techniques in the 16th, 17th, and 18th century and its relationship with the adoption of portable firearms. An enlightening and informative article.
Kubik, Timothy R. W. "Is Machiavelli's Canon Spiked? Practical Reading in Military History", The Journal of Military History, January 1997 (Vol. 61, No. 1), pp. 7-30. An interesting and thought-provoking article on the nature and validity of the military works of Niccolo Machiavelli.
Manning, Roger B. "Prince Maurice's School of War: British Swordsmen and the Dutch", War and Society, Vol. 25, No. 1 (May 2006), pp. 1-19. This article discusses the nature and development of the Dutch army in the late 16th and early 17th century and how it provided a major influential training venue for English and Scottish soldiers in this era.
Millar, Gilbert John. "The Landsknecht: His Recruitment and Organization, With Some Reference to the Reign of Henry VIII". Military Affairs, October 1971 (Vol. 35, No. 3), pp. 95-99. A short but to-the-point essay on the mechanics of the recruitment and operation of the Landsknechts.
Neill, Donald A. "Ancestral Voices: The Influence of the Ancients on the Military Thought of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries", The Journal of Military History, July 1998 (Vol. 62, No. 3), pp. 487-520. An interesting article about the influence of writers of antiquity on the evolution of military thought in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Beyond the basic thrust of the article, which examines the influence of the ancients on 17th and 18th century French military authorities, as part of the essay, there are some rather interesting insights on military developments in the 16th century.
Potter, David, "The duc de Guise and the Fall of Calais, 1557-1558", English Historical Review, Vol. 98, No. 388 (July 1983), pp. 481-512. A good account of the fall of Calais to the French and the consolidation of the conquest, from the French point of view.
Parker, Geoffrey, "The Limits to Revolutions in Military Affairs: Maurice of Nassau, the Battle of Nieuwpoort (1600), and the Legacy". The Journal of Military History, Vol. 71, No. 2 (April 2007), pp. 331-372. "Revolutions in Military Affairs" (RMA's) currently interest both historians and strategic analysts, but how exactly do they occur, why do they prove so decisive, and what (if any) are their limits? This essay seeks answers through the detailed study of one critical element of an earlier "Revolution in Military Affairs"-infantry volley fire-tracing its invention, first in Japan in the 1560's and then in the Dutch Republic in the 1590's, and its first use in combat at the battle of Nieuwpoort in 1600 by a Dutch army commanded by Maurice of Nassau. It then examines the current RMA in the light of that case study.
Parrott, David, "The Utility of Fortifications in Early Modern Europe: Italian Princes and Their Citadels, 1540-1640". War In History, Vol. 7, No. 2 (April 2000), pp. 127-153. A solid article on the utility of sophisticated fortifications in early modern Europe. One of the major points made is that these new "impregnable" fortresses could succeed in their defensive purpose only in conjunction with field armies able to relieve the garrison placed under siege. This essential lesson was ignored by rulers of second- and third-rank states, who constructed fortifications to project both military effectiveness and dynastic status but without incurring the huge and unsustainable additional costs of maintaining an effective field army.
Paul, Michael C., "The Military Revolution in Russia, 1550-1682", The Journal of Military History, January 2004 (Vol. 68, No. 1), pp. 9-45. In this period, the Russian armed forces underwent changes in tactics and organization that were truly revolutionary in their impact on Russian society and helped make Russia a significant power in Northern and Eastern Europe. This article provides a good overview of how this happened.
Potter, David, "The International Mercenary Market in the Sixteenth Century: Anglo-French Competition in Germany, 1543-1550", English Historical Review, Vol. 111, No. 440 (February 1996), pp. 24-58. This article discusses the problems of hiring mercenaries in mid-16th century Western Europe, with emphasis on the English and French hiring of mercenaries. The point is made that in 1543 the French had a considerable advantage over the English in this area, as they had been hiring mercenaries for their wars pretty consistently throughout the century, while the English had not. A good article.
Phillips, Gervase, "'Of Nimble Service': Technology, Equestrianism and the Cavalry Arm of Early Modern Western European Armies", War and Society, Vol. 20, No. 2 (October 2002), pp. 1-21. This article provides an excellent survey of the evolution of cavalry in the early modern period. The author contends that it was not firearms nor the humbling of the knight that transformed cavalry; it was the horse itself and the manner in which it was ridden. Horse breeding and equestrianism are, in the author's opinion, the keys to understanding the development of the mounted arm in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Vogt, John. "Saint Barbara's Legion: Portuguese Artillery in the Struggle for Morocco, 1415-1578. Military Affairs, December 1977 (Vol. 41, No. 4), pp. 176-182. An interesting and informative article on Portuguese use of artillery in the early modern struggle for Morocco.
Adams, Nicholas, and Pepper, Simon. Firearms and Fortifications: Military Architecture and Siege Warfare in Sixteenth-Century Sienna. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1986. The authors recount the ultimately unsuccessful efforts made by the Republic of Siena to defend its independence during the mid-sixteenth century, climaxing with the siege of Siena 1554-55. This carefully researched and documented book describes the construction, attack, and defense of fortifications that ringed the city of Siena and protected other towns in the Republic's territory. This thorough and well illustrated volume is excellent and ought to be read by historians of early modern warfare. Information taken from a review by John Lynn in The Journal of Military History, April 1989 (Vol. 53, No. 2), pp. 191-192. The same review is in Military Affairs, April 1987 (Vol. 51, No. 2), pp. 103. Also reviewed in American Historical Review, February 1989 (Vol. 94, #1), pp. 176-177.
Agoston, Gabor. Guns for the Sultan: Military Power and the Weapons Industry in the Ottoman Empire. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN: 0-52184313-8. This book is a much-needed addition to English language works dealing with Ottoman military affairs. Based on sound archival and other primary sources, it looks at the employment, manufacture, and cost of Turkish gunpowder weapons in the 1400's to 1700's. From the castle smashing kale-kob down to the infantryman's tufenk (musket), the author starts with a history of Ottoman gunpowder technology and how it was employed on the battlefield and in siege warfare. He gives equal time to analyses of weapons manufacture, the artisans who did the work, and how it all was financed. Guns for the Sultan is a good book. It contains extensive notes with frequent references to contrary points of view. Information taken from a review in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 70, No. 1 (January 2006), pp. 218-219.
Anglo, Sydney. The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe. New Haven/London: Yale University Press, 2000. Sydney Anglo's The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe is that comparatively rare thing, a very scholarly book which is also highly entertaining to read. In the case of the martial arts, which here encompasses both armed and unarmed combat, there is a huge body of literature. There are in addition many other sources including chronicles, literature, and eye-witness reports, together with a wide variety of works of art and the surviving weapons themselves. Anglo has looked at, read, digested and analyzed all this material and he is probably the first person to have done so in such a comprehensive practice of all the different forms of combat, based upon all the evidence. This will be the standard work for many years to come. Highly recommended. Information taken from a review by Alan Borg in English Historical Review, Vol. 116, No. 465 (February 2001), pp. 206-207.
Arfaioli, Maurizio. The Black Bands of Giovanni: Infantry and Diplomacy During the Italian Wars (1526-1528). Pisa, Italy: Pisa University Press, 2005. ISBN: 88-8492-231-3. The Black Bands of Giovanni offers a fascinating exploration of Renaissance political and military history. Instead of focusing on the infamous condottiere and military adventurer Giovanni de' Medici, the author provides an in-depth analysis of his Black Bands-the infantry units whose mourning clothes eventually made their former commander renowned in historiography as 'Giovanni delle Bande Nere'. The book traces the history of the Black Bands' service in the armies of the League of Cognac, a French-led alliance that opposed Emperor Charles V's growing influence in Italy from 1526 to 1528. Throughout this narrative, the author uses the Black Bands' contradictory roles in Florentine defense and in League offensive operations to reveal the complexities of war in Renaissance Italy. One of the real strengths of this work is its contribution of bringing a Florentine perspective into the study of early modern military history. A good book. Information taken from a review by Brian Sandberg in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 70, No. 2 (April 2006), pp. 492-493.
Arnold, Thomas. The Renaissance at War. London: Cassell & Co, 2001 ISBN 0 304 35270 5. A lushly illustrated and very informative brief overview of warfare in Europe, late 1400's through the end of the 16th century. A coffee table type book. Has some quite good insights, and excellent illustrations, but is kind of hit-and-miss. Interesting and valuable, but doesn't quite totally satisfy those familiar with the subject matter.
Bak, Janos, and Kiraly, Bela K., editors. From Hunyadi to Rakoczi: War and Society in Late Medieval and Early Modern Hungary. (East European Monographs, number 104; War and Society in Eastern Europe, number 3; Brooklyn College Studies on Society in Change, number 12). Brooklyn: Brooklyn College Press; distributed by Columbia University Press, New York, 1982. 545 pages. List of essays in this volume in American Historical Review, Vol. 88, No. 4 (October 1983), pp. 1123.
Black, Jeremy. A Military Revolution? Military Change and European Society, 1550-1800. Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanities Press International, 1991. Jeremy Black disagrees with Michael Roberts and his disciples on the nature of the "Military Revolution" and puts forth some provocative ideas of his own in this short but important book. This book raises more questions than it answers about the nature of early modern European warfare. At just over 100 pages, this well-written book lacks the breadth of coverage and depth of analysis needed to effectively challenge on its own the Michael Roberts-Geoffrey Parker thesis. And the author is aware of these shortcomings. What he provides, then, is a new angle for reexamining the military history of early modern Europe, both western and eastern. Information taken from a review by J. Michael Hill in The Journal of Military History, January 1992, (Vol. 56, No. 1), pp. 126-127.
Black, Jeremy, ed. European Warfare, 1453-1815. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999. ISBN: 0-312-22118-5. This is a volume of collected essays dealing with European warfare from 1453 to 1815. These essays combine two concepts: that military organizations resemble and reflect the societies that create them, and that military organizations not only by their very existence but also by their effectiveness in battle act as engines of social and political change. The coverage is extensive, covering not only Western European states but also sections on the Ottoman Empire, Russia, the Baltic, and Celtic warfare as well as a survey of naval developments. The book, combining in a single volume a sweeping view of European developments, is a significant contribution to the study of military history. Information taken from a review by Steven Ross in The Journal of Military History, January 2000 (Vol. 64, No. 1), pp. 186-187. Review in American Historical Review, Vol. 101, No. 2 (April, 1996), pp. 473-474.
Black, Jeremy. Cambridge Illustrated Atlas of Warfare: Renaissance to Revolution, 1492-1792. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996. ISBN: 0-521-47033-1. This volume contains over 90 maps of campaign trajectories and battle diagrams that are clear, uncluttered, and related to the immediate discussion. It also has a good synthesis of early modern warfare from a global perspective. The author has done more than summarize a series of campaigns. He has crafted an essay on the disparate, yet competitive, styles of early modern warfare. The narrative is divided into two chronological periods: 1490-1680 and 1680-1792. While having some limitations, the volume is nevertheless a solid piece of work. Information taken from a review by Brett D. Steele in The Journal of Military History, January 1997 (Vol. 61, No. 1), pp. 151-152.
Bovill, E.W. The Battle of Aleazar. London: Batchworth Press, 1952. Portuguese defeat of August 4, 1578, described in detail. Information from Military Affairs, Vol. 16, No. 3 (Fall 1952), page 148. Also cited as The Battle of Alcazar. New York: British Book Centre, 1953, in Military Affairs, Vol. 17, No. 3 (Fall 1953), page 152.
Bracewell, Catherine Wendy. The Usoks of Senj: Piracy, Banditry, and Holy War in the Sixteenth Century Adriatic. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1992. The Usoks were a group of semi-independent people, Christian, of Serbo-Croation ethnic descent who lived in Senj, a city on the Dalmatian Coast about 40 miles SE of modern Fiume. During the late 15th, 16th, and early 17th century, the Usoks engaged as their primary means of support in what was in effect banditry and piracy against, preferably, non-Christians and subjects of the Ottoman Empire, but also against others when financial necessity demanded it. This is a solidly done work on a complex and relatively little known, but important, community which helped to engender much friction between the Ottoman Empire, Venice, and the Hapsburgs. Information taken from a review by Thomas M. Barker in The Journal of Military History, January 1993 (Vol. 57, No. 1), pp. 139-140. Also reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 98, No. 3 (June 1993), pp. 903-904.
Bradford, Ernle. The Great Siege: Malta, 1565. Hertforshire, UK: Wordsworth Editions, 1999 (first published 1961). ISBN 1 84022 206 9. A good and very straightforward history of what was probably the greatest siege of the 16th century.
Blickle, Peter; trans. by Thomas A. Brady, Jr., and H. C. Erick Midelfort. The Revolution of 1525. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1981. This book is the first full length study of the Peasants' War to appear in English for many decades. This translation of Blickle's work is quite useful, for not only does it make one of the most provocative and stimulating of the late 20th century's German studies available to English readers, but it also provides a bibliography of materials on the Peasants' War in English. The editors have included a concise account of the war and its historiography and they elucidate the specialist terms employed by Blickle. This text is not a narrative, and it is densely and complexly written, in exposition of Blickle's central thesis that the events of 1525 mark a new departure from the tradition of peasant revolts stretching back through the fifteenth century because they are marked by an appeal to "godly" law as a principle which justifies revolt. This, he argues, was revolutionary; radical because where previous revolts had appealed to traditional law and were in essence conservative, the principle of divine justice enabled peasants to progress beyond calls for a simple restitution of past relationships. The volume is well structured and the points well made. For anyone interested in the Reformation, early modern European society, or agrarian history, this book is essential reading. Information taken from a review by Lyndal Roper in History Today, Vol. 33, June 1983, pp. 54-55. There is also a review in English Historical Review, Vol. 102, No. 402 (January 1987), pp. 199-200, and one in American Historical Review, Vol. 87, No. 5 (December 1982), pp. 1405-1407.
Brockman, Eric. The Two Sieges of Rhodes, 1480-1522. London: John Murray, 1969. A very informative and well-written history of the two sieges of Rhodes in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The usefulness of this work is enhanced by a detailed index, well-chosen illustrations, excellent maps, and an adequate, albeit not exhaustive, bibliography. Recommended. Information taken from a review by John Beeler in Military Affairs, February 1972 (Vol. 37, No. 1), pp. 27.
Chambers, David; Clough, Cecil; and Mallett, Michael, eds. War, Culture, and Society in Renaissance Venice. Essays in Honour of John Hale. London/Rio Grande: Hambledon Press, 1993. This volume includes a variety of essays on Renaissance Venice, to include literature, diplomatic history, general architecture, language, and historiography. The review in the June 1996 English Historical Review spells out in detail the nature of the essays. However, the emphasis in the volume is the topics of war and fortification, areas in which Hale can be seen at his best as an architectural historian. Information taken from a review by Peter Laven in English Historical Review, Vol. 111, No. 442 (June 1996), pp. 698-699.
Cook, Weston F., Jr. The Hundred Years War for Morocco: Gunpowder and the Military Revolution in the Early Modern Muslim World. Boulder, CO: Westview, 1994. With the "Military Revolution" debate in full swing, this book makes an important contribution to the discussion of this explanatory schema, while also providing a detailed analysis of the remarkable developments in sixteenth-century Morocco. This region that was prey to European and Ottoman penetration, as well as chaotic internal strife, saw the rise of a unified and independent state which ended the "Hundred Years War" and deterred foreign aggression so successfully that Morocco escaped a major battle with a European army until the middle of the nineteenth century. Critical to the success of this state was its effective use of gunpowder weaponry. One of the prime aims of the study is to place developments in Morocco in the wider context of early modern European history, but the author does not lean too heavily on any one theory, framework, or paradigm and notes when various conceptual models do or do not fit the Moroccan situation. This is a well done book. This study illustrates that an approach to military history which emphasizes the contingent nature of military innovations better reflects the empirical evidence than a teleological or deterministic approach. Information taken from a review by Paul E. Chevedden in The Journal of Military History, July 1996 (Vol. 60, No. 3), pp. 546-547. Also reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 100, No. 5 (Dec., 1995), pp. 1640.
Corvisier, Andre. Armies and Societies in Europe, 1494-1789. Translated by Abigail T. Siddall. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1979. The thesis of this masterly book is that the "military mentality" was more pervasive in early modern Europe than many twentieth century historians have assumed. He examines militarization under three headings: the army's relations to the nation, the army as an arm of an increasingly centralized state, and the army as a society with its own system of recruiting, promotion, ethics, and so forth. Much of the author's previous work was based on his statistical examination of existing military records. In this one he uses his mastery of those records to examine the army's changing place in a changing society. At the time (1980) the book has already been recognized in France as a modern military-historical classic. There is hardly a topic upon which it does not have something interesting to say. The author's sections on the growth of military administration and military nobility in the service of the state are particularly interesting because of his comparative approach. This is a splendid, well translated work. Information taken from a review by Theodore Ropp in American Historical Review, Vol. 85, No. 4 (October 1980), pp. 876.
Downing, Brian M. The Military Revolution and Political Change: Origins of Democracy and Autocracy in Early Modern Europe. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992. Downing's book is a persuasive attempt to redefine the debate on early modern European state formation by associating elements treated up to now (1993) mainly in isolation: bureaucratic and fiscal changes, mapped by historians of institutions; and developments in warfare that we call "the military revolution". Based on an impressive array of secondary works, this is a study packed with illuminating insights. It is easy to follow, thanks to Downing's uncluttered prose. Downing suggests that the impetus for political change did not come from internal class dynamics and agrarian development but from external pressures generated by dog-eat-dog competition within the European state system. One may disagree at times with Downing's conclusions, but this is an important work of comparative history whose arguments command serious attention. Information taken from a review by Geoffrey Symcox in American Historical Review, Vol. 98, No. 3 (June 1993), pp. 857-858. Also reviewed in English Historical Review, Vol. 110, No. 437 (June 1995), pp. 724-725. See below Glete, Jan. War and the State in Early Modern Europe: Spain, the Dutch Republic and Sweden as Fiscal-Military States, 1500-1660 (New York: Routledge, 2002) for a later book which would seem to follow on similar lines.
Duffy, Christopher. Siege Warfare: The Fortress in the Early Modern World, 1494-1660. New York: Routledge, 1996 ISBN 0-415-14649-6. There is an earlier edition of this book published in 1979. This is a brief but amazingly thorough survey of siege warfare throughout the world in the period 1494-1660. Very thorough and highly recommended, by me at least. A review may be found in The Journal of Military History, January 1998 (Vol. 62, No. 1), pp. 196-197. The reviewer finds some problems with this latest edition, not the least because it is completely unchanged from the 1979 edition and none of the errors of that edition were corrected. Geoffrey Parker has a critical review of this book in English Historical Review, Vol. 95, No. 375 (April 1980, pp. 372-373. Also reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 85, No. 2 (April 1980), pp. 383-384; a favorable review.
Frost, Robert I. The Northern Wars: War, State, and Society in Northeastern Europe, 1558-1721. Harlow: Longman, 2000. ISBN 0 582 06429 5. Adopting Klaus Zernack's designation of north-eastern Europe as a region including Scandinavia, Poland-Lithuania and European Russia, the author also follows him in opting for the wider term 'Northern Wars' rather than 'Baltic Wars', which has often been used instead. Showing considerable linguistic versatility, Frost moves easily through economic, social and political aspects of the subject, putting his description of battles and campaigns into a full context that also involves a critical analysis of the concept of 'military revolution'. Moreover, although the reviewer has some reservations here, the author succeeds in assessing the aims of the powers in going to war and their conduct during hostilities in an even-handed manner. The very nature of its subject, never before given such comprehensive treatment, means that the book is not an easy read. However, it will repay careful study and is a magnificent achievement, learned, perspicacious, and judicious. Highly recommended. Information taken from a review by Paul Dukes in War In History, Vol. 10, No. 1 (January 2003), pp. 102-103. I have read this book and agree with this reviewer. It is an excellent volume and very much worth reading.
Glete, Jan. War and the State in Early Modern Europe: Spain, the Dutch Republic and Sweden as Fiscal-Military States, 1500-1660. New York: Routledge, 2002. ISBN: 0-415-22644-9 (hbk); 0-415-22645-7 (pbk). The early modern period saw the development of Europe's great standing armies and a reduction in the individual ownership of troops. This book covers the changing relationship between war, state, armies and government, using Spain, Sweden and the Dutch Republic as extended case studies. Its main ambition is to emphasis that the emergence of the fiscal-military state as a complex organization was a decisive change in European history. It is a new attempt to integrate the history of early modern European warfare into the history of early modern European state formation. It emphasizes that economic theory, primarily about protection as a commodity (protection selling), transaction costs and innovative entrepreneurship (actors achieving new combinations in society) are necessary if the transformation of Europe is to be explained. In this, it succeeds well. It is an excellent book. It is not, however, an easy read. It is highly analytical and is for the scholar, not the casual reader. Highly recommended.
Gommans, Jos. Mughal Warfare: Indian Frontiers and High Road to Empire, 1500--1700. New York: Routledge, 2002. While this book is not, strictly speaking, within the subject context of this bibliography, it appears to be an interesting and useful reference for helping to put European military developments in our era in the context of other world developments. This volume is an excellent discussion of the operation of the Mughal military in this era. The author not only takes a look at a long-neglected topic, but also establishes a rich comparative context with his frequent references to the other two early modern West Asian empires, the Safavid in Iran and the Ottoman in the Middle East. An interesting facet of this book is the introductory chapter on ecology, which establishes an important distinction for the understanding of warfare in Mughal India. The arid zone of the northwest and the monsoon zone of the northeast demanded different approaches to military recruitment, provisioning, and strategy. In order to mount successful campaigns, Mughal emperors and generals had to combine the two military styles of early modern Eurasia: those of the sedentary armies of Europe and monsoon Asia, on the other hand, with those of the nomadic armies of West and Central Asia, on the other. In writing this book, the author has made an important contribution to the historical record of Mughal India. Information taken from a review by Stephen P. Blake in American Historical Review, Vol. 109, No. 2 (April 2004), pp. 501-502.
Goodwin, Godfrey. The Janissaries. London: Saqui Books, 1997. This volume is on the janissaries, the elite infantry of the Ottoman Empire. It is not really a military history, but a broad history of a specific military elite. It discusses the janissaries' rise, their fall, their characteristics and their culture. This one I have to give mixed reviews. The first four chapters, "The Origins of the Janissary Corps", "The Devsirme or Christian Levy", "Pillars of the Empire", and "The Ottoman Armed Forces" comprise almost half the book and are excellent expositions on the basics of the organization and operation of the government and the army (including the janissaries) of the Ottoman Empire. The remainder of the book, which provides an, essentially, chronological history of the janissaries until their demise in 1826, is not as good. In particular, it provides chronology, but not the intensive analysis that is needed for a book of this nature, in my opinion. The author obviously knows the subject of the Ottoman empire extremely well, but, as an art and architectural historian, does not seem to me to have the military/political history background to do full justice to the subject. It is an interesting book, but not the definitive history.
Grosjean, Alexis. An Unofficial Alliance: Scotland and Sweden, 1569-1654. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2003. ISBN: 90-04-13241-4. Alexis Grossjean has produced a magisterial piece transforming the previous analysis of Scots in military service to Sweden in the 1563-1654 period. Her research indicates that the Scottish involvement in the Swedish armed forces lasted longer, and was more extensive, than historians have thought. This book adds depth and breadth to an old subject, effectively revolutionizing the historiography of early modern Scottish military history. Information taken from a review by Edward M. Furgol in The Journal of Military History, October 2004 (Vol. 68, No. 4), pp. 1248-1250.
Gush, George. Renaissance Armies, 1480-1650. Cambridge: Patrick Stephens, Ltd., 1983 (first published 1975). ISBN: 0-85059-604-1. This 128 page volume is packed full of information on the military forces of Europe and the Middle East in the period 1480-1650. It starts with a general survey of the warfare in the period and brief examinations of the infantry, cavalry, and artillery. The book then systematically deals with the military forces of various geographical areas of Europe in the period under discussion. It includes considerable detail on weapons, uniforms, flags, tactics, and organization, and is profusely illustrated. There is a great deal of information here I haven't seen anywhere else. It is not, in the traditional sense, a scholarly volume, nor is it the definitive work on the subject. It is, however, an extremely informative and useful volume, and one that should be on the shelf of every student of this period of military history. I highly recommend this one.
Hale, J. R. War and Society in Renaissance Europe, 1450-1620. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins, 1985. 282 pp. Interesting study of widespread violence in Europe as a whole, including military techniques, recruitment, life as a soldier, and direct and indirect impact of war on civilians, the economy, taxation, and government. Review provided by Dr. Tim Francis, Naval Historical Center. There is a review of this book in Military Affairs, July 1986 (Volume 50, No. 3), pp. 162. The reviewer trashes the book; his final comment is: "It is useful only as an example of how a book should not be written". Having read the book myself, I can only think that, at least in this instance, the reviewer is an idiot. This is an excellent volume, and, IMHO, a must-read for the serious scholar of the military history of 16th century western Europe. There is a much more favorable review by C. S. L. Davies in English Historical Review, Vol. 103, No. 406 (January 1998), pp. 191-192.
Hale, J. R. Artists and Warfare in the Renaissance. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1991. This lavishly illustrated and handsomely bound volume is a decidedly unusual but very interesting work. It draws no conclusions, but provides a magnificent selection of original art works and engravings with informative texts. Beyond the general splendor of the paintings, they also are a useful compendium of the equipment used by many of the soldiers of the era. It is a valuable work for all students of war and artists, especially for Northern Europe, in the period covered. Information taken from a review by Denys Hay in History Today, Vol. 41, June, 1991, page 61.
Hale, J.R. Renaissance War Studies. London: Hambledon Press, 1983. Hale's book examines the evolution, in Europe and nowhere else, of armies and navies which could defeat their enemies by firepower rather than by close-quarter combat. He concentrates on the period between 1450 and 1650, with special attention to Renaissance Italy and Tudor England. The book includes 18 essays (all previously printed but often in unfamiliar places) which deal with problems of military mechanics. First come fortifications and the new defensive designs made necessary after circa 1450 by the development of artillery. Next comes a set of essays upon military education and military training in early modern Europe. The third section includes contemporary reactions to war. While these articles, some of which date back to the 1960's, have been printed without updating, they constitute a remarkably coherent and well-integrated collection. Information taken from a review by Geoffrey Parker in History Today, Vol. 34, September, 1984, page 56. Also reviewed in History Today, Vol. 33, December 1983, page 51, and English Historical Review, Vol. 102, No. 402 (January 1987), pp. 197-198.
