Medieval Weapons: An Illustrated History of Their Impact (Weapons and Warfare)

In the Middle Ages, the lack of standardized weapons meant that one warrior's arms were often quite different from another's, even when they were fighting on the same side. And with few major technological advances in that period, the evolution of those weapons over the centuries was incremental. But evolve they ultimately did, bringing arms, armor, and siege weapons to the threshold of the modern era. From the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance, Medieval Weapons: An Illustrated History of Their Impact covers the inexorable transformation from warrior in the mail shirt to fully armored knight, from the days of spears and swords to the large-scale adoption of the handgun. Medieval Weapons covers this fascinating expanse of centuries in chapters devoted to the early medieval, Carolingian, Crusade, and late medieval periods. Within each period, the book details how weapons and armor were developed, what weapons were used for different types of battles, and how weapons and armor both influenced, and were influenced by, changing tactics in battles and sieges. This fascinating reference covers the weapons and armor used by warriors from the 4th to the 15th century and discusses how and why they changed over time.In the Middle Ages, the lack of standardized weapons meant that one warrior's arms were often quite different from another's, even when they were fighting on the same side. And with few major technological advances in that period, the evolution of those weapons over the centuries was incremental. But evolve they ultimately did, bringing arms, armor, and siege weapons to the threshold of the modern era. From the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance, Medieval Weapons: An Illustrated History of Their Impact covers the inexorable transformation from warrior in the mail shirt to fully armored knight, from the days of spears and swords to the large-scale adoption of the handgun.Medieval Weapons covers this fascinating expanse of centuries in chapters devoted to the early medieval, Carolingian, Crusade, and late medieval periods. Within each period, the book details how weapons and armor were developed, what weapons were used for different types of battles, and how weapons and armor both influenced, and were influenced by, changing tactics in battles and sieges. In the Middle Ages, the lack of standardized weapons meant that one warrioris arms were often quite different from anotheris, even when they were fighting on the same side. And with few major technological advances in that period, the evolution of those weapons over the centuries was incremental. But evolve they ultimately did, bringing arms, armor, and siege weapons to the threshold of the modern era. From the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance, Medieval Weapons: An Illustrated History of Their Impact covers the inexorable transformation from warrior in the mail shirt to fully armored knight, from the days of spears and swords to the large-scale adoption of the handgun.Medieval Weapons covers this fascinating expanse of centuries in chapters devoted to the early medieval, Carolingian, Crusade, and late medieval periods. Within each period, the book details how weapons and armor were developed, what weapons were used for different types of battles, and how weapons and armor both influenced, and were influenced by, changing tactics in battles and sieges. In the Middle Ages, the lack of standardized weapons meant that one warriorÕs arms were often quite different from anotherÕs, even when they were fighting on the same side. And with few major technological advances in that period, the evolution of those weapons over the centuries was incremental. But evolve they ultimately did, bringing arms, armor, and siege weapons to the threshold of the modern era. From the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance, Medieval Weapons: An Illustrated History of Their Impact covers the inexorable transformation from warrior in the mail shi Medieval Weapons: An Illustrated History of Their Impact ......Page 2 Content ......Page 6 Introduction to Weapons and Warfare Series ......Page 8 Introduction to Medieval Weapons ......Page 10 Acknowledgments ......Page 14 1: The Early Middle Ages, 376–750 ......Page 16 2: The Carolingian Era, 750–1050......Page 64 3: The Crusades, 1050–1300......Page 104 4: The Late Middle Ages, 1300–1550......Page 158 Conclusions......Page 226 Illustrations ......Page 232 Glossary ......Page 306 Bibliography ......Page 318 Index ......Page 328 About the Authors ......Page 348 The Early Middle Ages, 376-750 -- The Carolingian Era, 750-1050 -- The Crusades, 1050-1300 -- The Late Middle Ages, 1300-1550. Kelly Devries, Robert D. Smith. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 303-311) And Index. Chronicles the evolution of weapons and armor from the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Reformation, covering the early medieval, Carolingian, Crusade, and late medieval periods. Includes illustrations