The Art of Renaissance Warfare : From The Fall of Constantinople to the Thirty Years War

About the Author: STEPHEN TURNBULL is an Honorary Research Fellow at Leeds University and the author of more than fifty books on the military history of Europe and the Far East. He lives in Horsforth, Yorkshire. HISTORY / Military / Ancient A history of the evolution of military technology among knights in Renaissance Europe from the fifteenth century to the seventeenth century. The Art of Renaissance Warfare tells the story of the knight during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries—from the great victories of Edward III and the Black Prince to the fall of Richard III on Bosworth Field. During this period, new technology on the battlefield posed deadly challenges for the mounted warrior; but they also stimulated change, and the knight moved with the times. Having survived the longbow devastation at Crécy, Poitiers and Agincourt, he emerged triumphant, his armor lighter and more effective, and his military skills indispensable. This was the great age of the orders of chivalry and the freemasonry of arms that bound together comrades and adversaries in a tight international military caste. Men such as Bertrand du Guesclin and Sir John Chandos loom large in the pages of this book—bold leaders and brave warriors, imbued with these traditions of chivalry and knighthood. How their heroic endeavors and the knightly code of conduct could be reconciled with the indiscriminate carnage of the "chevauchee" and the depredations of the "free companies" is one of the principal themes of this informative and entertaining book.

The Art of Renaissance Warfare tells the story of the knight during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries from the great victories of Edward III and the Black Prince to the fall of Richard III on Bosworth Field.During this period, new technology on the battlefield posed deadly challenges for the mounted warrior; but they also stimulated change, and the knight moved with the times. Having survived the longbow devastation at Crcy, Poitiers and Agincourt, he emerged triumphant, his armor lighter and more effective, and his military skills indispensable.This was the great age of the orders of chivalry and the freemasonry of arms that bound together comrades and adversaries in a tight international military caste. Men such as Bertrand du Guesclin and Sir John Chandos loom large in the pages of this book bold leaders and brave warriors, imbued with these traditions of chivalry and knighthood. How their heroic endeavors and the knightly code of conduct could be reconciled with the indiscriminate carnage of the 'chevauche' and the depredations of the 'free companies' is one of the principal themes of this informative and entertaining book.

Details the changes in warfare that occurred between the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War in 1618. The years between these two events were a time of transition and innovation; a time when military technology was advancing in accomplishment and military thinking was devolving in morality. The author's approach will be to examine evidence for military development within the context of an overlapping narrative history, identifying periods of accelerated change during a long term revolution in military affairs that started before 1453 and continued for centuries after 1618. Other aspects of warfare and technology were the evolution of mounted armored knights into cavalry troops, drill manuals of the early seventeenth century, the spread of gunpowder technology as well as developments in weapon accuracy, and advancements in fortifications This book describes the changes in warfare that occurred between the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War in 1618. The years between these two events were a time of transition and innovation; a time when military technology was advancing in accomplishment and military thinking was devolving in morality. Military development is examined as accelerated change during a long term revolution in military affairs that started before 1453 and continued for centuries after 1618. Other aspects of warfare and technology were the evolution of mounted armored knights into cavalry troops, drill manuals of the early seventeenth century, the spread of gunpowder technology, developments in weapon accuracy, and advancements in fortifications