Hale, J. R., and Mallett, M.E. The Military Organization of a Renaissance State: Venice c. 1400 to 1617. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984 ISBN: 0-521-24842-6. This well done volume redresses the old imbalance of the galleys and the Arsenal as the only focus of most studies of the Venetian military. Professor Mallet covers the 15th century creation, maintenance, and institutionalization of the standing army, while Professor Hale follows its 16th century development, growth, and elaboration. This is a pivotal and extremely well written work describing the development the standing military force of Venice and the development of Venice as a fiscal-military state. A recommended read. Information taken from a review by J. A. Houlding in Military Affairs, January 1986 (Volume 50, No. 1), pp. 51-52. Also reviewed in History Today, Vol. 35, January, 1985, pp. 52, and in The Historian, Vol. 48, No. 4 (August 1986), pp. 577-578, as well as English Historical Review, Vol. 101, No. 398 (January 1986), pp. 171-172 and American Historical Review, Vol. 90, No. 2 (April 1985), pp. 451-452.
Hall, Bert S.. Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-8018-5531-4. Those interested in the development of Western European warfare between roughly 1300 and 1600 should read this book. In my opinion, it is a "must read" for anyone who wants to understand the military technology of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Its subtitle, "Gunpowder, Technology, and Tactics", well sums up its emphasis. It is a fine volume, especially for military techie types. A review may be found in The Journal of Military History, January 1998 (Vol. 62, No. 1), pp. 195-196. Also reviewed in The Historian, Vol. 61, No. 4 (Summer 1999), pp. 954-955. Reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 103, No. 5 (December 1998), pp. 1578-1579. There is a review in English Historical Review, Vol. 114, No. 455 (February 1999), pp. 169-170 by Geoffrey Parker which is, to my mind, excessively harsh.
Hanlon, Gregory. The Twilight of a Military Tradition: Italian Aristocrats and European Conflicts, 1560-1800. London: University College Press, 1998. ISBN: 1 85728 703 7 (hbk), 1 85728 703 5 (pbk). This book is invaluable in providing both accessible information for an English-reading audience about the military and political circumstances of a vast sweep of Italian history which has been all but ignored, and in offering a far more nuanced and unprejudiced view of the military activities of the Italian princes and their nobles. It seriously challenges the common preconception that the military history of this period amounts to a series of sorry episodes in which the Italian princes and their armies and navies were treated as pawns in the Machtpolitik of the great powers. Included in the volume are a series of tightly argued and detailed narrative chapters exploring critical areas in which Italian officers and soldiers played a substantial role in early modern European warfare. This is a good useful piece of work and a significant scholarly contribution. Information taken from a review by David Parrott in War In History, Vol. 7, No. 3 (July 2000), pp. 363-365. . Also reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 105, No. 5 (December 2000), pp. 1830-1831.
Harari, Yuval Noah. Renaissance Military Memoirs: War, History, and Identity, 1450-1600. Woodridge: Boydell Press, 2004. Warfare loomed large during the Renaissance. The nobility was acknowledged as the profession of arms and, in France at least, a nobleman's status and prestige depended largely on his frontal wounds. The practice of war was changing as fast as its technology. All of this called for written observation and comment. Soldiers felt the need to record their wartime experiences. The author lists 34 Renaissance "memoirists' of diverse nationalities in an appendix of this book that began as an Oxford D. Phil. thesis. There are at least two ways of studying war memoirs. They can be assessed individually to see how much light they throw on events or they can be judged collectively. Harai has chosen the second approach and formulates a number of characteristics pertaining to the memoirs as a whole. This book, resting on a large corpus of evidence, carefully sifted and digested, is informative and historically provocative. . Information taken from a review by R. J. Knecht in English Historical Review, Vol. 120, No. 486 (April 2005), pp. 520-521. Also reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 110. No. 3 (June 2005), pp. 854-855.
Hassig, Ross. Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control. Norman and London: University of Oklahoma Press, 1995. Original edition 1988. The author of this study systematically examines a subject that is difficult to document and requires considerable imaginative analysis; warfare and military expansion by a state that was not literate in the conventional European sense. The author has accomplished that admirably. This book has considerable solid detail on weapons and tactics, as well as accounts of the operations of the Aztec military from the late 14th century through the Spanish conquest. This is a fine book. Hassig explains the origins of the militaristic state that dominated central Mexico on the eve of the Spanish conquest and clarifies or corrects misconceptions about Aztec military expansion. Information taken from a review by Robert H. Jackson in The Historian, Vol. 58, No. 4 (Summer 1996), pp. 860. The 1988 edition is reviewed in American Historical Review Vol. 94, No. 5 (December 1989), pp. 1516-1517.
Hellie, Richard. Enserfment and Military Change in Muscovy. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1971. While discussing the rise of Russian serfdom, the author gives a detailed account of the evolution of the army in the late medieval-early modern era. It is a pretty sizable book, a highly scholarly work, based on vast research. It is good, but not light reading. Information taken from a review by John Shelton Curtiss in Military Affairs, October 1972 (Vol. 37, No. 3), pp. 109. Also reviewed in The Historian, Vol. 34, No. 3 (May 1972), pp. 509-510.
Hoppen, Alison. The Fortification of Malta by the Order of St. John, 1530-1798. Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, distributed by Columbia University Press, New York, 1979. The author's interesting and valuable monograph deals with the gunpowder fortifications built by the military order of the Knights of St. John on Malta between 1530 and 1798. This is more than a technical study of fortifications and siege craft. The work places the Order of St. John, the position of Malta, and the policies and strategies pursued in a wider Mediterranean framework. There is much in this monograph that illuminates the work of the military architect and engineer, much about the problems of constructing and financing elaborate fortifications, and much about the affairs of the Order of St. John. This book will be of considerable interest to specialist readers not only in military architecture but also to those interested in warfare in early modern Europe. Information taken from a review by Gunther E. Rothenberg in American Historical Review, Vol. 85, No. 3 (June 1980), pp. 622-623.
Khan, Iqtidar Alam. Gunpowder and Firearms: Warfare in Medieval India. This book does not live up to its subtitle. It does, however, deserve a place beside the works of David Ayalon, John Francis Guilmartin, and Kenneth Chase as a fundamental contribution to the study of the development, distribution, and effects of firearms in late medieval and early modern times. In addition to the chapter on the appearance of gunpowder and firearms in India in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the book addresses the development of artillery in India during the fifteenth century, the response to the arrival of European ordnance during the sixteenth century, and artillery and small arms in the Mughal period, with two chapters devoted specifically to the matchlock musket. As the reviewer sums it up, while some of the author's assumptions and conclusions are open to question, the value of his work is not. Information taken from a review by Douglas E. Streusand in American Historical Review, Vol. 111, No. 3 (June 2006), pp. 817-818. Also reviewed in History: Reviews of New Books, Vol. 34, No. 3 (Spring 2006), pp. 94-95. The book does not directly address European military history, but is included in the bibliography as an excellent case study of the impact of gunpowder on military developments in the late medieval/early modern period.
Kist, Bas, ed. The Exercise of Armes; All 117 Engravings From the Classic 17th Century Military Manual, by Jacob De Gheyn. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1999. First published at the Hague, 1607; first English edition in 1608. ISBN 0-486-40442-O (pbk). A reprint of the classic period text describing and illustrating the individual manual of arms for the pike and musket. An extremely useful and valuable publication for those persons responsible for setting up a late 16th century-early 17th century English military encampment at reenactment events.
Knecht, Robert J. The French Civil Wars. Modern Wars in Perspective Series. New York: Longman, 2000. ISBN: 0-582-09548-4 (cased alk. paper); 0-582-09549-2 (pbk). This is a very well written standard political/military history of the French Wars of Religion, 1562-1598, with a short postscript on the religious wars of 1610-1629. Those wanting detailed descriptions of the battles should see Oman's A History of the Art of War in the Sixteenth Century. The emphasis in Knecht's book is much more political than military. Indeed, for some reason there are a couple of egregious errors on military matters (probably editorial errors, since Knecht is a very highly respected historian). The two in particular I noticed are on page 24 when it is stated that the rate of fire of an arquebus was 20 minutes between shots (it is 20 seconds), and on page 25 where it is stated that German reiters (armored German pistoleer cavalry) are armed with flintlock pistols (armed with wheellocks). A couple of maps are also mixed up, those for the battles of Arques and Ivry (pages 240 and 244); this indicates to me some sloppy editing. The OSPREY book on the same subject is done by the same author, and is, in effect, a highly condensed version of this book. Editing problems aside, this is an excellent book. Recommended for those who wish to place this war in its political and social context.
Lawrence, A. W. Trade Castles and Forts of West Africa. London: Jonathan Cape, 1963. The string of European fortresses in West Africa constitutes a group of great interest. In part this interest is architectural, and in part it concerns the commercial and political role played by these forts. In this book, Mr. Lawrence has produced an account of them which is both a pioneer and an authoritative work. The West African forts/castles were primarily commercial centers. One of the preliminary general chapters in this work describes (briefly) their role in the trading rivalry among the European nations concerned with the gold and slaves of the West Coast; others discuss the non-military functions of the castles-their personnel, the life led there, relationships between the castles and the neighboring towns; others the various types of fort and the value of the archival material. A detailed building history of each castle follows. In the range of material consulted, attention to topography and local needs it is difficult to see how these accounts-nineteen forts are examined, the earliest founded 1482-could be improved. Numerous plans in the text and 96 plates complete the usefulness of this architectural and historical survey of the buildings around which the history of Europeans in pre-colonial West Africa evolved. Information taken from a review by J. R. Hale in English Historical Review, Vol. 81, No. 319 (April 1966), pp. 392-393.
Lloyd, Howell A. The Rouen Campaign, 1590-1592. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1973. This book achieves various extremely difficult things with lucidity, economy, and an engaging quality of commitment. In a sense it is as specialized as its title suggests, detaching a brief time period and covering the Rouen campaign in all its military detail, which illustrates the near impossibility of successfully combined operations between the motley enemies of Spain. But it also succeeds in illuminating in microcosm the infinitely complex nature of the politico-religious struggle of the sixteenth century at its maximum intensity, and Chapter I is a superb analysis of the structure of contemporary politics. Information taken from a review by N. M. Sutherland in English Historical Review, Vol. 90, No. 356 (July 1975), pp. 643-644.
Murphey, Rhoads. Ottoman Warfare, 1500-1700. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1999. ISBN: 0-8135-2684-1 (cloth); 0-8135-2685-X (pbk.). This is not your typical military history. It is instead an analysis of how the military machine of the Ottoman empire worked. It is a study of behind the scenes: chapter headings include "General Political Framework", "Material Constraints on Ottoman Warfare", Military Manpower and Military Spending", Troop Movement and Army Transport", Provisioning the Army", Ottoman Methods of Warfare", and "Motivational and Psychological Aspects of Ottoman Warfare". The analytical methodology used by the author shows clearly how this very potent military force worked, and gives a very different perspective on Ottoman warfare from that found in most other texts. I feel that use of a similar methodology to analyze other military forces of this era, especially those of Europe, would be a very valuable contribution to the literature and very helpful in providing perspective on the military history of the period. This volume is clearly intended for the serious scholar, and not the general reader. With that caveat, I highly recommend it for not only the subject matter but as an example of a useful methodology for study of the nature of military organizations. A review may be found in The Journal of Military History, October 1999 (Vol. 63, No. 4), pp. 962-965, as well as in English Historical Review, Vol. 115, No. 460 (February 2000), pp. 202-203.
Oman, Sir Charles. A History of the Art of War in the Sixteenth Century. New York: E.P. Dutton and Company, Inc., 1937. There have been several reprints of this book. A new paperback edition (Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal; ISBN: 1853673846) was published in 1999. This is a very comprehensive and thorough history of European warfare in this era, organized in the traditional "battles and campaigns" format. At 770 pages, it is not a light or quick read, and the interpretations are dated. It is, however, very good, if somewhat pedestrian in style. There is a review by J. M. Scammell in Military Affairs, Vol. 2 (1938), pp. 158-164. This review, I should note, is primarily a brief summary of 16th century military history; discussion of the strengths and weakness of this book is, unfortunately, quite limited.
Redlich, F. The German Military Enterpriser and His Work Force: A Study in European Economic and Social History. 2 Volumes. Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag GMBH, 1965. Mercenaries have existed from a very remote period in European history. But in late medieval and early modern times they first ousted other kinds of troops and then achieved a permanent instead of casual relationship with their employers, thus giving birth to the modern standing army. Due in part to transformations in the art of war, these changes were made possible mainly by the increasing financial and administrative resources of the states. Fritz Redlich has made a most illuminating contribution to the study of this important subject. His 'enterprisers' were soldiers who undertook to raise troops for princes, by contract and in expectation of profit. Redlich's book is based on printed sources and he notes himself some of the questions which strongly call for work in the archives. But he has worked through a great quantity of little-known material and presents a very full picture and a most useful bibliography. There are some issues that can be taken with some of the author's stands. His style is somewhat over-elaborate, with unhelpful lapses into the language of sociology. But none of the problems with the work detracts appreciably from the merit of an impressive study. Information taken from a review by J. R. Western in English Historical Review, Vol. 82, No. 322 (January 1967), pp. 136-138.
Roy, Ian, ed. Blaise de Monluc: The Valois-Hapsburg Wars and the French Wars of Religion. London: Longman, 1971. This volume consists of extracts from a seventeenth-century translation of the Commentaries of Blaise de Monluc, a Gascon gentleman who lived, and for the most part fought, between 1501 and 1577. His career therefore spans the 16th century wars in Italy and the French civil war in the latter half of the 16th century. Written toward the end of his life, his Commentaries offer some insight into the reality of both these episodes as seen from the field of battle. At a more technical level they illustrate the changes in methods of warfare in this era. The book is competently edited and introduced. Information taken from a review by J. H. Shennan in English Historical Review, Vol. 90, No. 354 (January 1975), pp. 185-186.
Scribner, Bob, and Benecke, Gerhard. The German Peasant War of 1525-New Viewpoints. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1979. This is a useful and useable collection in English (translation, mostly) of 14 "recent" (late 1970's) contributions to Peasant War scholarship. The issue most prominent in the articles is history's relationship with the social sciences. Not all the scholarship is good, but the selection is good. An unusually important contribution of the editors is their bibliography of "recent" scholarship. Information taken from a review by Kyle Sessions in Military Affairs, October 1980 (Vol. 44, No. 3), pp. 149.
Steele, Brett D. and Dorland, Tamera. The Heirs of Archimedes: Science and the Art of War Through the Age of Enlightenment. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2005. This is an impressive collection on the interface of warfare and science that focuses on the use of gunpowder in the early modern period, although other issues are also addressed, particularly mathematics, navigation and the theory of fortification. Based on two conferences, the collection displays the unevenness characteristic of the genre. Nevertheless, the overall quality is high and it includes much of interest. The volume would have been improved by more discussion of actual conflict, but it is both interesting and useful. Information taken from a review by Jeremy Black in English Historical Review, Vol. 121, No. 492 (June 2006), pp. 942-943.
Tallett, Frank. War and Society in Early Modern Europe, 1495-1715. New York: Routledge, 1992, 1997. In the first page of this volume, the author warns readers that the book omits tactics and strategy, descriptions of campaigns and the technical side of warfare, naval affairs and developments in countries lying to the north and east of Germany. Instead its five unequal chapters cover the reasons why wars came to be fought, the changing art of war, recruitment, the life and death of soldiers, and the impact of war on the economy, on civil society, on the state, and on public opinion. The persevering reader will find numerous telling quotations, interesting facts and instructive insights. This book reinforces recent trends in military history by adding new supporting material and by providing useful summaries, but initiates little new. Information taken from a review by Geoffrey Parker in English Historical Review, Vol. 110, No. 439 (November 1995), pp. 1267-1268.
Taylor, F.L. The Art of War In Italy, 1494-1529. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1921. There is a mention of the book in a review by J. M. Scammell in Military Affairs, Vol. 2 (1938), pp. 158-164. The book has been reprinted (2006) by The Scholar's Bookshelf, 110 Melrich Road, Cranbury, NJ, ISBN: 1601050518 I have read it and found that, within the limitations of the historical scholarship of the era, it is a very useful and enlightening volume. It is not so much a straightforward account of the battles and campaigns as it is a broad overview of how war was waged in Italy in this period and the changes in warfare which came about as a result of the wars in Italy. I found the analysis of the way various types of weapons/troops were used to be especially useful. Not the definitive story, but handy nevertheless.
Thomson, Janice E. Mercenaries, Pirates, and Sovereigns. State-Building and Extraterritorial Violence in Early Modern Europe. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994. The author examines the relationship between the ambitions of rulers to monopolize the use of organized violence and the practice of 'non-state violence'. Professor Thomson argues that particular practices of non-state violence were eliminated as they provoked interstate conflicts; the impetus for this change came from other states, rather than domestic political pressures. Unauthorized non-state violence, particularly piracy and privately-organized expeditions designed to seize territory, was in large part stamped out in the nineteenth century, and Thomson has an interesting discussion of both processes. She relates them to the ability of states to monopolize power. This is an important, stimulating, and at times exciting book. Thomson offers a new perspective, ranges widely, writes with assurance and subtlety, and offers a far more acute historical dimension than is common in works by political scientists. Information taken from a review by Jeremy Black in English Historical Review, Vol. 111, No. 443 (September 1996), pp. 996-997.
Trim, D.J.B., ed. The Chivalric Ethos and the Development of Military Professionalism. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 2003. ISBN: 90-04-1209505. The author unites a formidable array of scholarly talent in this examination of the relationship between chivalry and the rise of military professionalism. Concentrating mainly on late medieval and Renaissance Europe, the central theme explores whether chivalry and professionalism were incompatible, and whether the decline of chivalry was a prerequisite of the rise of military professionalism, or merely a consequence. Information taken from a review by Gervase Phillips in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 67, No. 4 (October 2003), pp. 1273-74. There is also a review in English Historical Review, Vol. 118, No. 479 (November 2003), pp. 1322-1323.
Turnbull, Stephen. The Art of Renaissance Warfare; From the Fall of Constantinople to the Thirty Years War. London: Greenhill Books; St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing, 2006. ISBN-13: 978-1-85367-676-5; ISBN-10: 1-85367-676-4. This is a broad survey of Renaissance warfare 1453 to about 1618. This volume falls into Black's military history category of an account of the military, of its organization, weaponry, war making, and conflicts. It is not a highly analytical work, nor is it full of details, but it gives a good big picture lucidly. It is, plainly, a smorgasbord. It is broadly chronological, examining various military history topics of the era as they occurred. While it is well researched, it is not a scholarly tome, but is written in a casual conversational, almost colloquial, fashion-easy to read and follow, although the style will date this volume more quickly than most academic works of this nature. Of interest is the considerable attention paid to events in Eastern Europe-very important, but greatly neglected in the literature in English. I was really impressed by how this volume seems to hit all the high points of the military history of this era without getting bogged down in the interesting sidebars. I highly recommend this volume for the serious researcher and casual scholar alike.
Van der Hoeven, Marco, ed. Warfare in the Netherlands, 1568-1648. Leiden: Brill, 1997. ISBN: ISBN 90-04-0727-4. The great European conflict known as the Thirty Years War was only the final phase of a war in the Netherlands which was to last 80 years. In the course of this the Dutch rose up successfully against their Spanish rulers and established a Republic in the early 16th century which was the envy of its contemporaries. This volume brings together papers by 11 leading military historians from the Netherlands who discuss the processes by which the Dutch organized and financed the military apparatus which was eventually to defeat the leading land and maritime power of their day, and to maintain the position of Holland as a world power until well into the 18th century. Articles cover military matters such as changes in strategy and tactics and issues such as the financing of the war, effort, the navy, privateering and the arms trade. Information taken from the Brill publishing web site, http://www.brill.nl/m_brill.asp?sub=1. Site valid as of 10/20/2004.
Williams, Sir Roger, ed. by D. W. Davies. The Action of the Low Countries. Cornell, NY: Cornell University Press, 1964; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1965. This is a tedious work. It is largely a rather lifeless narrative of campaigns between 1568 and 1574, campaigns for the most part consisting of sieges. Williams rarely illuminates the narrative by his personal experience, and in general does not use it to illustrate military doctrine, though occasionally he does reflect on a commander's decision. Williams emerges from Davies introduction, if not from his own pages, as an interesting enough character. ). There is no index to this volume. Information taken from a review by C. S. L. Davies in English Historical Review, Vol. 81, No. 320 (July 1966), pp. 591-592.
Wood, James B. The King's Army: Warfare, Soldiers, and Society during the Wars of Religion in France, 1562-1576. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996. ISBN: 0-521-55003-3. This work represents an important step in the process of scholarly elucidation of what has traditionally been considered a very complicated and inexplicable period of French history. Using long neglected archival sources and a sophisticated quantitative methodology, the author has been able to illuminate the military logic and social dynamics behind the campaigns of the early decades of these wars. Information taken from a review by Henry Heller in The Journal of Military History, April 1997 (Vol. 61, No. 2), pp.364-366. There is also a review by David Parrott in War In History, Vol. 7, No. 3 (July 2000), pp. 361-363. Reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 103, No. 2 (April 1998), pp. 524 and also English Historical Review, Vol. 113, No. 451 (April 1998), pp. 447-448.
During the Renaissance and the early modern period, the way of war in Europe underwent major changes. The nature of, and, in fact, whether there was a "Military Revolution" in that era has been a very contentious issue in the fields of early modern European history and military history. The debate has been vigorous, and the interpretations diverse. Anyone seriously interested in 16th century military history needs to understand the framework of this debate. The three books below are quite valuable in this regard. While the debate began with Michael Robert's statement of his basic thesis of the military revolution in 1955, it really heated up with Parker's interpretation of the revolution-at odds with that of Roberts-as spelled out in his seminal volume cited below. Rogers' book on the debate provides several different viewpoints on the idea of the "Military Revolution. Black's book is a general survey of the warfare of the era 1494-1600, and a very good one. However, he has a number of salient points to make about the military revolution issue as well. Whether or not you agree or disagree with the various interpretations, reading these books is a very excellent way to learn a great deal about the military history of the 16th and 17th century and get a good overview of how military affairs were interrelated with the broader political history of this era. These books are highly recommended.
Black, Jeremy, European Warfare, 1494-1660. New York: Routledge, 2002. ISBN: 0-415-27531 (hbk); 0-415-27532-6 (pbk). This is a synthesis of existing scholarship, rather than a monograph. This is not a book about the military revolution. Black argues that war-by this he really means the conduct of military operations-is central to early modern history because the effects and influence of war were manifold, felt in virtually areas, certainly of government but also of life generally. Profound intellectual, cultural, social and financial changes were triggered by war in this period; important changes in how war was waged also occurred. Black stresses contingency rather than change, and agency rather than determinism, regardless of whether the alleged determinate factors are technological developments or social contexts. While the reviewer has some reservations about the book, he feels that it is an important work that will interest and reward specialists and students alike. Information taken from a review by D. J. B. Trim in English Historical Review, Vol. 120, No. 485 (February 2005, pp. 208-209. Review also found in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 67, No. 2 (April 2003), pp. 552-553.
Eltis, David. The Military Revolution in Sixteenth Century Europe. London/New York: I.B. Tauris, 1995. The contribution of the author to this debate has at its heart an interpretation of the revolution which deserves serious consideration. In essence, he suggests that the crucial changes in warfare took place in the sixteenth century as a whole, and that these were a great increase in firepower which transformed both infantry and cavalry tactics; the re-established superiority of defense in siege warfare, and a new emphasis on discipline and training in order to control large infantry formations, comprising both pike and shot, in the field. There are some problems with his thesis, and the work would have benefited from better editing to cut down on repetition. Despite such blemishes, this contribution helps to clarify the terms of a debate which, on this evidence, promises to remain lively for some time to come. Information taken from a review by J. L. Price in English Historical Review, Vol. 112, No. 448 (September 1997), pp. 977-978.
Parker, Geoffrey. . The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West, 1500-1800. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1988 (republished 2000 with revisions). ISBN: 0 521 47426 4 (hb); 0 521 47958 4 (pbk). A review of the second edition (1996) by Barker, Thomas M.; Black, Jeremy, and Cook, Weston F., with a response by Geoffrey Parker, "Geoffrey Parker's Military Revolution: Three Reviews of the Second Edition", can be found in The Journal of Military History, April 1997 (Vol. 61, No. 2), pp.347-354. A review of the 1988 edition can be found in The Journal of Military History, October 1990, (Vol. 54, No. 4), pp. 489-490 Review in History Today, Vol. 39, June, 1989, page 51, in History Today, Vol. 47, No. 5 (May 1997), page 56, and in American Historical Review, Vol. 94, No. 5 (December 1989), pp. 1342-1343. A review of the 1988 edition is in English Historical Review, Vol. 106, No. 421 (October 1991), pp. 1010-1011.
Rogers, Clifford J., ed. The Military Revolution Debate: Readings on the Military Transformation of Early Modern Europe. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1995. ISBN: 0 8133 2053 4 (hb); 0 8133 2054 2 (pbk). A review can be found in The Journal of Military History, January 1997 (Vol. 61, No. 1), pp.152-154.
Hoffman, Paul E. The Spanish Crown and the Defense of the Caribbean, 1535-1585: Precedent, Patrimonialism, and Royal Parsimony. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1980. This book is intricately structured. Its narrative is chronological and preserves a sense of place, while the interpretation of events described considers many elements. The author enumerates those factors that he isolates as explaining the evolution of Spanish defenses in the Caribbean. While describing Spanish defenses, the author also pays attention to surrounding circumstances. Ample statistical data put the thesis upon a firm documentary base, and they are effectively and modestly presented. The index is rather summary, but the notes are ample, precise, and helpful. With patience and skill, Hoffman redresses many hasty generalizations and answers the repeated requests of scholars to know the story of Spanish defenses as seen from the Spanish perspective. Information taken from a review by Ursula Lamb in American Historical Review, Vol. 86, No. 1 (February 1981), pp. 227-228.
Maltby, William S. Alba: A Biography of Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, Third Duke of Alba, 1507-1582. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1983. This is a good, solid biography of one of the most powerful and controversial figures of his day, a pivotal figure in the Dutch Revolt of the 16th century. Fully half of the biography is devoted to Alba's career in the Netherlands. This is a good, solid work of history and a fine biography. Information taken from a review by John Vogt in Military Affairs, July 1985 (Vol. 49, No. 3), pp. 163.
Parker, Geoffrey. The Army of Flanders and the Spanish Road, 1567-1659. The Logistics of Spanish Victory and Defeat in the Low Countries' Wars. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1972 2nd ed. 2004). 309 pp. Intensely detailed study of Spanish efforts to subdue the Netherlands. Includes discussion of march routes, logistics, financing armies, mutinies and the dominance of sieges and the guerre aux vaches. Review provided by Dr. Tim Francis, Naval Historical Center. A slightly revised edition of this book was put out by Cambridge University Press in 2004, ISBN: 0-521-54392-4. There is a substantial review in English Historical Review, Vol. 90, No. 354 (January 1975), pp. 128-131. I have read this volume and find it an excellent one. It provides an excellent overall view of the Army of Flanders during the 80 years war for the Netherlands. Especially useful is the examination of the relationship of finance to military effectiveness in this era. I highly recommend this book.
Quatrefages, Rene', Translated by E. Jarnes Bergua. Los Tercios. Madrid: Coleccion Ediciones Ejercito, 1983. This study is devoted to the origins, organizational structure, economic situation, and military evolution of the tercio during the 16th century. The book is divided into three parts. The first explores administration, armament, combat preparation, and warfare techniques. Part two surveys the rank structure of the tercios and the methods of discipline. The final part examines economic life, the moral and spiritual aspects of the tercios, and their social life. This is a fine book. For those interested in the history of military administration, the thrust of this book will be particularly rewarding. Information taken from a review by James F. Powers, in The Journal of Military History, January 1991, (Vol. 55, No. 1), pp. 102-103. The same review is found in Military Affairs, January 1986 (Vol. 50, No. 1), pp. 53.
Thomas, Hugh. The Conquest of Mexico. London: Pimlico/New York: Random House, 1993. Thomas shows us that the encounter of Spaniards with the Mexica remains an extraordinarily fascinating subject. Indeed, it is a tribute to his skill that, though following a well-trodden path, his book awakens a sharp sense of the hazards, excitements and contingencies of the conquest, and does so with a vividness and immediacy unrivalled since Prescott. Thomas chronicles the conquest primarily from accounts by eyewitnesses and historians who drew on the memories of those present, both Spanish and native, and he usefully adds to these from a rich secondary literature. Throughout the book, the narrative thrust I continually and carefully blended with analysis. While accepting that socio-cultural factors played a part in the Mexica defeat, Thomas lays heavy stress on political and military explanations. In this dramatic reconstruction, the author has created a fresh and compelling synthesis of the conquest, its contexts, and its central characters. This is a history of the conquest of Mexico which will not be easily surpassed. By telling the story of the conquest in detail and at length, with the strategic deployment of telling details and revealing quotations from contemporaries, Thomas offers us a book which does justice to its remarkable subject. Information taken from a review by Anthony McFarlane in History Today, Vol. 46, No. 3 (March 1996), pp. 53-54. Thomas, Hugh. Conquest: Montezuma, Cortes, and the Fall of Old Mexico. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993. Virtually identical subject matter, different title, and an equally favorable review. Reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 100, No. 4 (October, 1995), pp. 1338-1339.
Thompson, I.A.A. War and Government in Hapsburg Spain, 1560-1620. London: Athlone Press, 1976. In this work the author describes the methods by which Castile raised and financed the forces which it needed to defend the peninsula and, in the second half of Philip II's reign, to wage war against the maritime powers of the north. His book has three main themes: the experiment in government by 'administracion' and 'asiento'; the history of such arms as the galleys, the high seas fleet, and the provincial militias; and thirdly the social consequences of the Crown's attempt to meet its financial and military needs. Dr. Thompson's book provides a wealth of new detail about the impact of warfare upon the financial, military, and administrative structure of Hapsburg Spain. It suffers, however, from a number of defects. Dr. Thompson's comparison of the Spanish experience with that of other European countries is sometimes inadequate. Overall, however, Dr. Thompson's book remains, whatever the criticisms, enjoyable to read and a worthy addition to the history of Spanish government in the early modern period. Information taken from a review by A. W. Lovett in English Historical Review, Vol. 93, No. 366 (January 1978), pp. 121-122.
Tracy, James D. Emperor Charles V, Impresario of War: Campaign Strategy, International Finance, and Domestic Politics. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. ISBN: 0-521-81431-6. A well done and competently organized book by a highly qualified expert on the interplay of war and finance during the reign of Charles V. Information taken from a review by R.J. Knecht in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 67, No. 2 (April 2003), pp. 553. A review may also be found in American Historical Review, Vol. 109, No. 1 (February 2004), pp. 260, and in The Historian, Vol. 67, No. 1 (Spring 2006), pp. 98-99, and also in History: Reviews of New Books, Vol. 31, No. 4 (Summer 2003, pp. 161.
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/8901/military.html A very good web site on the late Elizabethan military and the Trained Bands.
http://www.livinghistory.co.uk/1500-1600/articles/xw_169.html A handy quick reference site on arms, armor, and the Tudor soldier
http://battleofpinkie1547.20m.com/ http://www.royal-stuarts.org/pinkie_cleuch.htm A couple of web sites on the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
Ashley, Roger, "Getting and Spending: Corruption in the Elizabethan Ordnance", History Today, Vol. 40, November 1990, pp. 47-53. An interesting article on the way in which "creative accounting" and English government financial methods led to corruption and, in the case of military corruption, putting English soldiers unnecessarily in harm's way.
Brzezinski, Richard; paintings by Richard Hook, "British Mercenaries in the Baltic, 1560-1683 (1), Military Illustrated, Past and Present, No. 4 (December 1986-January 1987), pp. 17- 23.
Brzezinski, Richard; paintings by Richard Hook, "British Mercenaries in the Baltic, 1560-1683 (2), Military Illustrated, Past and Present, No. 6 (April-May 1987), pp. 29-35. A pair of articles on mercenaries from the various portions of the British Isles who fought in the Baltic. More of a sampling vignette than a definitive study, but interesting nevertheless.
Colvin, H. M., "Castles and Government in Tudor England", English Historical Review, Vol. 83, No. 327 (April 1968), pp. 225-234. This article argues that castles in England in the Tudor era, even if not defensible against an expeditionary force armed with modern weapons, could still be a useful defense against popular insurrection. Also traces in brief what role the castles played in the 16th and early 17th century.
Gunn, S. J. "The Duke of Suffolk's March on Paris in 1523", English Historical Review, Vol. 101, No. 400 (July 1986), pp. 596-634. A solid and well-written article on the English campaign against the French in 1523.
Klein, Randolph S., "The History of Medicine in Tudor Times: An Historiographical Survey", The Historian, Vol. 33, No. 3 (May 1971), pp. 365-384. While not directly dealing with military history, this article is nevertheless of interest to the historian of 16th century military history. Disease and illness was, after all, one of the major factors (some would argue THE major factor) influencing the success or failure of innumerable military campaigns in this era. One of the useful topics dealt with in the article is a discussion of the problems medical doctors have when writing about the history of medicine. This is an interesting article, one worth reading.
McPeak, William J. "The Adventures of Captain John Smith", Military History, June 2002, pp. 34-41. John Smith, best known for his involvement with the Jamestown colony in America, was also a competent mercenary soldier who had fought both in the Lowlands as well as with the Hapsburgs against the Ottoman Empire in Eastern Europe. As this article shows, he was a good sample of the many professional mercenary soldiers of this era who often fought very far from home.
Nolan, John S. "The Militarization of the Elizabethan State", The Journal of Military History, July 1994 (Vol. 58, No. 3), pp. 391-420. This interesting article argues that the army of Elizabeth I was in fact more effective than it has been credited with and, indeed, it carried out effectively the tasks assigned to it. The article also provides a good general survey of the later Elizabethan military establishment.
Phillips, Gervase, "To Cry 'Home! Home!' Mutiny, Morale, and Indiscipline in Tudor Armies." The Journal of Military History, Volume 65, No. 2 (April 2001), pp. 313-332. This article explores very well the why, as well as the characteristics, of mutiny, morale, and indiscipline in Tudor armies. A good and interesting article.
Rogers, Colonel H.C.B., "The Standards and Colours of the Army from King Henry VII to King Charles I", Journal Royal Service Institution (London), May 1954. Information taken from Military Affairs, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Winter 1954), page 221.
Webb, Henry J., "The Science of Gunnery in Elizabethan England". Isis, Vol. 45, Part 1, No. 139 (May, 1954). Information taken from Military Affairs, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Winter 1954), page 221.
Tincey, John; paintings by Richard Hook, "The London Trained Bands 1588 (1)", Military Illustrated, Past and Present, No. 14 (August/September 1988), pp. 15-19.
Tincey, John; paintings by Richard Hook, "The London Trained Bands 1588 (1)", Military Illustrated, Past and Present, No. 15 (October-November 1988), pp. 29-33. A brief but solid and well illustrated survey of the London Trained Bands in 1588.
Barr, Niall. Flodden 1513: The Scottish Invasion of Henry VIII's England. Stroud, UK: Tempus, 2001, ISBN: 0-7524-1792-4. An excellent and engaging account of the battle of Flodden, 1513. Well told and well documented. Information taken from a review by Gervase Phillips in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 66, No. 1 (January 2002), pp. 194-195. Another review is found in War In History, Vol. 10, No. 4 (November 2003), pp. 480-482. It is not nearly as favorable as the review by Gervaise Phillips.
Boynton, Lindsay. The Elizabethan Militia, 1558-1638. London and Toronto: Routledge & Kegan Paul and University of Toronto Press, 1967. This substantial study describes in considerable detail the establishment and organization of the Elizabethan militia, tracing its history down to the outbreak of the Bishop's War in 1638. This book is based upon an extensive examination of manuscript and printed sources. This admirable work deserves a place in every library that gives attention to Tudor and Stuart history. Information taken from a review by Bernerd C. Weber in Military Affairs, December 1969 (Vol. 33, No. 3), pp. 407. Also reviewed in The Historian, Vol. 30, No. 3 (May 1968), pp. 484-485, and in English Historical Review, Vol. 83, No. 328 (July 1968), pp. 603-604. I have to agree with the review in Military Affairs. This is an excellent volume on the English militia from 1558 to 1638. It is very thorough, well written, and informative. The nature of the militia in this period, and the problems involved in its recruiting, muster, and getting it properly armed and trained, are examined closely. The details and specific examples illustrating the broader picture are well chosen and quite enlightening. Highly recommended for those interested in the English military of this era. I would particularly commend it to those doing 16th century English military reenactment at renaissance faires and elsewhere.
Cornwall, Julian. Revolt of the Peasantry 1549. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1977. The main purpose of the author is to reconsider the rebellions in the west and in Norfolk as military operations. The strength of his book lies in its clearly and pleasantly written narrative based on careful fieldwork and extensive use of records for mercenary bands. The detailed accounts of the fighting in Norwich and the three fiercely contested western battles are excellent. The author is much less at ease on the causes of the risings. His resume of the social and political background tends to be oversimplied. Information taken from a review by Anthony Fletcher in English Historical Review, Vol. 94, No. 370 (January 1979, pp. 181-183.
Cruickshank, C. G. Army Royal: An Account of Henry VIII's Invasion of France 1513. London: Clarendon Press, 1969. Skillfully weaving narrative and analysis together, the author describes the phases of the art of war in relation to the campaign; objective, beach-head, movement, siege and battle. Topics such as supply of victuals and munitions and discipline, also receive careful treatment. The book concludes with some valuable pages on the military and administrative problems of the occupation and a bibliography with an especially useful section on the contemporary sources. While not without flaws, it is a useful work. Information taken from a review by John Adair in Military Affairs, October 1970 (Vol. 34, No. 3), pp.104-105. Also reviewed in The Historian, Vol. 32, No. 3 (May 1970), pp. 486-487, and in English Historical Review, Vol. 86, No. 338 (January 1971), pp. 168-169. Appears there was a reprint under the title Henry VIII and the Invasion of France by St. Martin's, New York, 1991 (citation: American Historical Review, Vol. 96, No. 5 (Dec. 1991), pp. 1661).
Cruickshank, C.G. Elizabeth's Army. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1966. This is a new edition of an original which was basically a study of the administrative machinery of overseas expeditions. This edition has been brought up to date to take account of the most important recent (mid-1960's) work and the earlier work has been substantially enlarged by the author's own research. The new material does not always relate strictly to "the army" (which implies troops paid by the crown and nearly always destined for foreign service), but also deals in fact with the militia. The author makes full use of contemporary sources. He has also included three useful chapters illustrating Elizabethan military organization in action. The ultimate result is a well-written and authoritative book in which there is much of interest. There are few points with which one might disagree. In general, this is an admirably reliable study which is outstanding in its field. Information taken from a review by L. Boynton in English Historical Review, Vol. 83, No. 326 (January 1968), pp. 167.
Dop, Jan Albert. Eliza's Knights: Soldiers, Poets, and Puritans in the Netherlands, 1572-1586. Alblasserdam, Netherlands: Remak, available from Kooyker Ltd., Leiden, 1981. The author scrutinizes the cult of Queen Elizabeth from an unusual, and disenchanted, viewpoint in this volume. Setting Leicester's campaign in the Netherlands in a broader context, he argues that the expedition was such a disastrous failure because the mythology of Protestant chivalry that motivated its leaders was fatally out of touch with Dutch realities. Dr. Dop gives a useful survey of the art of war in the sixteenth century, tracing the increasing gulf between military practice in the Dutch wars and courtly ideals of heroism. The part of the book dealing with English relations with the Netherlands is valuable and could well have been expanded. Almost half the book is taken up with a lengthy survey of traditions of chivalry which adds little to previous accounts and does not leave enough room for a completely convincing reading of Sir Philip Sidney, the books central figure. Dr. Dop's book graphically brings home how disastrous a sudden transition from games of war to the real thing could be. Information taken from a review by David Norbrook in English Historical Review, Vol. 98, No. 389 (October 1983), pp. 861-862.
Falls, Cyril. Elizabeth's Irish Wars. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1997 (first published 1950 in Great Britain). ISBN 0 8156 04235 1. A balanced and straightforward history of English-Irish military conflict during the reign of Elizabeth I. Some good specifics on the respective military forces.
Fissel, Mark Charles. English Warfare, 1511-1642. London and New York: Routledge, 2001. ISBN 0-415-21481-5 (hbk); 0-415-21482-3 (pbk). This volume chronicles and analyses military operations from the reign of Henry VIII to the outbreak of the English Civil War. It is not a battles and campaigns type of volume, but instead provides a good overall picture of all aspects of the English way of war in this era. Contrary to much that has been written previously, the author contends, with good solid evidence to back him, that the English military of this period was, on the whole, quite competent and functioned well. An interesting book. There is a review in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 67, No. 1 (January 2003), pp. 224, as well as in War in History, Vol. 11, No. 1 (January 2004), pp. 111-112. The reviewer, C.S. L. Davies, in English Historical Review, Vol. 117, No. 471 (April 2002), pp. 467-468, was not particularly impressed with the book.
Frazer, George MacDonald. The Steel Bonnets: The Story of the Anglo-Scottish Border Reivers. London: Harper Collins Publishers, 1995 (originally published 1971). ISBN 0-00-272746 3. This is a history of the people of the English-Scottish border with particular emphasis on the period 1513-1611. An excellent and very readable volume on a very turbulent area and era. Some interesting insights on the military aspects of a major group of players in the 16th century military drama between Scotland and England.
Hammer, Paul E. J. Elizabeth's Wars: War, Government and Society in Tudor England, 1544-1604. Basingstoke: Palgrave/Macmillan, 2003. This is an excellent work of synthesis, unpretentious, clearly and interestingly written. It deals with strategy, tactics, and foreign policy on the one hand, with finance, provisioning, the effect on the economy and society on the other. Information taken from a review by C. S. L. Davies in English Historical Review, Vol. 119, No. 481 (April 2004), pp. 512.
Hayes-McCoy, G.A. Irish Battles: A Military History of Ireland. New York: Barnes & Nobles Books, 1997 (First Printed in 1969). ISBN: 0-7607-0467-8. Overall, this is a superior work and is often credited in the bibliography sections of other historians writing about particular battles in Irish history. Battle range from Clontarf in 1014 to Arklow in 1798. Of particular interest in this era would be the battles of Knockdoe 1504, Farsetmore 1567, Clontibret 1595, The Yellow Ford 1598, Moyry Pass 1600, and Kinsale 1601/1602. Hayes-McCoy gives a blow by blow account of each battle down to troop movements and deployment by each commander. It is an excellent, if not one of the best resources on Irish warfare available. Review provided by Daniel Hendrix, Assistant Guildmaster, Army of O'Neill, RPFS.
Macdougall, Norman. Scotland and War: A.D. 79-1918. Savage, MD: Barnes and Noble, 1991. This is not an attempt to survey two millenia in two hundred pages, and this is not attempted. The scope of the essays varies from a single battle to a rumination on premodern warfare. There are essays on a variety of topics relevant to late medieval through 17th century warfare in the British Isles, including such topics as James IV's warship "Great Michael", the battle of Pinkie, the Marian civil war, and the civil wars of the 17th century. Most readers will be interested in specific essays, not the entire book. Information taken from a review by James L. Gillespie in The Historian, Vol. 55, No. 4 (Summer 1993), pp. 752-753.
McGurk, John. The Elizabethan Conquest of Ireland: The 1590's. New York: Manchester University Press; distributed by St. Martin's Press, New York. 1997. This is a very useful volume on the continued friction between England and Ireland in the final years of Elizabeth I's reign. It clearly shows that, in the 1590's, in both England and Ireland, society was virtually on a continuous war footing. The strength of this monograph lies in the area of logistics, and examines thoroughly the demands that raising troops imposed on various counties. The last third of the book, which describes the nature of the Irish wars, shows what war was like for the Elizabethan soldier, and tries to estimate casualties, is perhaps the least satisfying portion of the books and has some problems. Nevertheless, even if the title promises more than the book actually delivers, this monograph, which demonstrates that the Elizabethans were prepared to bear any burden, pay any price in what they regarded as a titanic struggle with Catholic Spain, makes an important contribution to early modern military history. Information taken from a review by Charles Carlton in American Historical Review, Vol. 104, No. 2 (April 1999), pp. 648.
Merriman, Marcus. The Rough Wooings: Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542-1551. East Linton, UK: Tuckwell Press, 2000. ISBN 1 86232 090 X. While not strictly speaking a military history of the conflict between the English and the Scots in this time period, the volume contains some excellent insights on the military aspects of this conflict. In a review of this book by Keith M. Brown in English Historical Review, Vol. 118, No. 476 (April 2003), pp. 439-440, Mr. Brown gives the author great credit for the detail, but says "Ultimately this is a self-indulgent book, a labour of love in which historical analysis is drowned by description. The reader ends up knowing a great deal about what happened during this short episode without fully appreciating what difference 'The Rough Wooings' makes to our understanding of mid-sixteenth century Britain". Having read the book, I kinda have to agree with Mr. Brown.
Military History Society of Ireland. Irishmen in War From the Crusades to 1798: Essays from 'The Irish Sword'. Vol. I. Portland, OR: Irish Academic Press, 2006. ISBN: 0-7165-2816-9. This and the second volume in the series (same title covering the period 1800-2000) offer 38 articles reproduced from the journal of the Military History Society of Ireland, The Irish Sword. Roughly half of the articles were published in the period 1990-1916. A portion of these articles are examples of traditional military history: the style of warfare practiced by medieval Irish rulers, the career of Queen Elizabeth's bete noir High O'Neill, and others. Many of these works offer examples of wider trends in military developments in an Irish context, such as the impact of cannon and firearms in Medieval Ireland, and aspects of the "Military Revolution" reflected in the forces raised by High O'Neill during the Nine Years War (1594-1603). But there are also examples of a broader approach to military history that incorporates social, religious, and political aspects. Many of these articles illustrate the military connections between Ireland and the wider world. There is much valuable information in this volume. Information taken from a review by Paul V. Walsh in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 70, No. 3 (July 2006), pp. 825-827.
Millar, Gilbert John. Tudor Mercenaries and Auxilliaries, 1485-1547. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1980. This work is a historical survey of the origins, prevalence, availability, and competence of the alien groups that served in the Tudor armies during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. This volume also provides good solid information on the nature and equipment of the military establishments of these two kings. It is a valuable study of a hitherto neglected but important phase of Tudor military history. Information taken from a review by Bernerd C. Weber in Military Affairs, October 1981 (Vol. 45, No. 3), pp. 156. Also reviewed in The Historian, Vol. 44, No. 1 (November 1981), pp. 92-93. Based on the review in The Historian, I personally would suggest examining Phillips, Gervase. The Anglo-Scots Wars, 1513-1550, for what would seem to be to be a more generous interpretation of the competencies of the English armies of Henry VIII than Mr. Millar provides. There is a perfunctory and, reading between the lines, not too favorable a review of the book by C. S. L. Davies in English Historical Review, Vol. 97, No. 385 (October 1982), pp. 900. The review of the book in American Historical Review, Vol. 86, No. 4 (October 1981), pp. 836-837, is favorable.
Morgan, Hiram, ed. The Battle of Kinsale. Bray, Ireland: Wordwell Ltd., 2004. ISBN: 1-869857-70-4. The battle of Kinsale, which ended Tryone's Rebellion, is an important historical milestone. In terms of production values, this book is a paradigm of what military history books should be: solid scholarship profusely illustrated. The excellent illustrations are buttressed by ten appendixes that contain arcane, inaccessible and newly discovered information. The book illuminates from many different angles: economic, biographical, comparative, literary, ideological, archaeological, etc. One finds some strikingly original essays. However, there is neither an order of battle to sort out the combatants or a genuinely comprehensive bibliography to facilitate further study. There are problems with documentation, and, as a result, this book is neither comprehensive nor definitive, despite its title and implied assertions to the contrary. Still, according to the reviewer, this is the most important work on Kinsale to appear in the last thirty years, perhaps since 1912. Information taken from a review by Mark C. Fissel in The Journal of Military History, October, 2004 (Vol. 68, No. 4), pp. 1245-1246.
Morgan, Hiram. Tyrone's Rebellion. London: The Boydell Press, 1999. (First Published 1993 The Royal Historical Society, London). ISBN 0-86193-224-2 (hbk); 0-85115-683-5 (pbk). Politically, the only person who can go to task with Hiram Morgan is Cyrill Falls. Yet, Dr. Morgan (a lecturer at University College, Cork, has poured over far more reference material from English, Spanish, Italian, and Irish sources. He debunks many of the misconceptions made by other authors by comparative analysis and paints a much more vivid and accurate picture of events surrounding the "Nine Years War" of Ireland. Militarily, the book is lacking in description of battles but is good at revealing the composition of Irish forces during the late 16th century. It is a good counterpoint to "The Irish Wars 1485-1603" from Osprey and "Elizabeth's Irish Wars" by Falls, cited elsewhere in this bibliography. Review provided by Daniel Hendrix, Assistant Guildmaster, Army of O'Neill, RPFS.
Nolan, John S. Sir John Norreys and the Elizabethan Military World. Exeter, UK: University Press, 1997. In this volume, the author suggests that the Elizabethan military effort on land developed considerably between 1572 and 1603, so much so that, by the time of the Battle of Kinsale in 1601, its soldiers were the equal of any in Europe: damning, perhaps, with somewhat faint praise. As the author admits, there is too little known about Norreys for this to be a conventional biography. It appears that the author uses Norreys' military career as a vehicle to describe the Elizabethan military world, where Nolan makes his major contribution. The book is workmanlike in its writing and production-the seven maps are completely useless-and the activities of Norreys in the Netherlands could have been substantially amplified if Dutch and Belgian sources had been employed. Overall, however, Nolan has deepened our understanding of how the Elizabethan 'army' functioned whilst on campaign. Information taken from a review by John Childs in English Historical Review, Vol. 114, No. 456 (April 1999), pp. 434.
Phillips, Gervase. The Anglo-Scots Wars, 1513-1550. Woodbridge, UK: The Boydell Press, 1999. ISBN 0 85115 746 7. A superb treatment of the Anglo-Scots wars of the first half of the 16th century. Includes an excellent introductory essay on warfare in early modern Europe. A review may be found in The Journal of Military History, July 2000 (Vol. 64, No. 3), pp. 825-826, as well as in War In History, Vol. 8, No. 3 (July 2001), pp. 351-353. Also reviewed in The Historian, Vol. 63, No. 4 (Summer 2001), pp. 880-881.
Seymour, William. Battles In Britain, 1066-1746. Hertfordshire, UK: Wordsworth Editions, 1997. ISBN 1 85326 672 8. Has very good narrative accounts of the battles of Flodden (1513) and Pinkie Cleugh (1547), as well as some useful bibliographical information relevant to English and Scottish 16th century military history.
Stewart, Richard W. The English Ordnance Office, 1585-1625; A Case Study in Bureaucracy. Rochester, NY: Boydell Press, 1996. ISBN 0-86193-233-1. This is a study of an often overlooked, but vital, element in the conduct of warfare: the supply of arms. The author's conclusions provide a very insightful look into state building and its relationship to military activity, contributing to the ongoing debate over the general "military revolution" of the early modern era. Stewart generally concludes that greater centralized control over military resources was not necessarily the most effective road to greater military effectiveness, at least in the case of England. Overall this is a very valuable book for early modern scholars and those interested in military logistics. Information taken from a review by John S. Nolan in The Journal of Military History, April 1997 (Vol. 61, No. 2), pp.366-367. Also reviewed in English Historical Review, Vol. 113, No. 451 (April 1998), pp. 450-451. Go
Silke, John J. Kinsale: The Spanish Intervention in Ireland at the End of the Elizabethan Wars. New York: Fordham University Press, 1970. This is an account of the siege and battle of Kinsale, Ireland, in 1602, which set the English political and military hegemony in Ireland. It is the unique contribution of this book that Kinsale is presented in a broad European diplomatic framework. It is a well organized volume and a highly readable and interesting book. Information taken from a review by Gilbert A. Cahill in The Historian, Vol. 35, No. 1 (November 1972), pp. 124-125.
Smythe, Sir John; ed. by J. R. Hale. Certain Discourses Military. Cornell, NY: Cornell University Press, 1964; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1965. Military memoirs written by Sir John Smythe, who served against the Ottoman empire, trained English militia, and who had a quarrelsome and stubborn nature which led him to treason in 1596. Hale writes an extensive introduction to the memoirs which details Smythe's life. His memoirs are conservative, very critical of the late 16th century Elizabethan military (which caused the book to be banned in 1590). He strongly advocates the use of the bow rather than firearms. Hale devotes a large part of his introduction to the bow-gun controversy, showing the way in which technical arguments were clouded by patriotic and ethical considerations (archery as a prophylactic to vice). There is no index to this volume. Information taken from a review by C. S. L. Davies in English Historical Review, Vol. 81, No. 320 (July 1966), pp. 591-592.
Webb, Henry J. Elizabethan Military Practice: The Books and the Practice. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1965. The author has provided a concise and comprehensive guide to Elizabethan military science. He begins by emphasizing the reliance of Tudor theorists on classical authors, and the particular value of such works at a time of military transition. But more and more, as the Queen's reign wore on and Englishmen gained more experience on the battlefield themselves, practical modern precepts supplanted the theories of the ancients. While there are some areas of the practice that have been neglected, such as logistics and recruiting, the book is still a useful and informative one. Information taken from a review by Stanford E. Lehmberg in The Historian, Vol. 29, No. 1 (November 1966), pp. 100-101. J. R. Hale has a much less complimentary review in English Historical Review, Vol. 82, No. 323 (April 1967), pp. 383-384.
Young, Alan. Tudor and Jacobean Tournaments. London: George Philip, 1987. As a form of military exercise relevant to warfare, or even to personal combat, the tournament was outdated by the end of the reign of Henry VIII, and in France, for example, its popularity declined sharply in the second half of the sixteenth century. This was not so in England, where at court tournaments continued to flourish until the end of the Tudor period, and survived into the reign of Charles I, the last being probably that of 1626. This volume examines the final phase of tournament history. The author has probably produced the definitive current study of his theme, while leaving plenty of room for further work on the cultural implications of tournament symbolism. Information taken from a review by Mervyn James in English Historical Review, Vol. 105, No. 415 (April 1990), pp. 461-463.
Davies, C. S. L. "The Administration of the Royal Navy Under Henry VIII: The Origins of the Navy Board", English Historical Review, Vol. 80, No. 315 (April 1965), pp. 268-288. Discussed the evolution of the Navy Board during the reign of Henry due to the considerable expansion of the fleet in his time. By the early years of Elizabeth I's reign, the Navy Board had become "the conduit pipes to whom the lord admiral properly directs all his commands for his Majesty's service and from whom it descends to all other inferior officers and ministers under them whatsoever". The article contends that administrative reform at least kept pace with changing circumstances. There is an appendix about the Ordnance Office.
Monterio, Armando da Silva Saturnino, "The Decline and Fall of Portuguese Seapower, 1583-1663." The Journal of Military History, Volume 65, No. 1 (January 2001), pp. 9-20. An interesting and well-presented article on this subject.
Tenace, Edward, "A Strategy of Reaction: The Armadas of 1596 and 1597 and the Spanish Struggle for European Hegemony", English Historical Review, Vol. 118, No. 478 (September 2003), pp. 855-882. A survey of the Spanish Armadas of 1596 and 1597 from the perspective of Spanish strategy in the 1590's.
Andrews, Kenneth R. Elizabethan Privateering: English Privateering During the Spanish War, 1585-1603. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1964. Andrews has in this work produced a definitive study of these English raids on Spanish shipping, based largely on an examination of the records of the High Court of Admiralty and other manuscript sources in England and Spain. The author writes with skill, erudition, and common sense, and enlarges our knowledge and understanding of sixteenth-century maritime history. Of considerable importance is his discussion of privateering as an industry. Issue can be taken with some of the points asserted in the work but, all in all, a useful contribution. Information taken from a review by G. V. Scammell in English Historical Review, Vol. 81, No. 320 (July 1966), pp. 590-591 and a review by Stanford E. Lehmberg in The Historian, Vol. 27, No. 2 (February 1965), pp. 257.
Beeching, Jack. The Galleys at Lepanto. London: Hutchinson, 1982. ISBN: 0 09 147920 7. An interesting and unusual approach to military history. In this volume, Beeching, in a style reminiscent of high quality narrative fiction, ties a series of threads, composed of individual chapters on various people and events, into a rope which leads into-and provides a thorough historical background for-the pivotal naval battle of Lepanto on 7 October, 1571. The book does not follow the usual scholarly pattern. There are no footnotes, and the selected bibliography is extremely brief. However, this is an excellent historical work; the story is well written and hangs together well. Highly recommended.
Brummett, Palmira. Ottoman Seapower and Levantine Diplomacy in the Age of Discovery. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1994. Among the author's intentions in this study is to demonstrate that the Ottoman state, contrary to relevant Eurocentric historiography of this period, was an active trading, commercial, and entrepreneurial participant in the late-fifteenth and sixteenth century world order. To accomplish this goal, she proffers three reconceptualizations of the prevailing Eurocentric historiography: the Ottomans were a protagonist rather than an obstacle; to "refocus attention on frontiers not privileged by the Age of Discovery theme" (page 176); and to expand the understanding of Euro-Asian relations beyond the boundaries imposed by the rhetorics of differences. She makes it clear that the Ottoman state, like the Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, and English, was a seaborne empire and that it was essential for the state to use sea power to defend its interests in trading, and not simply for purposes of territorial expansion spurred by religious zeal. It is a different look at the Ottoman Empire during the 15th and 16th century and useful for putting Ottoman military activities, particularly at sea, in proper context. This study makes a solid contribution to understanding the sixteenth-century world structure. Information taken from a review by Robert Olson in American Historical Review, Vol. 100, No. 1 (February 1995), pp. 197-198.
Capponi, Niccolo'. Victory of the West: The Story of the Battle of Lepanto. New York: Pan Macmillan, 2006. ISBN: 1-4050-4588-4. Niccolo' Capponi has written an excellent book on the 1571 Battle of Lepanto. The bulk of the monograph deals with the diplomatic and military context of the confrontation, the intricacies of the Christian alliance, the Cyprus war, and the aftermath of the combat, whereas the battle only gets some 30 pages. While the strength of this book is its author's remarkable familiarity with the relevant Italian and Spanish sources, Capponi also uses Ottoman sources and specialized studies by Ottomanist historians, and tried to provide a balanced treatment of the opponents' strategies, tactics, strengths, and weaknesses. One of the more rewarding parts is the splendid examination of the opposing navies' ships, weaponry, crews, and recruiting methods. More extensive use of Ottoman sources will certainly change many details of the narrative. Some of the old inaccuracies and uncertainties repeated by western historians, only recently and partially corrected by more detailed scholarship in the Ottoman sources, are in this volume. Yet until someone with the necessary linguistic skills undertakes the task of integrating western and Ottoman sources on Lepanto, this monograph remains the most reliable and accessible account of the battle in English. Information taken from a review by Gabor Agoston in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 72, No. 1 (January, 2008), pp. 223-224, with a review in the same publication on pages 224-225 by John F. Guilmartin, Jr., which generally concurs.
Cipolla, Carlo M. Guns, Sails, and Empires: Technological Innovation and the Early Phases of European Expansion, 1400-1700. New York: Pantheon Books, 1965. The author attempts to show the impact of "guns and sails" on the history of the early modern world. There are only two chapters in the 148 page nucleus of the book, but they are packed with a wealth of information on the subject. The book ends with a seventeen page epilogue, two appendices, and a useful bibliography. It is well documented and flows along in an interesting and readable manner. Overall, a worth-while book. Information taken from a review by Herman J. Muller in The Historian, Vol. 29, No. 3 (May 1967), pp. 460-461. While I have not read the book, it sounds like a volume of the "technological determinism" school, and should probably be read with some degree of skepticism in light of current (post-1990) research trends.
Earle, Peter, The Last Fight of the Revenge. London: Collins and Brown, 1992. Both stirring and scholarly, with excellent use of original sources. Information taken from data provided in English Historical Review, Vol. 108, No. 427 (April 1993), pp. 551.
Fury, Cheryl, Tides in the Affairs of Men: The Social History of Elizabethan Seamen, 1580-1603. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002. This volume examines the lives of the ordinary sailors of the Elizabethan period during a particularly volatile period of maritime history. Information taken from an unattributed review in History Today, Vol. 51, No. 11 (Nov. 2001), page 57. There is a review of this book in International Journal of Maritime History, Volume XIV, Number 2 (December 2002), page 293.
Glete, Jan. Warfare at Sea, 1500-1650; Maritime Conflicts and the Transformation of Europe. New York: Routledge, 2000. ISBN: 0-415-21454-8 (hbk); 0-415-21455-8 (pbk). An excellent academic examination of war at sea, 1500-1650. As the back cover states, "This book places the history of warfare at sea within a modern scholarly framework, bringing together historical research and analyzing questions on war, state formation, strategy and tactics, and economic and technological change. The book compares the social history of seamen and the early officer corps in several European countries and includes discussion on Spain, Portugal, France, Venice, the Ottoman Empire and the Baltic states." A first-class book, although not for the casual reader. Should be read in conjunction with Guilmartin's Galleons and Galleys. A review may be found in The Journal of Military History, October 2000 (Vol. 64, No. 4), pp. 1144-1145, as well as in War In History, Vol. 9, No. 2 (April 2002), pp. 223-226.
Glete, Jan, ed. Naval History 1500-1680. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2005. ISBN: 0 7546 2498 6. 537 pages. From the International Library of Essays on Military History. 24 previously published articles trace developments in western naval strategy, tactics, technology, and administration.
Goodman, David. Spanish Naval Power, 1589-1650: Reconstruction and Defeat. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. ISBN: 0-521-58063-3. A comprehensive analysis of the state of Spain's naval forces in the decades following the defeat of the Great Armada of 1588. The book does not consider naval forces in isolation, but as part of the social and economic fabric of contemporary Spain. Although the book has some weaknesses, it is in the main a thoroughly researched and useful book on the Spanish navy. Information taken from a review by Victor Enthoven in The Journal of Military History, April 1998 (Vol. 62, No. 2), pp. 390-391. Also reviewed in English Historical Review, Vol. 113, No. 452 (June 1998), pp. 729.
Guilmartin, John F. Jr. Galleons and Galleys. London: Cassell & Co., 2002. ISBN: 0 304 35263. On this one, I can do no better than quote the flap of the dust cover: "This book addresses the development of warfare at sea during the pivotal early phases of Europe's rise to world domination [circa 1450-1650], a period which saw the establishment of European empires in Asia and the Americas, the frustration of Ottoman attempts to dominate the western Mediterranean, and the repulse of Japan's first attempts at overseas expansion. John F. Guilmartin, Jr., vividly describes the challenge of harnessing human muscle power, the force of the wind and the energy of gunpowder to create effective fighting ships. The author begins with an examination of the geographic and technological realities of warfare at sea. He looks at the tactical and technical developments in the changing patterns of warfare and trade, paying particular attention to their cultural, social, and economic context. The human dimension is also addressed, showing how distinct attitudes, beliefs and ambitions played a crucial role in shaping events. Throughout, key developments are illustrated with narrative accounts of wars, campaigns, and battles chosen for their strategic importance." This volume is well written and well illustrated. Good for the casual reader as well as the more academically oriented. Should be read in conjunction with Glete's Warfare at Sea, 1500-1650; Maritime Conflicts and the Transformation of Europe.
Guilmartin, John F. Gunpowder and Galleys: Changing Technology and Mediterranean Warfare at Sea in the Sixteenth Century. London: Cambridge University Press, 1974. With a skillful blend of sound research and clear, concise writing, the author has produced a significant study of the changing role of the war galley in the 16th century and the impact of gunpowder weapons on the Mediterranean system of warfare at sea. Using pertinent archival sources as well as relevant contemporary and modern accounts, the author links the military and technological revolution of the period with the important social, economic and social changes. An excellent volume. Information taken from a review by William Collins in Military Affairs, October 1975 (Vol. 39, No. 3), pp. 154. Also reviewed in The Historian, Vol. 38. No. 4 (August 1976), pp. 731-732, and English Historical Review, Vol. 91, No. 361 (October 1976), pp. 843-45.
Heers, Jacques. The Barbary Corsairs: Warfare in the Mediterranean 1480-1580. London: Greenhill Books, 2003. This book offers a robust and enthralling account of the world of the Barbarossa brothers and the effect of their privateering on trade and commerce in the Mediterranean. Information taken from a brief unattributed review provided in History Today, Vol. 53, No. 11 (Nov. 2003), page 70. There is also a review in The Journal of Military History, Volume 68, Number 2 (April 2004).
Kirk, Thomas Allison. Genoa and the Sea: Policy and Power in a Early Modern Maritime Republic, 1559-1684. (Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science number 3). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005. 276 pages. This book treats a neglected subject-the maritime policy of an early modern Mediterranean state-with a new and refreshing approach. It is a study about Genoa's naval and trade policies and their relations to the republic's foreign policy. The author shows that these policies were closely connected but also subjects of conflicts. Maritime policy was developed in a context of backward-looking rhetoric about recreating Genoa's glorious past as a leading naval and mercantile power and an eminently realistic policy of adjustments to changing political and economic realities. The rhetoric was part of the power conflicts among various factions in the Genoese elite. These conflicts were dominated by other questions other than maritime policy, and there was no firm structure of interest groups behind different ideas about Genoa's relations to the sea. Kirk's analysis of Genoa's maritime policy is well connected to recent research about international relations and how they were transformed by both state-formation activities and economic development. His conclusion is that Genoa skillfully adapted to a changing Europe wherein centralizing states gradually reduced the strategic choices of a maritime city-state. Information taken from a review by Jan Glete in American Historical Review, Vol. 111, No. 2 (April 2006), pp. 583. Also reviewed in History: Reviews of New Books, Vol. 33, No. 4 (Summer 2005), pp. 157.
Knighton, C.S., and Loades, D.M. The Anthony Roll of Henry VIII's Navy. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate, for Navy Records Society, 2001. In 1546 Anthony Anthony, the clerk of the ordnance, presented Henry VIII with a pictorial representation of the royal fleet. The roll is, in effect, a sumptuous spotter's guide to the fifty-eight ships. The pictures are stylized. The ships are shown from a three-quarter rear angle, depicting starboard and stern. Sails are furled. Oars are in action. Guns protrude from gun ports. Banners stream uniformly in a stiff breeze. There are no human beings. Each picture is accompanied by a note of the ship's leading dimensions; tonnage, crew (mariners and gunners separately), armament, and 'habilments for the war' (ropes, nails, bags, 'spare wheels', etc.). This book is a record of the complete work, each ship illustration reproduced in color, along with a transcript of the original attached notes. It has been provided with a mass of supporting material by various experts. The book will be a delight to enthusiasts and an indispensable work of reference for naval historians. Information taken from a review by C. S. L. Davies in English Historical Review, Vol. 117, No. 471 (April 2002), pp. 467.
Loades, David. The Tudor Navy: An Administrative, Political, and Military History. Brookfield, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 1992. In this useful book, David Loades has gathered information from a wide variety of sources and brought it together in a coherent account that summarizes the present state of our knowledge and places the navy in the larger context of Tudor administrative development. The book's greatest value lies in the wealth of detail it presents on the financing and day-to-day management of the navy in its formative century. A competently done work. Information taken from a review by William S. Maltby in The Journal of Military History, July 1993 (Vol. 57, No. 3), pp.543-544. Also reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 99, No. 2 (April 1994), pp. 549, and English Historical Review, Vol. 110, No. 439 (November 1995), pp. 1253.
Moorehouse, Geoffrey. Great Harry's Navy: How Henry VIII Gave England Seapower. Weidenfeld and Nicolson ISBN: 0 297 64544 7. This is an informative, if not particularly outstanding, volume on the history of the birth and development of Henry's navy. There is solid technical information, and the information is put in a context which gives it both meaning and relevance. The writing style is somewhat limpid, but there is an excellent glossary, clear maps, and good illustrations. A useful book on the subject. Information taken from a review in History Today, Volume 55 (1) (January 2006), pp. 62-63.
Nelson, Arthur, The Tudor Navy, 1485-1603; The Ships, Men, and Organization. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2001. ISBN: 1-5575-816-X. An interesting and informative coffee-table book on the Tudor Navy. Includes extremely well written and gripping accounts of the Spanish Armada and the capture of Grenville's Revenge by the Spanish. Suffers from what appears to be a lack of analytical organization of some of the chapters, but a useful work overall.
Padfield, Peter. Tide of Empires: Decisive Naval Campaigns in the Rise of the West, Vol. I: 1481-1654. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1980. A very well researched and well written volume. Makes its greatest contribution in giving an unusually strong emphasis on Indian Ocean and Mediterranean operations alongside those of the Atlantic. A very solid work. Information taken from a review by Clark G. Reynolds in Military Affairs, April 1982 (Vol. 46, No. 2), pp. 110.
Perez-Mallaina, Pablo E., translated by Carla Rahn Phillips. Spain's Men of the Sea: Daily Life on the Indies Fleet in the Sixteenth Century. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998. ISBN: 0-8018-5746-5. This book is one of the great classics of the study of seafaring culture. Seamen's provenance, work, discipline and mental worlds are described in turn, but the core of the book is the long chapter on 'the ship as a place of life and death, in which the horrors of the seaman's routine are described without sensationalism but with devastating candor: the claustrophobic crowding, the disgusting food, the tedium of leisure time, the sexual repression, the imminence of peril". Good stories and cautionary tales abound. Information taken from a review by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto in History Today, Vol. 49, No. 9 (Sept. 1999), pp. 55-56. . Reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 104, No. 3 (June 1999), pp. 1014, as well as in History: Reviews of New Books, Vol. 33, No. 4 (Summer 2005), pp. 164-165.
Rodger, N. A. M.. The Safeguard of the Sea: A Naval History of Britain, 660-1649. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1999 (first published 1997). ISBN 0 393 31960 1 pbk. A very excellent and interesting book. Contains several excellent chapters on the navies of the British Isles during the 16th century. It critically examines the history of the navies of the British Isles in the period noted and analyses clearly the naval situation throughout this era, in the process putting to rest several of the myths that have grown up about the English navy in this era, particularly during the time of Elizabeth I. There is an interesting discussion of that little know early 17th century English naval problem, raids on the English coast by North African pirates. Highly recommended. There is a review in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 65, No. 1 (January 2001), pp. 175-176, as well as a review in War In History, Vol. 7, No. 4 (November 2000), pp. 481-483. Also reviewed in History Today, Vol. 48, No. 6 (June 1998), page 61. Reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 105, No. 2 (April 2000), pp. 607 and in English Historical Review, Vol. 114, No. 455 (February 1999), pp. 131-133.
Sicking, Louis. Neptune and the Netherlands: State, Economy, and War at Sea in the Renaissance. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2004. ISBN: 90-04-13850-1. This is an important contribution to early modern naval history. The title requires amplification on three points. Sicking does not have an expansive view of the period covered by the Renaissance. His study is limited to a period of about eighty years from the 1480's to 1561. He thus stops short of the Dutch Revolt, which plays no part in his narrative. Secondly, by the Netherlands Sicking refers to a region that emphatically includes Flanders. Indeed, if the book can be said to have a polemical purpose, it is to bring the southern provinces into the orbit of Dutch history. Thirdly, war at sea, in the sense of combat and the clash of arms, is largely absent from this book. Sicking describes himself as a maritime rather than as a naval historian, and he approaches war at sea from the standpoint of what it has in common with other maritime activities. For the time and place of his study this is appropriate. The two Ordinances on the Admiralty of 1488 and 1540, and the institution they created, provide the framework of Sicking's tale, but he ranges well beyond this to include nearly all aspects of maritime policy. In such a long book, there are some curious omissions and some problems. Sicking keeps his focus resolutely on administrative geopolitics, and economic. Religion plays only a minor part in his narrative. The book has only limited illustrations and the maps are not adequate. It is also unfortunate that a work so full of new and valuable information is not better written. The style is long-winded and repetitive, and the density of Sicking's prose will discourage many readers. It would be unjust, however, to end on this note. Sicking has given us a ground-breaking work that sheds new light on a neglected corner of early modern naval history. His book repays the effort needed to absorb the large amount of new information he presents. Information taken from a review by Robert Glass in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 71, No. 1 (January 2007), pp. 215-216.
Stradling, R.A. The Armada of Flanders; Spanish Maritime Policy and European War, 1568- 1668. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. The author states in his preface that this is an analysis "of naval policy in the western European theater of the Spanish Monarchy's wars" that focuses on the role of the"Armada of Flanders" and includes the "cognate themes" of privateering as part of "mainstream naval strategy" and the central place of Dunkirk. He admits that "its touch is light (and often derivative)" on economic and technical questions, naval policy in other theaters of war, and issues of international and maritime law, but he partly justifies this on the grounds that there are monographs that cover these aspects (p. ix). The book is divided into three chronological parts (1568-1621, 1621-1640, 1640-1658) and a thematic section dealing with ships, men, administration, and prize-taking. While the coverage of the book is uneven, it is still a valuable work. Stradling's main contributions are in his discussion of the first half of the 17th century. Information taken from a review by M. J. Rodriguez-Salgado in American Historical Review, Vol. 98, No. 5 (Dec. 1993), pp. 1619-1620. Also reviewed in English Historical Review, Vol. 110, No. 436 (April 1995), pp. 473-474.
Tenenti, A., trans. by J. and B. Pullan. Piracy and the Decline of Venice 1580-1615. London: Longmans, 1967; first published in Italian 1961. The book falls into two parts. The first illustrates with copious examples the damage wreaked upon Venetian shipping by a variety of sea-dogs. The second explains how the Signory met the challenges with such poor success. There is an elaborate documentation drawn chiefly from the Venetian state archives. On his deliberately restricted field Tenenti cannot be gainsaid, but historians concerned to discover why will have to look further into the political and social structure of the Republic. Information taken from a review by G. D. Ramsay in English Historical Review, Vol. 84, No.331 (April 1969), pp. 393.
Trim, D. J. B., and Fissel, Mark Charles, eds. Amphibious Warfare 1000-1700: Commerce, State Formation and European Expansion. (History of Warfare number 34). Boston: Brill, 2006. 498 pages. ISBN: 90-04-13244-9. There is a listing of the essays included in this volume in American Historical Review, Vol. 111, No. 3 (June 2006), page 940. It appears to be a very interesting volume. It is given a good review by K. A. J. McLay in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 70, No. 4 (October 2006), pp. 1111-1113. All in all, a majority of the book appears to deal with 16th century amphibious warfare.
Usherwood, Stephen and Elizabeth, The Counter-Armada, 1596: The Journal of the 'Mary Rose'. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1983. This book tells the story of the 1596 Cadiz expedition by the English against Spain. It is built around the detailed campaign journal kept by Sir George Carew, commander of the Mary Rose. It is supplemented by various other contemporary accounts, making it a documentary account, a threading together of extracts rather than a coherent history of the adventure. This book attempts little in the way of historical analysis or appreciation, nor is it a book about the politics of warfare. The Counter Armada is an engaging presentation of a gallant naval episode, not a scholarly publication. The serious student will have to turn elsewhere. Information taken from a review by David Cressy in History Today, Vol. 34, April, 1984, pp. 53-54.
Wernham, R. B. After The Armada; Elizabethan England and the Struggle for Western Europe, 1588-1595. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984. This book represents a very large-scale exercise in narrative history. Some 570 pages cover just seven years. Wernham's subject is that "struggle for western Europe" occasioned by what he takes to be a self-conscious attempt by Phillip II to establish Spanish hegemony through that region. A detailed account of each incident and campaign involving English forces is constructed (from largely English sources) and then set in an overall evaluation of the nature of English policy and of the English contribution to the anti-Spanish war effort. The book therefore occupies a sometimes uneasy middle-ground between military and diplomatic history. Wernham's conclusions tend to play down the significance of English naval activity in favor of the crucial role played by English land forces in both France and the Low Countries against Spain and the Catholic League. The book brings out very clearly the reactive nature of policy-making, the logistical and political difficulties experienced by the English state in seeking to wage war on so large a scale and the frequent clashes between the strategic and political priorities of the Queen and her Dutch and French allies. It does not always resolve analytical questions that English political historians might want answered from this same material. There is also perhaps a need for this book to take a closer look at the decision making from the Spanish, Dutch, and French angle. Still, all in all, a good book. Information taken from a review by Peter Lake in History Today, Vol. 35, November, 1985, page 60. Also reviewed in English Historical Review, Vol. 101, No. 401 (October 1986), pp. 936-938 and American Historical Review, Vol. 90, No. 4 (October 1985), pp. 926-927.
Wernham, R. B. The Return of the Armadas: The Last Years of the Elizabethan War Against Spain, 1595-1603. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1988. This book has the overwhelming merit of understanding and expounding the complexity of the problems facing the English state. The diplomatic and military history of the years after the Armada will not need to be written again for a long time. Wernham's account, based on a lifetime's study of the archives, is scholarly, shrewd and lucid. The reviewer's only criticism is that he tells us less than we need to know about the domestic background to the war, though it is always in his mind. Information taken from a review by Penry Williams in History Today, Vol. 45, No. 11 (Nov. 1995), page 52. Review in American Historical Review, Vol. 101, No. 2 (April, 1996), pp. 472-473. Also reviewed in English Historical Review, Vol. 110, No. 436 (April 1995), pp. 421-423.
Fernandez-Amresto, Felipe. The Spanish Armada: The Experience of War in 1588. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. The author attempts to describe what the Armada campaign was like for ordinary soldiers and seamen, although chiefly on the Spanish side for which there is more evidence. He writes with flair and establishes from the start the human dimension of his narrative with Miguel de Cervantes riding out from Seville to collect taxes for the Armada. Fernandez-Amresto is vivid in treating religious differences in popular terms and the perceptions each side had of the enemy. When he returns to high politics, planning, and the broader treatment of battles, his lack of familiarity with more than the standard material in print frequently shows, although he poses many astute questions and offers provocative analyses of the development of Spanish strategy and the conduct of the campaign. . Information taken from a review by Peter Pierson in American Historical Review, Vol. 95, No. 2 (April 1990), pp. 520-521.
Hanson, Neil. Confident Hope of a Miracle: The True History of the Spanish Armada. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. ISBN 1400042941. This is a very absorbing read. Readers can't live by academic analysis alone. Instead, Hanson provides a splendid narrative, interspersed with irreverent, but convincing, character sketches of some of the major figures in the Armada saga. Escapism is rarely pure and never simple, but this book nevertheless provides escapism of a very high historical and literary order. We should be the poorer without this privileged glimpse into another world. Information taken from a review by Robert Pearce in History Today, Vol. 54, No. 11 (Nov. 2004), page 89. Also reviewed in Proceedings, Vol. 131/6/1,228 (June 2005), pp. 84-85. There is a review in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 70, No. 3 (July 2006), pp. 821-824, which is not as favorable as that of Pearce.
Howarth, David. The Voyage of the Armada; The Spanish Story. New York: The Viking Press, 1981. This book is written by an accomplished naval historian who is fully at home with the technical aspects of sixteenth century ship handling. While Mr. Howarth relies primarily on known printed sources, he does make the first full use of the evidence provided by the recent underwater archaeological exploration of the Armada wrecks. His clear and lucid analysis for the Armada's technical deficiencies-its inability to sail to windward, incompetent provisioning, defective munitions and limited navigational expertise-make his book a worthy supplement to Garret Mattingly's classic account. Mr. Howarth is far more critical than Mattingly of the Duke of Parma and his discussion of Parma's strange refusal to provide even minimal assistance to the fleet is an important contribution to Armada scholarship. Information taken from a review by Simon Adams in History Today, Vol. 32, August 1982, page 52.
Martin, Colin, and Parker, Geoffrey. The Spanish Armada. New York: W.W. Norton, 1988. The reviewer feels that Colin Martin and Geoffrey Parker have produced the best account of the Armada campaign yet written (circa 1990). It rests on new archival data, fresh treatment of material long available, Martin's work on underwater archaeology, and thorough knowledge of the literature, contemporary and modern. The authors have crafted the book to achieve something of Mattingly's dramatic sweep while offering keen analyses of each phase of the Enterprise of England, from its inception to its aftermath, and a wealth of technical detail. Information taken from a review by Peter Pierson in American Historical Review, Vol. 95, No. 2 (April 1990), pp. 520-521.
Mattingly, Garrett. The Armada. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1959. ISBN: 0-395-08366-4 (pbk). Entitled also The Defeat of the Spanish Armada (London: Cape, 1959). This is an excellent account of the events leading up to, and the immediate aftermath of, the Spanish Armada. It is one of the better known accounts and a staple of the literature for decades, but it has not lost its luster. One of its major strengths is its discussion of the "sidebars"-events in France and elsewhere in Western Europe which both affected and were affected by the Armada. Its detailed account of the battles in the English Channel is very good and quite clear. Not only is this good history, but the style, albeit a bit on the florid side at times, is eminently readable. Reviewed in English Historical Review, Vol. 77, No. 302 (January 1962), pp. 110-112.
McDermott, James. England and the Spanish Armada: The Necessary Quarrel. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2005. ISBN: 0-300-10698-X. This is a very well written account of the Armada campaign, primarily from the English side. The author paints a broad canvas, describing in some detail the background of English-Spanish conflict (seven of his sixteen chapters). While the author virtually ignores the copious Spanish sources (only citing Spanish material when it is available in English), he seems to have seen and read every relevant document in London, many of which add significantly to our knowledge of how England prepared to resist the Spanish Armada. A useful volume, but in the next edition the author should correct the archival call number inconsistencies and the legion of mangled foreign nouns. Information taken from a review by Geoffrey Parker in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 70, No. 3 (July 2006), pp. 821-824.
Padfield, Peter. Armada: A Celebration of the Four Hundredth Anniversary of the Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 1588-1988. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1988. Ships and gunnery have been two of Peter Padfield's lifelong interests, and he brings to his lively narrative the good sense and insights of one who knows the sea. In dealing with high politics, he draws selectively and usually well on the work of others. When he reaches his own area of special competence, he seems sound about the English ships, less so about the Spanish, although for everyone there remains much to learn. His treatment of guns and gunnery has much to commend it. Padfield does a good job of describing what the campaign was like for the English crews. This is a good and valuable book. . Information is taken from a review by Peter Pierson in American Historical Review, Vol. 95, No. 2 (April 1990), pp. 520-521.
Rodriguez-Salgado, M. J., and Adams, Simon, eds. England, Spain, and the Gran Armada, 1585-1604. Edinburgh: John Donald, 1991. The four hundredth anniversary of the Spanish Armada came and went with little more than a rippling of the academic waters. But besides the wealth of material made available for the general reader there was a call for conference papers and it is some of the best of the contributions read to largely professional gatherings in London and Madrid which make up this volume. Summary information on the topics of these papers is included in the review in the February 1995 English Historical Review. Information taken from a review by Joyce Youings in English Historical Review, Vol. 110, No. 435 (February 1995), pp. 177.
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/calderon/armsnarmor.htm An interesting site on some of the basic equipment of the Conquistador.
McPeak, William J. "Command Looks at Cavalry Part II: The Rise and Fall of Pistol Cavalry, 1540--1685". Command, Issue 48 (April 1998), pp. 66-72. An informative brief article on the use of the wheellock pistol and the evolution of the western European cavalryman between 1540 and 1685. Nice series of diagrams on the evolution of the wheellock pistol.
McPeak, William J. "For a Swordsman with Muscle as Well as Skill, Two Hands Could Be Better Than One". Military History, October 2001, pp. 24-28. A short article on the evolution of the two-handed sword in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, with particular emphasis on the use of the two-handed sword by the Landscknechtes. A useful quick guide to the subject for the novice.
Heath, Ian. Armies of the Sixteenth Century: The Armies of England, Scotland, Ireland, the United Provinces, and the Spanish Netherlands, 1487-1609. St. Peter Port, Guernsey, UK: Foundry Books, 1997. ISBN: 1 901543 00 5.
Heath, Ian. Armies of the Sixteenth Century: The Armies of the Aztec and Inca Empires, Other Native Peoples of the Americas, and the Conquistadors, 1450-1608. St. Peter Port, Guernsey, UK: Foundry Books, 1999. ISBN: 1 901543 03 X. These two books are not so much historical narratives as they are general, yet thorough, quick reference to the organization, methods of warfare, dress, and weapons of a variety of 16th century armies. For the size of the volumes, the detail is impressive. The sections on organization and methods of warfare are very instructive. The illustrations of uniforms and weapons are all line drawings-there are no color illustrations or photographic reproductions of paintings-but they are of very high quality, and the descriptive information is outstanding. The volume on the Americas has an amazing amount of information on the various native tribes. For anyone who has any interest at all in the uniforms and equipment of any of these 16th century military forces, I highly recommend these books.
Mann, James G. The Etched Decoration of Armour: Study in Classification. New York: Oxford University Press, 1945. 54 pages. No information available. Referenced in Military Affairs, Vol. 9, No. 3 (Fall 1945), page 265.
Mann, Sir James. Arms and Armour in England, from the Early Middle Ages to the Civil War. London: H.M.S.O., 1969. This brief, authoritative account of the evolution of British medieval and renaissance fighting equipage, revised by A.R. Dufty, provides a graphic introduction to the White Tower's renowned collections. In addition to a selected bibliography, this guide provides a useful note on the principal armouries of England and the Continent as of 1969. Information taken from a review by Philip K. Lundeburg in Military Affairs, December 1970 (Vol. 34, No. 4), pp.142.
Norman, A. V. B., and Pottinger, Don. English Weapons and Warfare, 449-1660. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1979. The authors have collaborated to produce a very useful introduction to the development of arms, armor, strategy, and tactics over a period of 11 centuries. It should not be surprising that, in attempting to do this within the compass of 213 pages of text, some errors of omission and commission should have been committed. The merits of the book lie, in the first place, in Norman's excellent description of armor and weapons. Secondly, Pottinger's line drawings are cleanly done and, what is more important, accurately labeled. The sections on "Tactics and Strategy" are where the errors are, and they should be used with caution. Overall, however, this book is a welcome addition to the growing literature on the military history of the Middle Ages and early modern times. Information taken from a review by John Beeler in Military Affairs, October 1980 (Vol. 44, No. 3), pp. 152. What appears to be an earlier version of this volume, A History of War and Weapons, 449 to 1660: English Warfare from the Anglo-Saxons to Cromwell (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1966), is reviewed in Military Affairs, Summer 1967 (Vol. 31, No. 2), pp. 95-96, by Caroll Quigley. The reviewer praises this book highly. Her only criticism is that "The chief weakness of this book is its extreme brevity".
Osprey Publications. Osprey has over the past roughly 30 years published various series of publications on military forces and equipment throughout human history. They are published by Osprey, an imprint of Reed Consumer Books. Ltd, Michelin House, 81 Fulham Road, London SW3 6RB. There are seven series: Men-At-Arms, Warrior, New Vanguard, Fortress, Campaign, Essential Histories, and Elite. These publications provide brief, competent surveys of various military forces and their characteristics. Very handy for getting a good mental picture of what the soldiers looked like and what weapons they used-something often neglected by academics writing scholarly works on military history. As Robin Higham comments in Military Affairs, October 1984 (Vol. 48, No. 4), page 206, in a review of the book Armies of the Ottoman Turks, 1300-1774, "These short illustrated histories with the major illustrations described in French and German also provide capsule histories, and in some cases are virtually the only readable modern work for the non-specialist." The particularly relevant publications are:
Snook, George. The Halberd and Other European Polearms 1300-1650. Alexandria Bay, NY: Museum Restoration Service, 1998 (?). This is a short (32 page) monograph on various European polearms, discussing their configurations, construction, origins, and histories. Also provides information on their tactical use. Extensively illustrated. Appears to be a good brochure on the subject. Information taken from a review in Man At Arms, Volume 21, No. 1 (January/February 1999), pp. 44, by Herbert G. Houze. This publication can be found on the web at virtuatheque.free.fr/The%20Halberd%20and%20Other%20European%20Polearms.pdf. Not as thorough as Waldman, but a very good short summary of the subject matter.
Waldman, John. Hafted Weapons in Medieval and Renaissance Europe: The Evolution of European Staff Weapons Between 1200 and 1650. (History of Warfare, number 31). Boston: Brill, 2005. ISBN: 90 04 14409 9. This is an excellent volume, and I am in awe at the detail and scope of the work. It is very useful volume on a subject that, in terms of the sheer variety of weapons involved, is rather complicated and, IMHO, shamefully neglected. Very expensive, though, as are most of the books I have seen from Brill ($180 list price; I got it for half price using discounts at the book store where I bought it). If you are really interested in this particular subject, you need to get this book. There was a review of this volume by a gentleman named Charles Gadda in January of 2007 on Amazon.com at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/9004144099/ref=cm_rev_sort/103-1571254-1007053?customer-reviews.sort_by=-SubmissionDate&s=books&x=4&y=9which I am quoting below in full and which sums up my opinion of the volume:
"This beautifully written and reasonably well-illustrated work fills in a yawning chasm in the subject of Medieval/Renaissance arms & armour scholarship! The main focus of the work is on halberds, but other arms, such as poll axes, bardiches, military forks, and items even more obscure are discussed. In addition, a chapter on the use and effectiveness, primarily of halberds, is present. The author also delves to some extent on the construction details of many of these weapons, which is a subject often flat ignored in many works on arms and armour. Finally, the chapters on restoration, conservation, and collecting such arms are unprecedented in a work of this nature, and very helpful. This book fully earns a five star rating, though there are a few areas I should have liked to see covered: 1. While there is a good discussion on the effectiveness of such weapons, it would have been very useful to see some independent experiments that gauged such things as energy of impact, anti-armour effectiveness (the video cited in the text sounds inadequate) and so forth. Hard data is sorely needed with regards to Medieval arms, and precious little exists. And what does exist often has serious shortcomings. 2. While admittedly beyond the scope of this work, I would have loved to see information on other hafted weapons, such as maces, war hammers, and battle axes, particular later Gothic and Renaissance examples with all steel hafts, a subject that also is poorly covered. 3. Hand in hand with the chapters on conservation and collecting, something discussing quality modern reproductions, such as those put out by Arms & Armor [...] would have been very useful. 4. More details on featured weapons, to include weight and a better sense of overall dimensions (such as blade thicknesses and cross-sections) would have been extremely useful, and is an unfortunate omission. While this book is expensive, it is terribly necessary addition to any serious researcher of Medieval and Renaissance arms and armour."
http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/articles/mcglynn.htm Article by Sean McGlynn, "The Myths of Medieval Warfare", published in History Today, Vol. 44, No. 1 (1994) and reproduced on this web site.
Allmand, Christopher, "The De Re Militari of Vegetius: A Classical Text in the Middle Ages", History Today, Vol. 54, No. 6 (June 2004), pp. 20-25. The author examines the characteristics of this text and its significance as a military textbook in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Bachrach, Bernard S., "Medieval Siege Warfare: A Reconnaissance", The Journal of Military History, January 1994 (Vol. 58, No. 1). An informative article reviewing the literature on medieval sieges and discussing medieval sieges in general. Further comment on this article is found in the July 1994 (Vol. 58, No. 3) edition, pp. 576-577.
Banner,Lois, "The Fashionable Sex, 1100-1600", History Today, Vol. 42, April, 1992, pp. 37-44. Dedicated followers of fashion-or senders of coded messages via the doublet, codpiece, and hose? The author provides an intriguing investigation of how male clothing reflected changing images of power, gender, and sexuality in medieval Europe. Several references here to military clothing.
Caferro, William, "Italy and the Companies of Adventure In the Fourteenth Century", The Historian, Vol. 58, No. 4 (Summer 1996), pp. 794-810. This essay focuses on the impact on Italy of the mercenary bands that rode through Europe in the 14th century. It discusses what recourse was available to towns in guarding against mercenary attacks, and sketches the far-reaching economic and political consequences of what was, along with plague and famine, one of the most severe scourges of the era. This is an informative article that is worth reading.
Cook, Weston F., Jr. "The Cannon Conquest of Nasrid Spain and the End of the Reconquista." The Journal of Military History, January 1993 (Vol. 57, No. 1), pp. 43-70. Discusses in some detail the decisive use of gunpowder technology in the final conquest of the Muslim kingdom in Spain at the end of the 15th century.
Cook, Weston F. Jr., "Warfare and Firearms in Fifteenth Century Morocco, 1400-1492", War and Society, Vol. 11, No. 2 (October 1993), pp. 24-40. An interesting article on the use of gunpowder weapons in Morocco during the 15th century, one of the major root causes of the military revolution in Morocco during the 16th century.
Harari, Yuval Noah. "Strategy and Supply in Fourteenth-Century Western European Invasion Campaigns", The Journal of Military History, April 2000 (Vol. 64, No. 2), pp. 297-333. An outstanding and enlightening article on medieval military logistics in Western Europe in the 1300's. The author's arguments are well reasoned and clearly set out.
Kagay, Donald J. "The Defense of the Crown of Aragon during the War of the Two Pedros (1356-1366)", The Journal of Military History, Vol. 71, No. 1 (January 2007), pp. 11-33. This article focuses on the general strategy of defense developed by the Aragonese king Pere III during the War of the Two Pedros between the Crown of Aragon and Castile, headed by Pedro I "The Cruel". After eight years of fiscal creativity and defensive luck, Pere retained most of his territory but had lost some sovereignty to his parliaments. He then went on the offensive but never effectively defeated Pedro. What the war did accomplish, however, was the establishment of administrative and military forces that would ultimately lead toward a Spanish statehood in the 15th century.
Showalter, Dennis E. "Caste, Skill, and Training: The Evolution of Cohesion in European Armies from the Middle Ages to the Sixteenth Century", The Journal of Military History, July 1993 (Vol. 57, No. 3), pp. 407-430. Explores the structure of medieval Europe's military systems and the factors that held medieval armed forces together in battle and campaign. Very well done, very clearly written. On the web at http://www.deremilitari.org/RESOURCES/ARTICLES/showalter.htm
Stone, John. "Technology, Society, and the Infantry Revolution of the Fourteenth Century", The Journal of Military History, April 2004 (Vol. 68, No. 2), pp. 361-380. This article argues that developments in the technique of infantry warfare during the 14th century were largely a consequence, rather than a cause, of social change. In doing so, the article calls for a new approach to understanding late-medieval military developments, one which is informed by the view that war is powerfully shaped by the societies which wage it. It is one of the best articles I have see arguing against technological determinism.
Ayton, Andrew, and Price, J.L., editors. The Medieval Military Revolution: State, Society, and Military Change in Medieval and Early Modern Europe. London: I.B. Tauris, 1995. This volume contains a good deal of new thinking on assorted military themes; its title promises more than its contents deliver. The editors' introduction sets the scene by outlining the elements of the military revolution which historians have discovered, isolated, and analysed for the early modern period. The kite which the editors fly gives a stimulating overview of the subject. The weakness common to the other contributions is that virtually none of them fit into this editorial schema. The articles in the book were almost all worth publishing; some are important revisionist pieces which any further synthesis will have to take account of. But what most of them have to do with the supposed 'medieval military revolution' remains deeply obscure. Information taken from a review by J. R. Maddicott in English Historical Review, Vol. 112, No. 447 (June 1997), pp. 731-732. In the review is a brief listing and discussion of many of the essays in the book.
Barber, Richard. The Knight and Chivalry. Rochester, NY/Suffolk, UK: Boydell and Brewer, 1995. This is a heavily revised version of the award-winning 1970 edition, and it takes into account much of the serious scholarship published in the field during the quarter century since. Much of this splendidly presented book is devoted, unsurprisingly, to the tournament. Barber provides a wealth of evidence to authentically portray the tournament as both an effective military training ground and a business venture. Barber also usefully discusses the political dimensions of the tournament. The book's great strength lies not only in its treatment of tournaments, but also of literature; it also assuredly handles the interaction between chivalry and church and state. Barber has written an excellent, comprehensive summary of medieval chivalry. Information taken from a review by Sean McGlynn in History Today, Vol. 47, No. 2 (Feb. 1997), pp. 60-61.
Barber, Richard, and Barker, Juliet. Tournaments: Jousts, Chivalry and Pageants in the Middle Ages. New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson; Rochester, NY/Suffolk UK: Boydell and Brewer, 1989. This coffee table book is much more than that. It is well written and meticulously researched, as well as sporting notes, an index and an essential glossary of terms. It is in fact a concentrated history of the Western European phenomenon of the tournament, in which the 'Jousts, Chivalry and Pageants' of the subtitle figure only when directly relevant to the central activity. The authors' plan is broadly chronological, with chapters on different countries followed by analyses of the attitudes of spiritual and temporal powers to tournament, details of tournament arms and armor, and consideration of 'Tournaments as Events'. This is an excellent book. Information taken from a review by Brian Stone in History Today, Vol. 39, December, 1989, page 52.
Boffa, Sergio. Warfare in Medieval Brabant 1356-1406. (Warfare in History). Rochester, NY: Boydell, 2004. What Boffa provides is a richly documented four-part study of how war was conducted and made possible within this single duchy. The first part briefly narrates the military history of the era. Part two outlines the governing structure of the duchy. Part three is devoted to the military combatants. Part four outlines military organization. If it sometimes rehearses familiar themes, Boffa's book has given us a close and important look at this duchy, making military history more than a narrative of campaign and battle. We can hope that he and others building on his work will add further investigations into finance, the social and economic devastation of constant war, and the mentality of those who fought. Information taken from a review by Richard W. Kaeuper in American Historical Review, Vol. 111, No. 1 (February 2006), pp. 250-251.
Bradbury, Jim. The Medieval Siege. Woodbridge, UK/Rochester, NY: Boydell Press, 1992. Well researched and almost too well referenced, this is a useful general study covering the whole Middle Ages. Written in a style likely to appeal to the average reader, Bradbury enables the reader to follow the broad story of the siege from late Roman practice to the age of gunpowder and architectural re-designing which occurred at the end of the Middle Ages. This volume provides a useful summary of the state of our knowledge at this time (1992). Information taken from a review by Christopher Allmand in English Historical Review, Vol. 110, No. 438 (September 1995), pp. 974-975.
Caferro, William. John Hawkwood, An English Mercenary in Fourteenth-Century Italy. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. ISBN: 0-8018-8323-7. In the author's superb biography, Hawkwood's prudence and military abilities go hand in hand and, like the English captain, he skillfully uses his wherewithal to maneuver on the historical battlefield, taking few prisoners. The book is strewn with the corpses of Hawkwood's earlier biographers. As benefits the topic, the book is a narrative of Hawkwood's life from the womb to the tomb-and beyond-founded on an impressive array of archival and primary sources. There is not much to criticize in this sterling piece of work, most of the few mistakes being very minor points. Recommended. Information taken from a review by Niccolo Capponi in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 71, No. 4 (October 2007), pp. 1224-1225.
Contamine, Phillippe; translated from the French by Michael Jones. War In The Middle Ages. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1984. ISBN: 0-631-13142-6. This is one of the best books on medieval warfare ever written. It is a highly scholarly, yet vivid and readable, narrative of medieval warfare from the end of the Roman Empire in the west to the fifteenth century. The book is divided effectively into three parts. Part I is The State of Knowledge: General Characteristics of Medieval Military History. Part II is Themes and Perspectives, and Part III is an excellent bibliography. This is an outstanding volume. Information taken from a review by John Marshall Carter in Military Affairs, July 1986 (Volume 50, No. 3), pp. 156. I have read the book and I generally agree with this reviewer. The only problem I find in the book, based largely on my interest in and knowledge of military material culture, is that the section on arms and armor neglects the arms and armor of the later Middle Ages and should discuss the evolution of arms and armor during all of the Middle Ages, not just the early part. Also reviewed in History Today, Vol. 35 (May, 1985), pp. 55-56, and American Historical Review, Vol. 86, No. 2 (April 1981), pp. 381.
Davis, R. H. C. The Medieval Warhorse: Origin, Development and Redevelopment. London: Thames and Hudson, 1989. The main theme of this book is that breeding the medieval war-horse, a horse capable of bearing a considerable weight of armour, its own and its rider's, was a remarkable achievement. Although more concerned with how the war-horse was bred than with the animal in action, the author nonetheless begins with a concise, and fairly conventional, account of European warfare from the Carolingian period when, he believes, the demand for cavalry increased dramatically, to the seventeenth century, when the proliferation of firearms meant that expensive body-armour, and hence the war-horse, was no longer required. The book is nicely produced, well illustrated, and written in a good style. Information taken from a review by John Gillingham in English Historical Review, Vol. 107, No. 425 (October 1992), pp. 982-983.
DeVries, Kelly. Infantry Warfare in the Early Fourteenth Century: Discipline, Tactics, and Technology. Rochester, NY: Boydell Press, 1996. ISBN 0-85115-567-7. In this volume, the author describes and analyzes battlefield tactics and then uses this analysis to demonstrate that fourteenth century battlefields were dominated by infantry rather than heavy cavalry, and that the tactics that made this domination possible were far more sophisticated than traditional scholarship allows. In doing this, the author has produced a work that will interest not merely medievalists but all students of military history. Information taken from a review by Paul Solon in The Journal of Military History, October 1997 (Vol. 61, No. 4), pp. 798-799. Also reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 103, No. 3 (June 1998), pp. 865-866 and English Historical Review, Vol. 113, No. 453 (September 1998), pp. 975-976.
DeVries, Kelly. Medieval Military Technology. Lewiston: Broadview, 1992. The author has produced a valuable summary of the most important facets of medieval military technology in a form that should prove valuable for teaching purposes. In four separate sections, DeVries provides a discussion of arms and armor, a history of artillery, a treatment of medieval fortifications, and a concluding section on the warship. Encyclopedic rather than analytical, each section brings together research published in sometimes obscure books and journals. An excellent and useful book. Information taken from a review by James Murray in American Historical Review, Vol. 99, No. 1 (Feb., 1994), pp. 211.
DeVries, Kelly, and Smith, Robert Douglas. The Artillery of the Dukes of Burgundy, 1363-1477. Rochester, NY: Boydell Press, 2005. ISBN: 1-84383-1627. The impressive iron and copper-alloy medieval guns in European museums are brought to life in this book. The book's goal is "to put together a coherent framework for the development of gunpowder weaponry throughout the fifteenth century from a synthesis of the available evidence: contemporary narrative, documentary sources, and surviving examples. The first of the book's four chapters addresses the controversial question of when gunpowder weapons were introduced into European warfare. Chapter 2 is the most extensive of the four chapters and provides a close examination of the impressive build-up of the Burgundian artillery train in 1363-1477. Chapter 3 provides a useful lexicon of medieval guns and gunnery. Chapter 4, an "Illustrated Catalogue of the Surviving [Medieval] Guns", features black and white photos as well as line drawings. While the reviewer notes some problems with the analysis, overall he gives the book a good review. Information taken from a review by Albert D. McJoyn in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 72, No. 1 (January 2008, pp. 228-230.
Fowler, Kenneth. Medieval Mercenaries: The Great Companies, Volume I. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2001. ISBN 0-631-15886-3. This tells the story of the English and French soldiers who, suddenly finding themselves out of work after the treaty of Bretigny in 1360, formed "Great Companies" which alternated between fighting for pay and terrorizing France. Those who drifted into Italy will be dealt with in Volume II. There are some subjects not treated fully but, overall, this book is a valuable contribution. Fowler's research is awe-inspiring: he uses published materials in eight languages and manuscripts from dozens of archives. His ability to sift through these data to construct narratives of the various companies is quite impressive, and his treatment of Iberian affairs is particularly good. Certain key archival documents are transcribed in valuable appendixes. The volume is well produced, with many fine maps. Information taken from a review by Clifford J. Rogers in History: Reviews of New Books, Vol. 30, No. 1 (Fall 2001), pp. 27.
France, John. Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades, 1000-1300. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1999. France's book is an overview and synthesis of Western warfare in this period. It adopts, in the main, a thematic approach and covers not just the obvious topics, such as the recruitment of troops, sieges, and battles in the field: among the less familiar subjects treated are metallurgical developments, the provision of food supplies, transport, and the qualities demanded of a successful commander. Medieval warfare is also set in political, social, and economic contexts, with an examination of the causes and objectives of war. There are some problems with this volume, but it is, in the main, a useful work. Information taken from a review by A. J. Forey in American Historical Review, Vol. 105, No. 2 (April 2000), pp. 596-597. Also reviewed in English Historical Review, Vol. 115, No. 464 (November 2000), pp. 1265.
Forey, Alan. The Military Orders from the Twelfth to the Early Fourteenth Centuries. London: Macmillan, 1992. The author has produced an original book, succinct yet erudite, which explores the internal and institutional histories of the Orders while never losing sight of their context. At every turn there are new insights or clarification of old observations. Few will be unimpressed by this authoritative survey. In unadorned style, densely packed with learning, it provides a most valuable account of the myriad features of these organizations. Information taken from a review by C. J. Tyerman in English Historical Review, Vol. 110, No. 436 (April 1995), pp. 444-445.
Housley, Norman. Religious Warfare in Europe, 1400-1536. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. This book is based on wide and catholic reading in several languages; it has plenty to say for itself but is generous in acknowledging the work of others. It is to be welcomed particularly for the open-minded and well-informed way in which he views radical religious movements of the period, evaluating not only how they dealt with attempts to wage religious war against them, but also with the problem of whether their own military struggles would be considered to be religious wars. Housley discusses late-medieval ideas about the Turks, but does not enter far into the practical results of the hostilities between the two religions. He tends to think that, rather than unite the Christians, the Turkish menace tended further to divide them. He concedes the slippery nature of the concept of religious war, but offers an able analysis of its practical and ideological manifestations in this period between the Council of Basel and the Lutheran Schism that was to see the end of the holy wars in their old form. This is a solid and useful volume. Information taken from a review by Peter Partner in English Historical Review, Vol. 119, No. 480 (February 2004), pp. 189-190. Also reviewed in History: Reviews of New Books, Vol. 31, No. 2 (Winter 2003), pp. 77.
Hyland, Ann. The Medieval Warhorse from Byzantium to the Crusades. Stroud: Alan Sutton, 1994. The author combines judicious use of an impressive array of primary sources and archaeological evidence with field experiments and a profound knowledge of horsemanship and equine behaviour. The central theme of this book is the part played by the horsed warrior in shaping the history of Europe and neighbouring regions from the disintegration of the Roman empire to the mid-thirteenth century. This is a substantial and wide-ranging study. Breadth of compass is one of its undoubted strengths. Information taken from a review by Andrew Ayton in English Historical Review, Vol. 112, No. 445 (April 1997), pp. 430-431.
Kaufmann, J.E., and Kaufmann, H.W. The Medieval Walled Fortress; Castles, Forts, and Walled Cities of the Middle Ages. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press (A member of the Persus Book Group), 2004 (originally published by Combined Publishing, 2001). ISBN: 0-306-81358-0. I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it is a techie's delight. It uses very detailed line drawings illustrating numerous details of the elements of a castle, and the explanations are very clear. There are numerous photos and site diagrams which are put forth quite well. The different approaches to building fortifications in various parts of Europe are well described and illustrated. From that point of view, it is an invaluable volume for the student of military history. On the other hand, the portions of the book putting this subject matter in broader historical perspective is, to my mind, inadequate, sketchy, and repetitive. From that point of view, the volume is disappointing. In sum, I would recommend this book highly in terms of providing technical information on the characteristics of medieval fortifications, but the provisioning of historical context needs work.
Keen, Maurice, ed. Medieval Warfare. A History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN: 0 19 820639 9. The surveys of various chronological periods of medieval warfare provided in this volume are of immense value to students because they provide a scholarly up-to-date and readable overview of nearly a millennium of military development. While the volume does not deal with every aspect of European warfare in this era, it is a highly useful and informative overall view of the subject, aimed at a wide audience. Information taken from a review by Anne Curry in War In History, Vol. 9, No. 2 (April 2002), pp. 219-221.
Keen, Maurice. Chivalry. New Haven/London: Yale University Press, 1984, 1986 (pb.). This book is welcome and important. The central argument is that, pace John Huzinga and in spite of the romances and the apparent phoniness of tournaments and jousts, chivalry was something real. Now we have what could be the definitive work on the subject for this (circa 1987) generation. This is a splendid book written with great enthusiasm, easy to read, and reflecting a wide scholarship. Information taken from a review by Christopher Allmand in English Historical Review, Vol. 102, No. 402 (January 1987), pp. 184-186.
Keen, M. H. The Laws of War in the Late Middle Ages. Toronto: University of Toronto Press; London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1965. This volume has a far wider interest and significance than its title may at first suggest. Mr. Keen's broad and deep study of the law of arms, based as it is on the sources of the Hundred Years War between England and France in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, sheds new light upon Western society both in that period and throughout the Middle Ages. There can be no doubt of the importance to the general medieval historian of a knowledge of these matters. This volume is a heartening example of the importance of so called "specialist" research. The only criticism is the seemingly ambiguous use of the word "soldier", which presumably in this context usually means knight or gentleman or noble, rather than the common man in arms. Information taken from a review by R. Allen Brown in English Historical Review, Vol. 81, No. 321 (October 1966), pp. 816.
Keen, Maurice. Nobles, Knights and Men-at-Arms in the Middle Ages. London: The Hambledon Press, 1996. Keen's book is an invaluable mine of information. This collection of scholarly papers ranges from the early 1960's to the 1990's. Themes in these papers, very deftly treated, include the legal restraints (effective or otherwise) on the conduct of combatants, the divisions of the spoils of war and the practical applications and limits of chivalry in times of armed conflict. A recurring theme throughout these essays is the wholly apposite emphasis on the symbiotic relationship between war and chivalry. The volume clearly emphasizes the primary role of the knight-as a soldier-and strips away the romance of chivalry to reveal its true self-serving (and self-preserving) purpose: to provide both a high measure of safety to chevaliers and the opportunity to profit from the misery of war. Keen also examines closely the process of legalization chivalry underwent. Throughout, Keen's realism is very apparent, but it is never drowned by cynicism. Information taken from a review by Sean McGlynn in History Today, Vol. 47, No. 2 (Feb. 1997), pp. 60-61. Interesting to contrast this book with Keen's 1984 Chivalry which, as near as I can tell from the reviewers of the two volumes, has a much more positive approach to chivalry than this 1996 work.
Mallett, Michael. Mercenaries and their Masters: Warfare in Renaissance Italy. London; Totowa NJ: The Bodley Head, 1974. In this volume, the author has written a concise and reliable guide to the way in which armies were organized and warfare conducted in Italy in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. He claims, with a measure of justice, that too much attention has been given to the lives and deeds of individual condottieri. There is indeed plenty to be gleaned about them in this book, but the author's concern is to set them within the 'institutional framework" within which they operated and to show how they were gradually brought into closer and more permanent relation to the needs of the governments that employed them. In a neat and accurate description of the stages of transition, from the largely citizen armies of the thirteenth century through the periods dominated first by the independent Companies and then by the freelance Captains, the relevance of the changing political structure is consistently brought out. Professor Mallet has set out to be comprehensive at the risk of seeming episodic. The book succeeds most admirably in bringing together the fruits of recent work, presenting them in a clear and easily digestible way, and pointing the road for future inquiry. It is written with lightly worn learning and shrewdness of judgement. Information taken from a review by D. M. Bueno De Mesquita in English Historical Review, Vol. 90, No. 357 (October 1975), pp. 887-888.
Needham, Joseph. Science and Civilization in China; Volume 5: Chemistry and Chemical Technology; part 7: Military Technology: The Gunpowder Epic. Assisted by Ho Ping-Yu, et. al. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1986. This authoritative volume outlines the Chinese origins of gunpowder, guns, and rockets and then traces both their transmission to the West and their eventual reintroduction to China. The scholarly achievement is impressive, particularly when one considers the linguistic challenges posed by the sources, which often use a single term to describe quite different objects (trebuchets and cannons, for example). Overcoming such difficulties, however, the authors provide precise descriptions and good dates for the Chinese discoveries. By providing a firm historical baseline of the development of firearms technology in China, it prepares the way for others to show either how it changed that society or why it did not. Information taken from a review by Arthur Waldron in American Historical Review, Vol. 94, No. 2 (April 1989), pp. 501-502.
Nicholson, Helen. Medieval Warfare. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. This book employs the full scholarly apparatus: her wide-ranging and detailed footnote references make her book particularly useful for students; the ,author's extensive reading is clear and impressive. Six succinct and highly informative chapters cover theory, practice, personnel, equipment, buildings and naval warfare. Nicholson readily concedes that in a relatively short book such as this, it is inevitable that some areas do not receive enough coverage. Overall, however, the book is well balanced. Despite its relative brevity, the volume conveys a convincing sense of comprehension, while adeptly avoiding cluttering the text with dense facts and figures. A particular strength of the book is that, not only does it afford the opportunity to include many revealing, colorful and oft-overlooked examples from the early medieval period,it also serves to show just how little warfare changed over the whole medieval period, thereby questioning further the increasingly challenged concept of a military revolution in the late medieval period. Nicholson has produced a masterful synthesis which offers a perfect summation of revisionist and post-revisionist scholarship on warfare in the middle ages. Information taken from a review by Sean McGlynn in English Historical Review, Vol. 121, No. 493 (Sept. 2006), pp. 1160-1161. I've read the book and agree with the review, although with the proviso that it should not be the first book on medieval warfare read by the historical novice.
Nicholson, Helen, ed. The Military Orders. Vol. II: Welfare and Warfare. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate, 1998. This book sets new standards. The editing is superb and all the contents of considerable range, value, and interest. Thirty-three papers are presented in four parts, on Welfare, Warfare, Life Within the Military Orders, and Relations with the Outside World, admirably completed with a Select Bibliography and Index. Information taken from a review by K. S. B. Keats-Rohan in English Historical Review, Vol. 115, No. 461 (April 2000), pp. 437-438. This review provides a good brief discussion of several of the essays included in the volume.
Nicolle, David; Plates by Richard Hook. The Mongol Warlords. London: Brockhampton Press, 1998 (originally published Dorset, UK: Firebird Books, 1990). ISBN: 1 86019 4079. The irruption of the Mongols into Asia, the Middle East, and Europe in the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries had profound repercussions, both at the time and into the present day. This is a well done, broad popular historical survey of the life and times of four of the best known of the Mongol conquerors-Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan, Hulegu, and Tamerlane. The book is clearly and simply written, copiously illustrated, and well organized. There are some good sections on the equipment and tactics of the soldiers who fought for the Mongols. It is by no means the definitive work on the development and expansion of the Mongol kingdoms, but it is a good place to start.
Nossov, Konstantin. Ancient and Medieval Siege Weapons: A Fully Illustrated Guide to Siege Weapons and Tactics. Guilford, CT: The Lyons Press, 2005. ISBN: 1 59228 710 7. First, the review should start with what this book is not. It is not an analytical historical study of ancient and medieval siege weapons and their utilization. Nor, in the space available, should that be expected for such a vast subject. . It instead has a brief overview of the history of the subject up to about 1500 for Europe and the Middle East, and some of the basics of the tactics of siege warfare and the defense against it. Central to the volume is its description of various siege engines. The writing style is OK, if a bit plodding, but part of that may be translation of the volume into English from the original Russian. The great value of this volume lies in its clear (for the most part) treatment of every major type of siege weapon of the ancient and medieval world in a systematic and organized fashion, complete with a plethora of illustrations-some not so clear, but with many excellent ones, especially the color plates. I learned a lot from this book. It is not the final definitive word on the subject, and the style and organization could be improved. Still, overall, I highly recommend it for the person who wants to learn about the siege weapons of this era.
Oman, Sir Charles W. C. The Art of War in the Middle Ages: A.D. 378-1515. 2 volumes. Revised and edited by John H. Beeler. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1953. First published in two volumes in 1924. There have many different editions of the work; this is but one. Oman's volumes are a standard text on medieval military history. They are particularly strong on accounts of battles and campaigns. While there has been much reinterpretation on the characteristics of medieval warfare since these volumes were written, they are still good solid volumes and very much worth reading. Beeler's edit is reviewed in Military Affairs, Vol. 17, No. 4 (Winter 1953), page 199.
Prescott, William H., ed. by Albert D. McJoynt. The Art of War in Spain: The Conquest of Grenada. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1995. While a 19th century work, this is still the best recounting of this war available in English, and includes concern for the social, economic, and cultural aspects regarded integral to "new" military history. But this is no ordinary reprint. The introductions by editor McJoynt provide a brilliant survey of the evolution of three hundred years of war-making in Europe and western Islam. He seems to have covered literally every book, article, war, battle, tactical innovations, technological improvement, vocabulary issue, and naval development revolving around the Granadan war and its era. His succinct coverage of late medieval warfare makes The Art of War in Spain an extremely valuable work for any person interested in military history in general-and in good writing. Information taken from a review by Weston F. Cook, Jr., in The Journal of Military History, January 1996 (Vol. 60, No. 1), pp. 152-153.
Santosuosso, Antonio, Barbarians, Marauders and Infidels: The Ways of Medieval Warfare. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2004 The author argues that for the most part warfare in the Middle Ages-whether on the part of Christians or Muslims-was carried out for God, personal gain and honor, and discusses how charismatic leaders, the church and the aristocracy managed the art and practice of war. Information taken from a brief unattributed review provided in History Today, Vol. 54, No. 11 (Nov. 2004), page 64. There are also positive reviews on the web: http://www.militaryink.com/books/2004/may/0813391539.htm There is also a positive review by Clifford J. Rogers in History: Reviews of New Books, Vol. 33, No. 3 (Spring 2005), pp. 115-116. Rogers' final comment in his review is "Santosuosso writes with admirable vigor and color. Readers looking for an enjoyable but serious first introduction to medieval warfare may therefore find this book their best choice. Those who want something weightier will be better off with one of the books by one of the authors mentioned at the beginning of this review."
Saunders, Frances Stonor. The Devil's Broker: Seeking God, Gold, and Glory in Fourteenth- Century Italy. New York: Fourth Estate, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2004. ISBN: 0-06-077729-X. This book discusses the various military companies of mercenaries that plagued Italy in the late 1300's. The volume is centered around the life and times of John Hawkwood, the best known of the leaders of these companies. It is not precisely a military history, nor is it the definitive history of the military history of this era, but it is a well-written and interesting volume. It is a good account of this difficult era in Italy and provides a good feel for the military events of this time and place. The same volume, under a different title- Hawkwood, Diabolical Englishman, was published London: Faber and Faber, 2004, ISBN: 0- 571-21908-X and is reviewed by R.J. Knecht in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 69, No. 4 (October 2005), pp. 1199-1200. The following comment made in the review is one which I agree with: "What is clear is the absence of manuscript sources and a heavy reliance on printed material, both primary and secondary. Literary sources loom large in her [the author's] text. For this reason the book, scholarly and readable as it is, has little new to offer the military historian on Hawkwood as a soldier and tactician; its main interest lies in the vivid, not to say lurid, picture it offers of everyday life in medieval Italy."
Urban, William. Medieval Mercenaries: The Business of War. London: Greenhill Books; St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing Company, 2006. ISBN-13: 978-185367-697-0; ISBN-10: 1-85367-697-7. This book is decidedly a mixed bag and, for that reason, I am going to give it some extra attention and a longer review than usual. On the one hand, on the web site http://department.monm.edu/history/urban/books/medieval_mercenaries_reviews.htm , , one reviewer, Syd Wigzell states "The scope of Greenhill's military history books has been enhanced by the publication of this work by the noted American scholar, William Urban. It is indeed a fitting companion to another recent Greenhill publication, The Art of Renaissance Warfare. Medieval Mercenaries is more a social commentary than a nuts and bolts manual of warfare, although strategy and tactics do receive due attention. The author succeeds in establishing why kings, dukes and other similar potentates relied on mercenaries to defend or expand their territory before massed national armies existed. The diversity of solutions to the problems of recruitment, payment, logistics and disbandment are ably covered, as is the philosophical question as to why mercenaries and bodyguards are so widely employed in the world today. This is one of those user-friendly books that can be opened at random by busy people and read a dozen or so pages at a time. This means the reader will be rewarded by becoming acquainted with little known but fascinating aspects of European history, including numerous power-brokers, crusaders, warriors, plotters, cynical alliances and such that would rival anything Byzantine. The author injects into the saga the novelty of a literary perspective of these times by quoting from the works of the likes of Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Shakespeare. The informatively annotated illustrations are an education in themselves which, when taken with the text, can only heighten the reader's grasp of European history and establish mercenaries as a fact of life. In short, this is a different kind of history book that is highly recommended for the curious or for the academic researcher". Yet another review, from http://shyuechou.blogspot.com/2007/06/medieval-mercenaries-how-will-i-even.html "This unpretentious book is a conversational piece about the role of mercenaries in various wars during the Middle Ages, quoting extensive from popular culture, Shakespeare and more. It describes the role of mercenaries in the Hundred Years War, the Baltic Crusades, the Italian Wars and more with some analysis as to how the mercenaries were viewed, who they were and more. It places mercenaries in the context and framework of the socio-political map. While conversational, it will bewilder readers who are unfamiliar with mention of the lesser known conflicts while delight readers who are familiar with them. Secondly, it can deter while it meanders all over. Even then, it was good, fast, lightweight read." Other reviewers are not so kind: "Covers a lot of ground, but canters over it far too superficially. Urban seems more interested in later attitudes to mercenaries (not that he says anything very profound about those) than in trivial details like who they were, how they were recruited, paid, fought. For example, he gives more space to a precis of Conan Doyle's "White Company" than to the deeds of the historical White Company. If that's what you want, fine; if not, look elsewhere." "The book is an eclectic series of anecdotes, without much of analyses or insight, and not always accurate." "Perhaps the author was contractually obligated to deliver another book to the publisher; otherwise I see no reason for it to have been written. It reads like a junior's term paper, skimming over the period with the grossest of generalizations and no citations of sources. Because the sources are, in fact, inadequate to provide the depth and detail that the average reader would expect to find in a title like this, Urban pads them with fictional sources and tries to pass it off with the repeated excuse that fictional representations are at least as responsible as reality for forming modern notions of mercenaries. While this may be true, I picked up the book (for $10 from the History Book Club) expecting to get the straight dope; instead, I get quotations from Shakespeare. In short, if you want to know about medieval mercenaries, you'll learn practically nothing from this book. I've read the book, and I fall between the two stools. I learned a lot from it, especially about use of mercenaries in campaigns in the late medieval Baltic. This, IMHO, is an area of European military history sorely neglected in the English language historical literature and Dr. Urban has really made a major contribution with his several works on this topic. There is a lot of useful information and the treatment of fictional sources is a useful approach to the subject-I'd like to see more of this in other works of military history. However, my impression of the volume is that it needs much tighter organization, and the criticism of the book that it is "an eclectic series of anecdotes" is something I must agree with to a certain extent. I also have some discomfort with the treatment of Renaissance mercenaries in the book. I feel that it didn't go far enough, on the one hand, and maybe shouldn't have been included. Bottom line: read this book, but don't expect the final, definitive work on the subject.
Vale, Malcolm. War and Chivalry. Athens, GA: The University of Georgia Press, 1981; also London: Duckworth, 1981. The book's subtitle admirably summarizes its contents: "Warfare and Aristocratic Culture in England, France and Burgundy at the End of the Middle Ages". Vale argues very solidly that heavy cavalry was at this time still very important on the battlefield, that tournaments still had worth for military training, and that the chivalric orders still in the 1400's could be used, and were used, as instruments for politics. None of these points is entirely new, but they have never before been so accessibly brought together in a book which is both finely produced and sensibly illustrated. Taken together they comprise a powerful assault on Huizinga's concept of The Waning of the Middle Ages. For Huizinga and his followers the elaborate display of late medieval chivalry was a symptom of its loss of contact with reality and was in decline. Vale disputes this successfully. Information taken from a review by John Gillingham in History Today, Vol. 32, April 1982, page 52. Also reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 87, No. 2 (April 1982), pp. 433-434.
Verbruggen, J.F. The Art of Warfare in Western Europe During the Middle Ages from the Eighth Century to 1340. Second edition, revised and enlarged. Trans. Col. S. Willard and Mrs. R.W. Southern. New York: Boydell Press, 1997. ( first published 1954). ISBN: 0-85115-630-4. A very solid and well-crafted book on medieval warfare, competently translated into English in this edition. Deals primarily with battles and campaigns. Siege warfare is not discussed, nor are the "society" aspects of War and Society. But, as the reviewer in The Journal of Military History puts it, "for medieval strategy and tactics there is nothing better than this book". Information taken from a review by Kelly DeVries in The Journal of Military History, January 1998 (Vol. 62, No. 1), pp. 193-195. There was an edition in 1977, published Amsterdam: North Holland, 1977. Reviewed in Military Affairs, October 1978 (Vol. 42, No. 3), pp. 164, by Carroll Gillmor, who, while praising the book overall, points out some problems in explaining the transition from the infantry of the ancient world to the cavalry of the Middle Ages. Also reviewed in The Historian, Vol. 61, No. 3 (Spring 1999), pp. 723-24.
Verbruggen, J.F. (ed. Kelly Devries and tr. David Richard Ferguson), The Battle of the Golden Spurs: Courtrai, 11 July 1302. Woodbridge, UK: The Boydell Press, 2002. ISBN: 0 85115 888 9. This is a translation of a meticulous and influential study of the battle of Courtrai written in the 1950's. Verbruggen's methodology-an exhaustive sifting of all the major sources for the battle, weighing and contrasting them with each other in order to iron out inconsistencies-was exemplary, a model for future generations. Not only was the volume an account of the battle, but it was set in its political context. While, in retrospect, it seems to be rather biased in favor of the Flemings, all in all it is a good solid account of the battle. One rather surprising aspect of this translation is that it was done without any indication of how the historiography of late medieval warfare in general, or indeed of the battle of Courtrai itself, has changed in the past half century, especially since the editor of the volume, Kelly Devries, has challenged some of Verbruggen's interpretations. Information taken from a review in War In History, Vol. 13, No. 3 (July 2006), pp. 389-390.
http://www.deremilitari.org/RESOURCES/ARTICLES/rogers.htm Web reprint of an article by Clifford J. Rogers, "The Military Revolutions of the Hundred Years' War", from The Journal of Military History, Volume 57 (1993).
Allmand, Christopher. The Hundred Years War: England and France at War, c. 1300-c. 1450. (Cambridge Medieval Textbooks). New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988. This is a very well done brief history of the Hundred Years War. The opening chapter gives an admirably lucid summary of the causes and progress of the war itself. This may be the most readable short survey of the campaigns yet written. In the following six chapters, Allmand interprets the war in a variety of contexts: attitudes to war, both popular and learned; the conduct of war; the institutions of war; the socioeconomic effects of war; the connection between war and nascent nationalism; war and literature. Each of these topics is well chosen, and each chapter would give a student (at any level) a good introduction. There are some problems with the book to be found. But such criticisms (and those every specialist can bring against a small general book on a broad theme) should not reduce the sense that this is a valuable book. It will be widely used as a starting place for the study of this significant period of Anglo-French conflict. Information taken from a review by Richard Kauper in American Historical Review, Vol. 94, No. 4 (October 1989), pp. 1078-1079.
Ayton, Andrew, and Preston, Philip. The Battle of Crecy. Rochester, NY: Boydell Press, 2005. ISBN: 1-184383-115-5. The Battle of Crecy traces its beginnings to a conference held at Crecy in 1998, and includes papers presented at the conference, but contains also chapters written by the authors for this volume. The ten essays, all written in (or translated into) English, are divided into five sections: an introduction, "The Campaign", "The Battle", "The English", "The French", and "Sources and Problems of Interpretation". While some will likely disagree with some of the conclusions reached in these essays, this book is a useful addition to the literature and worth reading by anyone with any interest in its topic. Information taken from a review by Charles Chandler in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 69, No. 4 (October 2005), pp. 1198-1199. Also reviewed in English Historical Review, Vol. 121, No. 492 (June 2006), pp. 908-909.
Curry, Anne. The Battle of Agincourt: Sources and Interpretations. Woodbridge, UK: The Boydell Press, 2000. The author has performed a valuable service to scholars, teachers and general readers by compiling this comprehensive source book for Henry V's Agincourt campaign of 1415. The range of material cited, all of it in English translation, is impressive, including not only the more familiar narrative accounts from the chronicles but also a selection of literary texts, as well as extracted administrative and financial documents, all supported by helpful commentaries and notes. Diplomatic documents, which could shed light on war aims and objectives are, however, not incorporated. There is a useful discussion of mythologizing by Tudor historians, and an interesting, if somewhat overlong, account of the historiography of the subject from the eighteenth to the twenty-first centuries. Information taken from a review by Malcolm Vale in English Historical Review, Vol. 117, No. 471 (February 2002), pp. 458-459.
Curry, Anne. Agincourt: A New History. Stroud, UK: Tempus, 2005. Professor Curry's book is a sequel to her The Battle of Agincourt: Sources and Interpretations (2000). It is an extremely detailed analysis of the siege of Harfleur, Henry V's march to Calais, and the battle itself. The chronicle sources are systematically compared, with each other and with the administrative records, on both the French and the English sides. The interpretation is skillfully done. There are useful maps and full and informative appendices; they include, astonishingly, some 8,000 names of English participants. The author knows the territory well. Unlike much military history, this book is lucidly written. This is all face-to-face military history. Recommended. Information taken from a review by C. S. L. Davies in English Historical Review, Vol. 121, No. 491 (pp. 518-520).
Curry, Anne. The Hundred Years War. London: Macmillan, 1993. The author's stated aim is to provide a diplomatic perspective on the Hundred Years War in the broad context of the international relations of the period, and in this she largely succeeds, and does so with some panache. The war (and peace) aims of successive English and French rulers are expertly anatomized, and the peripheral conflicts to which their struggle gave rise, or with which they became involved, are deftly disentangled. The different phases of the conflict are boldly characterized and readers will be in no danger of losing the thread of argument, despite the volume of information conveyed. The only problem with the book is that it is somewhat too Anglocentric. Information taken from a review by J. J. N. Palmer in English Historical Review, Vol. 111, No. 441 (April 1996), pp. 438.
Curry, Anne., and Hughes, Michael. (eds.), Arms, Armies, and Fortifications in the Hundred Years' War. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press, 1994. This volume attempts to move the focus of research away from the 'war and society' approach and back to the mainstream study of armies, the arms they used, and the defences used against them. It is a good volume. There are useful, in some cases very useful, contributions in this collection. Information taken from a review by Christopher Allmand in English Historical Review, Vol. 112, No. 446 (April 1997), pp.447. In the review is a brief listing and discussion of many of the essays in the book.
Livingstone, Marilyn, and Witzel, Morgen. The Road to Crecy: The English Invasion of France, 1346. London: Pearson Education, 2005. ISBN: 0-528-78420-4. The books begins well, describing the armament, constitution, and tactics of the opposing forces. After delineating the strategic circumstances of the war, the book turns to the beginning of the campaign in 1346. The story of the campaign is well told, but offers little new battle analysis. The description of the mobilization and supply of the force is the book's greatest strength. In short, the book provides an accessible and informative, but ultimately redundant, account of a heroic tale in English history. It has both the strengths and weaknesses expected in a work from writers with little previous experience who are well read but insensitive to the complexities and breadth of recent scholarship. The general reader may be satisfied, but professional military historians will reply on other recent or soon to appear works. Information taken from a review by Paul Solon in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 69, No. 4 (October 2005), pp. 1197-1198.
Seward, Desmond. The Hundred Years War: The English in France, 1337-1453. Reprint. New York: Antheneum, 1982. The author has provided a good popular readable account of the Hundred Years War. While the book avoids analysis and qualifications and has certain problems from a historical point of view, it is a good narrative history of the subject. Information taken from a review by Michael Powicke in American Historical Review, Vol. 88, No. 4 ((October 1983), pp. 968-969.
Sumption, Jonathan. The Hundred Years War: Trial by Battle. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992. This is the first of a multi-volume narrative of the Hundred Years War. It examines the beginnings of these wars through the capture of the town of Calais in August of 1347, and its immediate aftermath. Sumption's history is an extremely detailed descriptive narrative. His book is not analytical, and he intends it to be this way. Within the study, however, is explanation of the war and a subtle analysis. No single scholar or group of historians has (as of 1992) ever attempted to write a multivolume study of this war. Because Sumption has decided on a narrative that often moves day by day, and which is built on extensive examination of documentary materials, he has provided a picture of events that we have not possessed before. Not only are previously ignored military campaigns detailed but also their destructive impact on local social conditions is related. This is an excellent work. Information taken from a review by Kenneth Madison in American Historical Review, Vol. 99, No. 1 (Feb., 1994), pp. 213. Also reviewed in English Historical Review, Vol. 106, No. 421 (October 1991), pp. 945-947.
Sumption, Jonathan. The Hundred Years War. Vol. II: Trial By Fire. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. This volume tells the story of the Hundred Years War from 1347 to 1369. Largely eschewing footnote references to a huge secondary literature, preferring to point to the contemporary documentary evidence on which serious discussion must be based, Sumption has cast his net wide; little has escaped his attention. Sumption steers his way with impressive authority and drive through a mountain of information, providing a wonderfully clear and comprehensive synthesis of a turbulent and confusing period. Every theater of war from Scotland to Spain receives its due, as do the major players. But perhaps Sumption's most notable achievement is to make sense of the apparently chaotic movements and activities of the free-booting companies which sprang into being in so many parts of France. The book has almost fifty excellent and clear maps and plans to accompany the text. A recommended work. invaluable. Information taken from a review by Michael Jones in English Historical Review, Vol. 115, No. 464 (November 2000), pp. 1280-1281.
Villalon, L. J. Andrew, and Kagay, Donald J., eds. The Hundred Years War: A Wider Focus. (History of Warfare, No. 25). Boston: Brill, 2005. 520pp. This appears to be a collection of essays on various aspects of the Hundred Years War, but primarily on a variety of topics which are relevant, but not normally treated in the literature on this war. There is a list of the authors of the essays included, and the topics, in American Historical Review, Vol. 110, No. 4 (Oct. 2005), pp. 1302.
Wagner, John A. Encyclopedia of the Hundred Years War. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2006. ISBN: 0-313-32736-X. Of the 256 entries in this encyclopedia, 104 are biographical, 30 cover individual battles, and 21 deal with particular peace treaties, truces, or peace conferences. Only 13 treat sieges or capture of fortified places. Other entries cover a diverse range of topics, both expected and unexpected. Other that the disproportionate attention given to battles over sieges, the entry list is well conceived. There are also a few general maps, some genealogies, chronological lists of battles, sieges, campaigns, rulers, and popes, constables and marshals, and holders of select noble titles, and a handy 22 page overall chronology. The bibliography is reasonably extensive and up-to-date. The entries are unusually uniform in length and are solid. This book is intended to be a convenient reference source for basic information, and it meets that goal well. Information taken from a review by Clifford J. Rogers in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 71, No. 3 (July 2007), pp. 913-914.
Wright, Nicholas. Knights and Peasants: The Hundred Years War in the French Countryside. Rochester, NY: The Boydell Press, 1998. ISBN: 0 85115 535 9. This exciting and provocative book eschews the conventional political narrative of the Hundred Years' War. Nor is this a study of the big battalions and well-trodden campaigns. Instead, a new interpretative framework is set up, defining an entirely different, underlying dimension: a series of highly localized clashes between military adventurers and the rural population. It is the harsh reality of this often unseen and largely forgotten war that Wright vividly brings to life. Overall, this courageous, well written book provides us with a ground-breaking survey. It brings out a story of the Hundred Years War that has long needed to be told, and as such will deservedly form an essential addition to our reading on the subject. Information taken from a review by Michael K. Jones in History Today, Vol. 50, No. 5 (May 2000), pp. 57-58. Also reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 106, No. 1 (February 2001), pp. 240-241 and English Historical Review, Vol. 114, No. 458 (September 1999), pp. 957-958.
Christiansen, Eric. The Northern Crusades: The Baltic and the Catholic Frontier, 1100-1525. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1980. In this volume, Christiansen describes the series of campaigns by Germans and Scandinavians against non-Christians in the Baltic region between the twelfth and the sixteenth centuries. He argues persuasively that, insofar as their participants had a common cause, the crusading ideal defined it, and that it is "legitimate to treat 300 years of diverse warfare as the story of one recurrent phenomenon, and to deal more with the ideas and organization that provided the unifying theme than with the other motives and concerns of the crusaders". While there are problems with citations, the book reflects an admirable control over a large section of primary sources. The account of the various events are often vivid, written well, and avoid bias. It is a well done volume which fills a gap in the existing literature. Information taken from a review by Francis R. Swietek in The Historian, Vol. 44, No. 3 (May 1982), pp. 387-388. Also reviewed in Military Affairs, April 1984 (Vol. 48, No. 2), pp. 96, English Historical Review, Vol. 97, No. 382 (January 1982, pp. 122-124, and American Historical Review, Vol. 86, No. 4 (October 1981), pp. 830-831.
Ellenblum, Ronnie. Crusader Castles and Modern Histories. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-521-86083-3. This is a highly important study of both the historiography of castle building in the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem and of the evolution of the castles themselves. The work begins with a survey or how nationalists and colonialist discourses appropriated the legacy of crusading architecture and archaeology and used it to reflect their contemporary agendas. In the second half of the book the author explains how the castles developed and breads the twelfth century down into three periods: first, an age of Frankish conquest and intensive warfare (1099-1115); then a largely peaceful era (1115-67); and finally a time of increasing pressure from the Muslims (1167-87). Enhanced by numerous maps and plans, it is this framework that underpins his analysis of the evolution of castles. While there are some problems with the closing arguments, overall this book is recommended for its splendid survey of the historiography, its provocative questioning of accepted "truths" about Frankish fortresses and its incisive and convincing re-interpretation of the history of the crusader castle in the twelfth century. Information taken from a review by Jonathan Phillips in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 71, No. 4 (October 2007), pp. 1218-1219.
France, John. Victory in the East: A Military History of the First Crusade. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994. This volume is a welcome addition to the literature, because, in it, the author answers questions concerning how crusading armies succeeded in marching across Anatolia, in defeating seemingly formidable Turkish forces arrayed against them, in capturing such daunting fortifications as Antioch, and in establishing a series of principalities in the Levant, all questions demanding serious answers, especially in light of persistent notions concerning the ineffective nature of European warfare during the entire Middle Ages. France puts special emphasis on the role of infantry in medieval war and demonstrates how important the infantry was in the Crusader victories. An excellent volume. Information taken from a review by Charles R. Bowlus in The Journal of Military History, January 1996 (Vol. 60, No. 1), pp. 151-152.
Houseley, Norman. The Later Crusades: From Lyons to Alcazar, 1274-1580. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992. This study of crusading activity from the Second Council of Lyons to the Hapsburg-Ottoman truce provides a valuable survey of military campaigns, governmental planning, religious evolution, and social change. It is a useful synthesis and provides thoughtful consideration of the role of crusading in medieval society. Specialists may not agree with all of Norman Houseley's interpretations of campaigns and monarchical policies, and the bibliographic essays do not serve students as well as integrated notes, but there is much to laud, starting with the fourteen outline maps provided. If Houseley's approach has a flaw, it concerns the extent to which he subsumes the motives of frontier expansion and government maturation under crusading with the religious impetus obscuring all else. Nevertheless, Houseley's study stands as a commendable achievement in campaign expositions recommended for their detail and contextual analysis, and his vision of pious devotion is considerate of medieval culture's persistence through centuries of change. Information taken from a review by Lorraine Attreed in The Historian, Vol. 55, No. 4 (Summer 1993), pp. 748-749. Also reviewed in History Today, Vol. 43, March 1993, page 57 and English Historical Review, Vol. 109, No. 430 (February 1994), pp. 109-11.
Marshall, Christopher. Warfare in the Latin East, 1192-1291. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1992. Thirteenth-century Frankish Syria has been largely neglected in the general histories of medieval warfare. This volume now fills the gap. The author examines the resources available to the rulers of Latin Syria, the provenance and quality of their troops, the impact of the crusades from western Europe, the function of strongpoints, and the three types of military operations, battle, raid, and siege. Wisely, given the nature of the sources and their often problematic handling of military events, he eschews efforts to reconstruct particular conflicts and instead defines the general characteristics of military engagements. This is a very competent study, based on an impressive array of literature and personal familiarity with many of the sites and architectural remains. Of the past and brings to Information taken from a review by Peter Jackson in English Historical Review, Vol. 110, No. 437 (June 1995), pp. 699-700.
Mitchell, Piers D. Medicine in the Crusades: Warfare, Wounds, and the Medieval Surgeon. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. 293 pages. The themes of this book are central to the history of the crusades, yet this is the first systematic, full-length study of crusade medicine. The author is a practicing surgeon, who has made a specialist study of crusader medicine, and the result is a fascinating account that both tests the assertions of the past and brings to bear the new techniques of the present. This is an excellent book, enlightening on several areas of medieval life beyond its specific subject. Most importantly, Mitchell shows that, although authority and academic training remained important, the pressures of life in the crusader states equally encouraged a search for empirical knowledge that could be applied in a practical way to the immediate problems of a frontier society. Information taken from a review by Malcolm Barber in American Historical Review, Vol. 111, No. 2 (April 2006), pp. 546-547.
Pryor, John H., ed. Logistics of Warfare in the Age of the Crusades. Proceedings of a Workshop held at the Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Sydney, Australia, 30 September to 4 October 2002. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2006. ISBN: 0-7546-5197-5. This is a good, solid volume on the logistics of warfare during the Crusades. It deals with a considerable variety of topics, including harbors, port facilities, and sailing routes, Muslim warfare, maps, and Byzantine roads and communications. Particularly interesting and the most important methodologically are the essays by John Pryor and John Haldon, which bring into focus the realities that limited the movement of large bodies of men and animals. While as history their essays have weakness, they are still very useful. This volume marks the development of an innovative approach to the subject of crusading warfare. Information taken from a review by Jonathan Riley-Smith in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 71, No. 2 (April 2007), pp. 515-516.
Riley-Smith, Jonathan. The Crusades: A Short History. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1987. This ambitious attempt to put all of the Crusades into the context of the times and to explain their relationship to one another opens at Clermont in 1095 and closes after the Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683. Although it is impossible for any one scholar to be fully acquainted with every episode, the author makes a commendable effort. More important, he gives us new insights. Riley-Smith is weakest in describing the Eastern Crusades. However, despite occasional inaccuracies and confusing wordiness, he at least seeks to cover important crusading activities that other short histories ignore. Thirty years earlier, no historian could have written a book of this breadth and quality. It was not then customary to think of the Crusades as extending much beyond the nine principal expeditions to the Holy Land, and there was much about those campaigns that was poorly understood. This is a solid historical contribution. Information taken from a review by William Urban in American Historical Review, Vol. 94, No. 3 (June 1989), pp. 751.
Riley-Smith, Johathan, ed. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades. Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. This volume brings together contributions by a panel of leading experts. The period covered goes down even beyond the shadowy vestiges of crusading in the seventeenth century, since the volume includes innovative contributions on the nineteenth and twentieth century images of the crusades and on the recent rebirth of holy war ideology in wars of liberation. Overall, the authors successfully distil the results of the most recent scholarship, and the well-chosen illustrations further enhance the quality of the book, making this a valuable, as well as convenient and attractive, volume. Information taken from a review by Peter Jackson in English Historical Review, Vol. 113, No. 450 (February 1998), pp. 143-144. In the review is a brief listing and discussion of many of the essays in the book.
Rogers, R. Latin Siege Warfare in the Twelfth Century. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1992. The author studies the role played by the siege in war, mainly in the Mediterranean, in these important years for the development of western European (Latin) influence in the region. Naturally enough, he is concerned with the Crusades and with the part played by sieges in the conquest and defense of Outremer against the Muslim world. This is a solid contribution to twelfth-century military history but an aid towards understanding some of the political and cultural developments of the period. Information taken from a review by Christopher Allmand in English Historical Review, Vol. 110, No. 438 (September 1995), pp. 974-975.
Smail, R.C. Crusading Warfare (1097-1193). Cambridge: University Press, 1956. This is very definitely not a book for the general reader, and the style is pretty hard going. However, it is an excellent work on the subject. The book begins with a chapter on historians of crusading warfare. The final chapter is on Crusader castles. The other five chapters discuss the tactics and the organization of the Latin and Muslim armies. The main emphasis of the book is that military operations evolved from the social organization of the Franks in Syria. Information taken from a review by Robert Walker Davis in Military Affairs, Summer 1957 (Vol. 21, No. 2), pp. 88.
Urban, William. The Teutonic Knights: A Military History. St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing, 2003. ISBN: 1-85367-667-5. The volume is divided into 13 chapters of uneven length following a brief introduction and is equipped with 15 useful maps, two short appendixes that list the major figures in the history of the Teutonic order and the grandmasters down to 1525, and a brief bibliography. The work follows a generally chronological organization that presents the military campaigns and political history of the order over a period of three long centuries. This work is a useful general introduction to the activities of the Teutonic Knights and the only work of its kind available in English. However, it is very far from being a proper military history. Urban's omission of a critical treatment of the biases of the narrative sources toward their aristocratic patrons leads him to overemphasize the importance of "mounted knights" in the campaigns of the German Order at the expense of the far more numerous foot soldiers who played a central role in all military campaigns during the three centuries covered in this work. In addition to the misleading focus on knighthood and chivalry, Urban does not address in a systematic manner questions that are now seen as central by leading specialists in medieval military history, including military administration and organization, technology, and logistics. It is a useful introductory survey, but, as indicated, is missing discussion of some critical matters. Information taken from a review by David S. Bachrach in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 70, No. 4 (October 2006), pp. 1114-1115.
Bartusis, Mark C. The Late Byzantine Army: Arms and Society, 1204-1453. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992. The author has written what should be the standard reference work for a long time on the hitherto poorly understood Late Byzantine army. This is a carefully researched institutional history. It is not a history of military operations, tactics, or military theory. This book is a war-and-society type book, indeed, a very good one. A well-done volume, and worth reading. Information taken from a review by Walter E. Kaegi in The Journal of Military History, October 1993 (Vol. 57, No. 4), pp.717-718. Also reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 99, No. 1 (Feb. 1994), pp. 211-212, and English Historical Review, Vol. 108, No. 429 (October 1993), pp. 973-975.
Foss, Clive, and Winfield, David. Byzantine Fortifications: An Introduction. (Unisa 1986, Number 22). Pretoria: University of South Africa Press, 1986. The authors here combine their knowledge of history, archaeology, and architecture to make clear the intimate relationship between the technical aspect of fortification and the broader history of the era. Foss and Winfield succeed admirably in the difficult task of combining several disciplines to produce in one volume both an introduction to Byzantine fortifications for the general reader and an interpretive study for more advanced students of Byzantine history, military affairs, and architecture. We now have for the first time a comprehensive study of Byzantine fortification that integrates the physical evidence with the written sources to enhance our understanding of a particularly important aspect of Byzantine civilization. Information taken from a review by Charles Shrader in American Historical Review, Vol. 94, No. 4 (October 1989), pp. 1075.
Runciman, Steven. The Fall of Constantinople, 1453. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1965. A solid account of the fall of Constantinople. There is very little in the way of new interpretations, opinions, or insights, but there is a good treatment of the Ottoman Turks, more attention than had hitherto been allotted them in previous accounts in English of this event. Information taken from a review by Norman Rosenblatt in The Historian, Vol. 28, No. 3 (May 1966), pp. 521-522. There is a 1990 reprint (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990). There is also a sizable review in English Historical Review, Vol. 81, No. 321 (October 1966), pp. 820-821.
Articles:
Bachrach, Bernard S., "The Military Administration of England: The Royal Artillery (1216-1272)", The Journal of Military History, October 2004 (Vol. 68, No. 4). An interesting article which discusses in some detail the construction, storage, and transportation involved in the management of the siege engines belonging to the English kingdom. It shows beyond doubt that proper management of such equipment is a complex process and, by implication, illustrates that the effectiveness of a technology-the ability to utilize it properly-depends on proper administration of its use as well as proper application.
Currin, John M., "'The King's Army into the Partes of Betaigne': Henry VII and the Breton Wars, 1489-1491", War In History, Vol. 7, No. 4 (November 2000), pp. 379-412. Between 1489-91 Henry VII projected his military power abroad in an attempt to prevent the French conquest of Britanny and influence political affairs in the duchy. This episode in Tudor military and diplomatic history, however, has been largely ignored by historians. This article discusses the English military and political involvement in Britanny, the composition of land and naval forces, the strategies employed, and the mistakes and circumstances that contributed to the Anglo-Breton defeat. The 1489 English expedition was larger than historians have hitherto supposed. Officers of the Royal Household served in land and sea operations in Britanny and carried out critical supply and support functions. Henry VII took great interest in the expeditions, and did not seem as neglectful of military matters as many modern historians have thought.
Grummitt, David, "The Defence of Calais and the Development of Gunpowder Weaponry in England in the Late Fifteenth Century". War in History, Vol. 7, No. 3 (July 2000), pp. 253-272. This article challenges the prevalent perception that the development and the use of gunpowder weaponry in England in the late fifteenth century differed markedly from that in France and Burgundy. This is done in the light of the evidence of the Calais victuallers' accounts. Calais was England's most important military and commercial frontier, and the unique survival of large amounts of archival material allows its gunpowder weaponry to be reconstructed in detail. The accounts show that from the 1460's, the Crown systematically increased and modernized the ordnance in Calais and, moreover, extended increased royal control over it, bringing English gunpowder weaponry and its use in line with that of France and Burgundy.
Ayton, Andrew. Knights and War horses. Military Service and the English Aristocracy under Edward III. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press, 1994. The author has been able to construct a judicious and illuminating survey of the cavalry element in Edwardian armies, especially of the period 1327-1360. Ayton's particular contribution to this subject rests in the accumulation of materials on the quality and value of horses, and the analysis of the military practices and administrative structures that generated the horse inventories that he has preserved. This book is particularly successful in setting the subject in a wider context and addressing the current debate over whether the major military changes during the reigns of the three Edwards warrant description as a 'military revolution'. Information taken from a review by W. M. Ormrod in English Historical Review, Vol. 112, No. 446 (April 1997), pp.446.
Bell, Adrian R. War and the Soldier in the Fourteenth Century. Woodbridge, UK: The Boydell Press, 2004. Although potential readers would not guess it from the title of this book, this is a closely observed investigation of the men-in all, more than 5,600 of them-who served in the two English armies that, under the command of Richard Fitzalan, earl of Arundel, campaigned on the French coast in 1387 and 1388. These armies are of exceptional interest to the historian, not so much for the significance of the naval operations that Arundel conducted, as for the fact that both are illuminated by complete, retinue by retinue muster rolls, which record the names of all the men-at-arms and archers who served. The study and analysis of these armies is a very difficult and time-consuming process but one which, on balance, Bell has done well, albeit with mixed results. There is much about the military community of later fourteenth-century England that is yet imperfectly understood, particularly with regard to its social composition and how it changed over time. The statistics gleaned from this book throw some light on the size and character of the military community in the 1380's. Based on the comparison of closely related sources, this snapshot is revealing in itself and suggestive of an analytical method that would have wider application. Information taken from a review by Andrew Ayton in English Historical Review, Vol. 121, No. 490 (Feb. 2006), pp. 283-284.
Bennett, Michael. Lambert Simnel and the Battle of Stoke. New York: St. Martin's, 1987. The quincentenary of the Battle of Bosworth prompted the British publisher Alan Sutton to commission several short books on the coming of the Tudors. Like its predecessors in this series, this book has been designed for a popular audience. It is meant to appeal to museum-shop crowds. The substance of the text, however, as much as the notes and appendix (consisting of extracts from eleven original sources, including several translated by the author from Latin and French) mark his work as a serious attempt to explain the origins of the Tudor regime. It is a solid, useful work. Information taken from a review by Dale Hoak in American Historical Review, Vol. 94, No. 4 (October 1989), pp. 1078. This is the only book I've heard of on this battle.
Brown, Michael. The Wars of Scotland, 1214-1371. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2004. Michael Brown uses as a framework for his useful addition to the New Edinburgh History the impact of a century and a half of wars fought both against and within Scotland, exploring how warfare affected kingship, political society, allegiance, and identity. He gives special attention to the years 1296 to 1314, seeing them as years of almost civil war as well as national resistance. Brown's book will be useful for students as well as being fully accessible to anyone with a general interest in Scottish history. Information taken from a review by Amanda Beam in English Historical Review, Vol. 121, No. 490 (Feb. 2006), pp. 278-279.
Gillingham, John. The Wars of the Roses: Peace and Conflict in Fifteenth Century England. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1982.
Goodman, Anthony. The Wars of the Roses: Military and English Society. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1981. Revised and reprinted as The Wars of the Roses: Military Activity and English Society, 1452-97 (London: Routledge) in 1990 Gillingham's argument is directed primarily towards dispelling the "Tudor Myth"-the conviction that the troubles England experienced during the 15th century were the direct result of the usurpation of the throne by Henry IV in 1399. This view, fostered by the Tudors and Shakespeare, was for many years a standard historical interpretation of the era which has been difficult to dispel. Goodman's study, on the other hand, deals primarily with the military aspects of the struggle. With the caveat that the author accepted too high estimates of the size of the armies, this is probably one of the best commentaries on the purely military aspects of the wars that has yet appeared. Singly, these scholarly studies are significant contributions to our knowledge of the 15th century in England; together, they tell us an enormous amount about the Wars of the Roses. Information taken from a review of both books by John Beeler in Military Affairs (Vol. 47, No. 1), pp. 48. There is another review of Goodman's work in Military Affairs, October 1983 (Vol. 47, No. 3) by Robert A. Doughty which is generally favorable, but not as much so as Beeler's review; in Doughty's opinion, tedious and unnecessary details often obscure the sweep of a campaign. There is also a review of both books in English Historical Review, Vol. 99, No. 390 (January 1984), pp. 157-158. There is a review of Gillingham's book in American Historical Review, Vol. 88, No. 3 (June 1983), pp. 661-662 and a review of Goodman's book in American Historical Review, Vol. 87, No. 4 (October 1982), pp. 1071-1072.
Goodman, Anthony. The Wars of the Roses: The Soldier's Experience. Stround, UK: Tempus, 2005. This, as the author acknowledges, is his second entry into the fray; he published The Wars of the Roses: Military Activity and English Society, 1452-1497 in 1981. One strand of that book was an attempt to get at the realities of the wars, to see how they were actually experienced 'on the ground'. That becomes ostensibly the theme of the present book. Paucity of direct evidence is, of course, the problem. The book is rather bland, lacking discussion of evidential problems. The earlier book was less readable, but much meatier. Information taken from a review by C. S. L. Davies in English Historical Review, Vol. 121, No. 490 (Feb. 2006, pp. 285.
Goodman, Anthony, and Tuck, Anthony, eds. War and Border Societies in the Middle Ages. London: Routledge, 1992. The Anglo-Scottish border was an unglamorous campaigning ground in the expensive and unsuccessful war conducted by the English government between 1369 and 1389. The most welcome feature of this book is the attention it accords this neglected theatre of operations. The least welcome is the misleading nature of the title, for in reality this is a collection of conference papers inspired by the six-hundredth anniversary of the Scottish victory at Otterburn (1388) which never strays far, either in time or place, from that celebrated but still puzzling battle. There is some description of the essays in the book in the review of it in the September 1995 English Historical Review. Information taken from a review by Simon Walker in English Historical Review, Vol. 110, No. 438 (September 1995), pp. 987-988.
Hewitt, H.J. The Organization of War under Edward III. Barnsley, UK: Pen and Sword Books, 2005 (originally published 1966). Hewitt's lively and challenging book has an honoured place in the development of medieval military history from a limited study of battles and tactics to a broader understanding of the role of warfare in society. It examined aspects which had received little consideration from more orthodox military historians, concerned as they were with battles and tactics, and comprised studies linked by the general theme of the impact of war on the civilian population. Hewitt's approach was novel when he wrote. He relied extensively on manuscript sources, and pointed the way to major new areas for research. Most of his conclusions have remained unchallenged. His was a most remarkable achievement and this was truly a seminal work. The only difference between it and the original is that the illustrations and a fold-out map have been lost; the text remains the same. Information taken from a review by Michael Prestwich in English Historical Review, Vol. 121, No. 491 (April 2006), pp. 590-591.
Jones, Michael K. Bosworth, 1485; Psychology of a Battle. Stroud, Gloucester: Tempus, 2002. ISBN: 0 7524 23347. This book has two themes. The first is an attempt to understand Richard III's reasons making himself king in place of his nephew. The second is a reinterpretation of the battle at which he was killed. What connects the two is the author's contention that Richard's troops were not demoralized or reluctant to fight, and that the outcome of the battle was by no means predetermined. While some of the points made by the book may be argued, generally this is an interesting and useful account of the battle and its background. Information taken from a review by C.S.L. Davies in War in History, Vol. 11, No. 4 (November 2004), pp. 446-449. Also reviewed in English Historical Review, Vol. 118, No. 476 (April 2003), pp. 488-490.
Kenyon, J.R. Medieval Fortifications. Leicester, UK: Leicester University Press, 1990. This volume, based almost entirely on archaeological findings, is to be unequivocally welcomed by everyone interested in castle studies: historians, archaeologists and the general reader alike. The author has drawn on his own invaluable bibliographies of recent castle research, as well as site visits and communications with excavators, to produce a synthesis of results from many of the most important rescue or research projects of the last thirty years or so. It is divided into four chapters with sub-sections, of which the first two covering the defensive and domestic aspects of the castle are most important. The third deals briefly with town defenses and the short final chapter refers to the demise of the castle as a result of obsolescence or parliamentary gunpowder. The dust-jacket states that this book complements all previous works on the subject; thus the reader needs a nodding acquaintance with some standard historical/architectural work on the castle, be it Hamilton Thompson (1912) or Allen Brown (1976). Appears from the review to deal with English castles. Information taken from a review by P. E. Curnow in English Historical Review, Vol. 109, No. 430 (February 1994), pp. 133-134.
McNamee, Colm. The Wars of the Bruces: Scotland, England, and Ireland, 1306-1328. Phantassie, East Lothian, Tuckwell Press, 1997. In this splendid book, McNamee both provides a narrative account of the wars and analyses the conflict in the light of a wide range of archival and other evidence. This book provides an admirable case-study of fourteenth-century warfare; but, in addition, he has skillfully brought together the political and economic strands of a complex conflict which, as he perceptively points out, in the long term transformed the Anglo-Scottish border from a boundary line into a frontier zone. Information taken from a review by Michael Prestwich in The Historian, Vol. 61, No. 3 (Spring 1999), pp. 717.
Nicholson, Ranald. Edward III and the Scots, 1327-1335. London: Oxford University Press, Oxford Historical Series, 1965. Nicholson makes a very useful contribution to the history of Anglo-Scottish relations at a critical period. In his introduction, he endorses the thesis that the tactics which triumphed in the French wars were born at the battles of Dupplin and Halidon Hill and he stresses the point-too often missed in the past century-that to neglect the warfare of Edward III's reign is to neglect the essence of that reign. The most valuable feather of the book is the use of Public Records Office materials to illuminate details of these northern campaigns. This is a good useful volume, although a general conclusion would have added to the value of this admirable narrative history. Information taken from a review by May McKisak in English Historical Review, Vol. 81, No. 321 (October 1966), pp. 810-811.
Prestwich, Michael. Armies and Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1996. Cynicism is rampant in Prestwich's book, no matter how elegantly dressed: he is cynical about chivalry, outmoded views on medieval warfare, the idea of the Early Modern military revolution and even the dominance of the knight in battle. Furthermore, he is absolutely right to be, for he is correct on all the fundamentals of medieval warfare. He cogently argues for the grasp of military strategy by medieval commanders; for the competence and, dare one say, professionalism of the soldier; for the strength of infantry against cavalry; for the sound reason behind ravaging; and for the central role of logistical planning. In doing so he has assimilated all the major revisionist research into medieval warfare of the last two decades. Herein lies the book's real importance: it is the first work to comprehensively present these findings in a general, but entirely authoritative, survey. That Prestwich limits himself to England in no way restricts the application of his conclusions to warfare throughout Latin Christendom. The book is not perfect-it is weaker on the earlier medieval period and, despite its acknowledgements of the role of fortifications, allows only one chapter for siege warfare-but as a reliable and stimulating overview to medieval warfare it can hardly be bettered. Information taken from a review by Sean McGlynn in History Today, Vol. 47, No. 2 (Feb. 1997), pp. 60-61. There is a review in American Historical Review, Vol. 102, No. 4 (October, 1997), pp. 1145-1146, as well as in English Historical Review, Vol. 113, No. 453 (September 1998), pp. 973-974.
Prestwich, Michael. The Three Edwards: War and State in England 1272-1377. London: Wiedenfeld and Nicolson, 1980. In this book, the author has drawn together the twin themes of warfare and politics. The book is well written and clearly argued and is eminently suitable for the undergraduate reader at whom it is chiefly directed. But this fact, together with the glossy cover, numerous illustrations and a minimum of references, mostly drawn from suitably arresting chronicle and literary sources, should not be allowed to mislead. This book is a work of scholarship which contains the first general synthesis of recent (circa 1980) publications on the period as well as a considerable amount of original research. Information taken from a review by J. R. S. Phillips in English Historical Review, Vol. 96, No. 380 (July 1981), pp. 603-605. There is also a review in American Historical Review, Vol. 86, No. 2 (April 1981), pp. 384-385.
Reid, Peter. Medieval Warfare: Triumph and Domination in the Wars of the Middle Ages. New York: Carroll and Graf Publishers, 2007. ISBN-13: 978-0-78671-859-7; ISBN-10: 0-7867-1859-5. This volume examines English warfare from about 1290 until 1485 and discusses the successes and failures of English warfare in this era, both in the military and political aspects. I was impressed by this book. It is well laid out and is a thorough, clear, and systematic examination of the subject matter. In particular, it discusses many aspects of the political environment of the Hundred Years War and its impact on military matters which I have not seen discussed in any detail in other volumes on that war. It is also quite well written and very readable. I recommend this volume for anyone interested in the late medieval English way of war.
Rogers, Clifford J. War Cruel and Sharp: English Strategy under Edward III, 1327-1360. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell and Brewer, 2000. In this important study, Clifford Rogers challenges received orthodoxies through a very close reading of the sources for Edward III's wars in Scotland and France, 1327-1360. Edward has been described as an opportunist, as lacking in overall strategic sense, and as anxious to avoid confrontation with a numerically superior enemy. On the contrary, said Rogers, he was a strategist of the highest caliber, intelligent, ruthless and single-minded, and a consistent battle seeker. Rogers' book is structured round detailed narrative accounts of successive campaigns. The central argument is sustained through the course of the narrative by a very close analysis of English troop movements and their rationale, of explicit statements in royal correspondence, and of the commentary of the best informed chroniclers. Rogers' bold and forceful reassessment of Edward III's military talents remains broadly very persuasive. . Highly recommended. Information taken from a review by Maurice Keen in English Historical Review, Vol. 116, No. 468 (September 2001), pp. 940-941. Also reviewed in War In History, Vol. 13, No. 3 (July 2006), pp. 390-392.
Rogers, Clifford J., ed. The Wars of Edward III: Sources and Interpretations. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell and Brewer, 2000. This is a useful collection of material, offering a good introduction for undergraduates studying its subject. In addition to 200 pages of sources, it puts eight articles, from the last half-century of writing on the first phase of the Hundred Years War. A great many aspects of war, to include finance, recruitment, logistics, diplomacy and treaties, are illustrated. This is a largely Anglocentric collection, but is not confined to the French war; a quarter of the source material relates to the Scottish wars of the first few years of the reign. The whole amounts to an effective and rounded portrait of a half-century of warfare. Information taken from a review by Benjamin Thompson in English Historical Review, Vol. 117, No. 470 (February 2002), pp. 159.
Sadler, John. Border Fury: England and Scotland at War, 1286-1568. New York: Longman, 2005. ISBN: 0-582-77293-1. Border Fury traces the history of the border wars, and shows how crucial they have been in determining the character of both the Scots and English, and how the long standing resentment over English attempts at domination still persist. Primarily a military history, it conveys what it was actually like for the combatants. Based on existing primary and secondary sources, combined with the author's personal experience of walking the battlefields, and information gathered through his access to private collections of arms and armour, it covers all the major campaigns and battles. It also includes a detailed discussion of the terrain, commanders, weapons, tactics and outcomes in each case. Sadler also looks at developments in the art of war during the period and the key transition from medieval to renaissance warfare. All the key personalities involved are profiled and the topography of each battle site is examined in detail, with the author providing several new interpretations that differ radically from those that have previously been understood. Information taken from the following web site: http://www.ablongman.com/catalog/academic/product/0,1144,0582772931,00.html There is also a review in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 70, No. 1 (January 2006), pp. 216-217.
Suppe, Frederick C. Military Institutions on the Welsh Marches. Shropshire, AD 1066-1300. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press, 1994. This volume uses the Shropshire Marches to portray a complex and interactive border society, seen from both sides of the hill. Detailed studies of defensive institutions form the core of this compact book. Suppe's central contention is that the ability of the comparatively "primitive" military techniques of the Welsh to hold back conquest for two centuries seriously qualifies Robert Bartlett's model of the outward spread of military technology-characterized by heavy cavalry, archers, and castles-from a north-west European center to more peripheral zones such as the 'Celtic fringe'. A stimulating book, this is to be welcomed as a valuable contribution to the study of both Anglo-Welsh warfare and of frontier societies. Information taken from a review by Matthew Strickland in English Historical Review, Vol. 111, No. 444 (November 1996, pp. 1243-1244.
Traquair, Peter. Freedom's Sword: Scotland's Wars of Independence. Niwot, CO: Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1998. ISBN: 1-57098-247-3. This is a very solid and well-written history of the conflict between Scotland and England in the period 1286 to the 1360's, describing how Scotland lost and then won her independence from England. The book appears to be thorough, comprehensive (within the space limitations) and well researched. Recommended.
Watson, Fiona. Under the Hammer: Edward I and Scotland, 1286-1306. East Linton, UK: Tuckwell Press, 1998. Fiona Watson provides a study of the attempted English conquest of Scotland, rather than one of Scottish resistance to Edward I. This is not a work of traditional military history, with an emphasis on battle tactics and strategy. Rather, it concentrates on the immense efforts of Edward I's officials to sustain the war effort year after year, and on their attempts to create a viable administration in Scotland. Its heroes are not the kings and soldiers, but civil servants who struggled to meet the demands of an irascible English king. This is a lively and challenging study, which reopens many issues about Edward I's strategy and policy in Scotland. Information taken from a review by Michael Prestwich in English Historical Review, Vol. 115, No. 462 (June 2000), pp. 695. I've read the book, and agree with the review. Useful volume.
Weir, Allison. The Wars of the Roses. New York: Random House, 1995. ISBN: 0-345-40433-5. This is not a primarily military history; it is more of a standard political history with the military affairs of the era included as appropriate. It is, however, a book that anyone who wishes to understand this conflict should read. It is superbly written. The narrative is clear and flows cleanly. There is a very good treatment of the prequel to the actual wars in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. One particular characteristic of this book is how well it spells out who is who and their relationships (very important in this context); I have never read a history of the Wars of the Roses which has ever done half as good a job in this respect. One thing I found a bit odd is that the volume ends rather abruptly after the account of the Battle of Tewkesbury and the death of Henry VI in 1471. It does not carry on to discuss the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and accession of Henry VII, which most historians consider to be the real end to the major English factional strife of the latter half of the 15th century. That little caveat aside, this is an excellent book. I highly recommend it, without qualification.
Guilmartin, John F. Jr., "The Earliest Shipboard Gunpowder Ordnance: An Analysis of Its Technical Parameters and Tactical Capabilities", The Journal of Military History, Vol. 71, No. 3 (July 2007), pp. 649-669. A good brief survey of this topic.
Friel, Ian. The Good Ship: Ships, Shipbuilding and Technology in England, 1200-1520. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995. Traces the momentous developments in rigging and ship construction in England during the medieval period. This is not an overly technical book: shipbuilding is described in a simplified manner, techniques being explained by diagrams where necessary, and there is a glossary of those few nautical terms which cannot be avoided. This is a book of sound scholarship and a useful contribution to the literature. Information taken from a review by Sean McGrail in English Historical Review, Vol. 112, No. 447 (June 1997), pp. 715-716.
Hattendorf, John B. and Richard W. Unger, eds. War at Sea in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Warfare in History Series. Woodbridge and Rochester: Boydell Press, 2003. ISBN 0-8511-5903-6. . Little attention has been paid by medieval historians in recent years to the development and use of aquatic craft, whether for commercial or military purposes, in comparison with the tremendous amount of ink spilt to further the project of medieval history generally, and this despite new technologies that have increased our knowledge exponentially through the recovery of artifacts. Military and maritime historians have begun to redress this lacuna, but as Hattendorf and Unger point out in the preface to War at Sea in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, a general reappraisal of the use of armed force at sea is needed. This collection of sixteen essays, which developed from discussions at a 1997 American Historical Association meeting and, more directly, from a 2000 conference on maritime history sponsored by the Fondaço Oriente in Portugal, makes a valuable contribution toward that end. Information taken from a book review by Marguerite Ragnow, Department of History, Center for Early Modern History, University of Minnesota, located on the web at http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.cgi?path=234191095096845. Another review, by Susan Rose, noted medieval naval author, can be found at http://www.deremilitari.org/REVIEWS/review28.htm. Sites valid as of 10/20/2004. A list of the essays in the volume is in American Historical Review, Vol. 108, No. 4 (October 2003), pp. 1269-1270. There is a review of this volume in English Historical Review, Vol. 118, No. 479 (November 2003), pp. 1320-1322
Lewis, A. R., and Runyan, T. J. European Naval and Maritime History, 300-1500. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1985. Aimed at the general reader, this book is a very well written survey of all aspects of seafaring in the Middle Ages. It deals well with both ship design and tactics. The authors also show the close connection between sea power and economic development: the creation of a "naval-maritime industrial complex" that combines financial, commercial, and naval interests. All in all, a very informative book. Information taken from a review by Stephen R. Alvin, Jr., in The Journal of Military History, January 1991, (Vol. 55, No. 1), pp. 99-100. Also reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 92, No. 1 (February 1987), pp. 117.
Mott, Lawrence V. Sea Power in the Medieval Mediterranean: The Catalan-Aragonese Fleet in the War of Sicilian Vespers. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 2003. ISBN: 0813026628. This volume deals primarily with the Catalan-Aragonese naval force which dominated the Mediterranean from 1285 until 1302, under the leadership of Roger of Lauria. While the title of this book specifies the War of the Sicilian Vespers, Mott deals with a wider range of naval engagements and maritime matters. Despite Roger's sacrifice of sturdy defensive vessels for speed, his operations ranged through the Mediterranean. To understand the complexities of such, Mott provides a thorough analysis of medieval naval warfare ranging from types of ships, methods of warfare, and logistics. This is a solid volume, and recommended. Information taken from a review by Anthony J. Papalas in Sea History, No. 109 (Winter 2004-2005), pp. 46-47. Also reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 111, No. 3 (June 2006), pp. 894-895.
Pryor, John H. Geography, Technology and War: Studies in the Maritime History of the Mediterranean, 649-1571. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988. This is an exceptionally fine analysis of how the limitations of medieval technology, combined with the physical realities of the Mediterranean, affected naval strategy in the thousand-year struggle between Christianity and Islam. The book is divided into two parts. The first gives background by devoting chapters to the geography of the Mediterranean, the ships that sailed on it, and how the ships navigated on the sea. Based on the conclusions made in the first chapters, the second part of the book examines various maritime aspects of the medieval Mediterranean. This book is a recommended read. Information taken from a review by Stephen R. Alvin, Jr., in The Journal of Military History, January 1991, (Vol. 55, No. 1), pp. 99-100. Also reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 95, No. 2 (April 1990), pp. 457-458.
Rodgers, VADM William Ledyard. Naval Warfare Under Oars: 4th to 16th Centuries. Annapolis: United States Naval Institution, 1939. From the review, it appears that book goes into the topic of sail as well as oars for propulsion. The scope of the book is vast because the study is not merely technical: it is "a study of strategy, tactics, and ship design", but ADM Rodgers views these matters in the light of offspring from the political, economic, and other social conditions of the times. A survey so wide in range has caused him to rely mainly on standard works. The sources used are sufficient for the accomplishment of his mission because he has selected them with discretion. The book is well written, in a straightforward narrative style. The text is further clarified and illuminated by 11 maps and 51 illustrations, all well done. This is a good, solid piece of work. Information taken from a review by J. M. Scammell in Military Affairs, Vol. 4 (1940), pp. 107-109.
Rose, Susan. Medieval Naval Warfare, 1000-1500. New York: Routledge, 2002. ISBN: 0-415-23976-1 (hbk); 0-415-23977-X (pbk). The basic text is 134 pages; in this, Rose does an excellent survey of the naval warfare of this period. Very useful. There is a review in The Journal of Military History, Vol. 67, No. 1 (January 2003), pp. 221-222. Also reviewed in English Historical Review, Vol. 117, No. 473 (September 2002), pp. 960-962.
Unger, Richard W. The Ship in the Medieval Economy 600-1600. London: Croom Helm, 1980. The complex economy of later medieval Europe with its specialized agricultural and industrial areas implies a well-organized transport system, the efficiency and development of which is of great interest to the economic historian. The development of sea transport is an aspect far from neglected by maritime historians but one whose technicalities sometimes obscure its economic significance. A volume surveying ship design against its economic background is therefore welcome. Dr. Unger sets himself a formidable task; within a slim volume he covers Europe from Scandinavia to Byzantium, a period of a thousand years, a highly technical subject, and a vastly complex range of possible influences. He divides his book into six periods and notes political and economic changes in each before looking closely at the designs of both war and merchant ships, with their possible economic significance. This is a most useful introduction to and survey of recent historical and archaeological findings, with a bibliography which, while not comprehensive, lists the most important works and collections of illustrations. It is also a quite readable book, with the diagrams and the crisp style makes the technical details themselves intelligible to the non-sailor. Information taken from a review by W. R. Childs in English Historical Review, Vol.96, No. 380 (July 1981), pp. 591-592. Also reviewed in American Historical Review, Vol. 86, No. 4 (October 1981), pp. 823-824.
GENERAL
http://home.messiah.edu/~gdaub/armor/picgloss.htm
http://www.medievaltymes.com/courtyard/armour_terminology.htm These two sites have useful glossaries of medieval armor terms.
Bartlett, Clive, and Embleton, Gerry, "The Medieval Footsoldier 1460-85: (1) Livery Coats and Badges ". Military Illustrated, Past and Present, No. 7 (June/July 1987), pp. 11-18.
Bartlett, Clive, and Embleton, Gerry, "The Medieval Footsoldier 1460-85: (2) Cut and Fashion".Military Illustrated, Past and Present, No. 8 (August/September 1987), pp. 10- 17.
Bartlett, Clive, and Embleton, Gerry, "The Medieval Footsoldier 1460-85: (3) Edged Weapons and Helmets". Military Illustrated, Past and Present, No. 11 (February/March 1988), pp. 14-20.
Bartlett, Clive, and Embleton, Gerry, "The Medieval Footsoldier 1460-85: (4) Body Protection and Campaign Service". Military Illustrated, Past and Present, No. 12 (June/July 1987), pp. 39-46. An informative, extremely well illustrated, and well written series of articles on the late medieval soldier, his life and equipage. An excellent short guide to the subject.
Gravett, Christopher, "The Face of Medieval Warfare", Military Illustrated, Past and Present, No. 6 (April/May 1987), pp. 17-21. An article on the evidence about medieval combat, including the nature of the armor worn and the injuries suffered, based on the study of corpses buried immediately after the battle of Wisby, a battle between the Danes and the defending Swedish forces on the island of Gotland in July of 1361.
McPeak, William J. "Falchion: The Short Sword that Made Good". Command, Issue 41 (January 1997), pp. 62-64. An informative article on an effective but obscure type of medieval sword that eventually evolved into the cutlass.
Heath, Ian. Armies of the Middle Ages, Volume 1: The Hundred Years War, The Wars of the Roses, and the Burgundian Wars, 1300-1487. A Wargames Research Group Publication. Worthing, Sussex, UK: Flexprint Ltd, 1982.
Heath, Ian. Armies of the Middle Ages, Volume 2: The Ottoman Empire, Eastern Europe, and the Near East, 1300-1500. A Wargames Research Group Publication. Worthing, Sussex, UK: Flexprint Ltd, 1982.
These two books are not so much historical narratives as they are general, yet thorough, quick reference to the organization, methods of warfare, dress, and weapons of a variety of late medieval armies. The first volume deals with the military of Western Europe; the second, as the title states, the Ottoman Empire, Eastern Europe, and the Near East. For the size of the volumes, the detail is impressive. The sections on organization and methods of warfare are very instructive. The illustrations of uniforms and weapons are all line drawings-there are no color illustrations or photographic reproductions of paintings-but they are of very high quality, and the descriptive information is outstanding. For anyone who has any interest at all in the uniforms and equipment of the medieval soldier, I highly recommend these books.
Oakeshott, Ewart. A Knight and His Weapons. 2nd ed. Chester Springs, PA: Dufour Editions, 1997 (first published 1964). ISBN: 0-8023-1299-3.
Oakeshott, Ewart. A Knight and His Horse. 2nd ed. Chester Springs, PA: Dufour Editions, 1998 (first published 1962). ISBN: 0-8023-1297-7
Handy and well-illustrated basic guides to the weapons of the soldier during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, particularly those of the knight, as well as the equipage and horse of the Knight. In the first of these short books, the author does an excellent job of providing a short description of these weapons, their variations (particularly swords) and how they were used. In the second, he provides very useful detail about the knight and his horse and their equipage, as well as dispelling a number of myths. Particularly good for those who know little about the subject, but also useful to those who are more knowledgeable. Two very good books.
Osprey Publications. Osprey has over the past roughly 30 years published various series of publications on military forces and equipment throughout human history. They are published by Osprey, an imprint of Reed Consumer Books. Ltd, Michelin House, 81 Fulham Road, London SW3 6RB. There are seven series: Men-At-Arms, Warrior, New Vanguard, Fortress, Campaign, Essential Histories, and Elite. These publications provide brief, competent surveys of various military forces and their characteristics. Very handy for getting a good mental picture of what the soldiers looked like and what weapons they used-something often neglected by academics writing scholarly works on military history. As Robin Higham comments in Military Affairs, October 1984 (Vol. 48, No. 4), page 206, in a review of the book Armies of the Ottoman Turks, 1300-1774, "These short illustrated histories with the major illustrations described in French and German also provide capsule histories, and in some cases are virtually the only readable modern work for the non-specialist." The particularly relevant publications are:
A web site providing some references to the history of archery:
http://www.capnmac.com/archery/historylinks/history.html
This is a useful web site on archery, and provides references to some good historical archery references: http://www.student.utwente.nl/~sagi/artikel/
Interesting discussion on English archery, power of bows, details of arrow heads:
http://yarchive.net/metal/arrowheads.html
Some discussion of the manufacture of arrow and bolt heads and pictures of the same:
http://belza.iq.pl/index_eng.html
Saracen Archers in Southern Italy:
http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/articles/saracen_archers.htm
Discussion of penetration of mail by arrows:
http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=41041
http://forums.swordforum.com/printthread.php?s=1a7fbb000b0884829532b55f61cec19a&threadid=45006
http://www.capnmac.com/archery/maille/Chapter3.htm
http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/lofiversion/index.php/t1312.html
A rambling, but sporadically interesting and informative, discussion on various types of Asian and European medieval era bows and their military effectiveness.
An 1894 book on archery: http://www.xs4all.nl/~marcelo/archery/library/books/badminton/index.html
Bartlett, Clive, and Embleton, Gerry, "The English Archer c. 1300-1500 (1)". Military Illustrated, Past and Present, No. 1 (June/July 1986), pp. 10-17.
Bartlett, Clive, and Embleton, Gerry, "The English Archer c. 1300-1500 (2)". Military Illustrated, Past and Present, No. 2 (August/September 1986), pp. 14-21.
Two well-written and well illustrated articles on the English archer of the later medieval period-his life, equipment, and utilization in war.
Foley, Vernard, George Palmer, and Werner Soedel. "The Crossbow." Scientific American, Vol. 252, No. 1 (January 1985), pp. 104-110. A very well written technical article about how the crossbow works and some technical characteristics of the weapon. There is as well some technical information on the longbow (called handbow in this article) and its arrows, and some technical comparisons between crossbow bolts and longbow arrows. Quite informative.
Bartlett, Clive, and Embleton, Gerry. English Longbowman: 1330-1515. Osprey Military. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Company, 1999 (first published 1995). ISBN: 1 85532 9328. A solid and well illustrated overview of the English longbowman in his glory days. A good introduction to the subject and a very useful guide to the clothing and equipment of these men. Recommended.
Bradbury, Jim, The Medieval Archer. New York: St. Martin's, 1985. Jim Bradbury has written a mildly revisionist book about medieval warfare. As the title indicates, the goal is to redress the balance against the medieval and also modern prejudice in favor of the knights and chivalry. It is highly readable. The bibliography includes most modern writing in English and French, together with about three hundred printed sources, nine-tenths of them narrative and some archaeological. Not a piece of fundamental scholarship, but a useful work. Information taken from a review by Michael R. Powicke in American Historical Review, Vol. 92, No. 1 (February 1987), pp. 116-117. Also reviewed in English Historical Review, Vol. 103, No. 407 (April 1988), pp. 479.
Hardy, Robert. Longbow: A Social and Military History. New York: Lyons & Burford, 1993 (lst edition published 1976). ISBN: 1 85260 412 3. A detailed history of the development and use of the longbow (and, peripherally, bows in general), especially in England during the longbow's heyday from the late 1200's to into the 1500's. Also has quite a bit of information on the subsequent history of the longbow and other bow and their use in target shooting and hunting. For the techie, there is a lot of detailed information on construction materials and techniques. Includes also a good appendix on the longbows found on the Mary Rose, the well-known major warship of Henry VIII that sank by accident near Portsmouth in 1545. Interesting reading.
Payne-Gallwey, Sir Ralph. The Crossbow: Mediaeval and Modern, Military and Sporting, Its Construction, History, and Management, With a Treatise on the Balista and Catapult of the Ancients and an Appendix on the Catapult, Balista, & the Turkish Bow. New York: Bramhall House, 1958 (originally published 1903). This book has been republished several times since 1958. An interesting technical treatise on the crossbow and several types of ancient and medieval siege engines. There is also information on various other types of bows as well. The volume is not well organized and the style is somewhat antiquarian and dated. Nevertheless, it serves as a handy reference on the subject.
Strickland, Matthew, and Hardy, Robert. The Great Warbow; From Hastings to the Mary Rose. Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing Limited, 2005. ISBN: 0-7509-3167-1. This is an excellent book on the longbow, with much useful information as well on the crossbow and composite bows. There is great detail on the weapon itself, and particularly how it was utilized. As part of this discussion, there is much good information on tactics in general from about 1000 through the early 1500's; one of the best treatments I have ever seen with many valuable insights. The only placed I think the authors fudged a bit was the section on armor penetration, and I think that was only because there is a lack of good data available on the subject. This volume is valuable both for the scholar and the general reader interested in the subject matter. I highly recommend it.