Fighting Techniques of the Medieval World AD 500 - AD 1500 Equipment, Combat Skills and Tactics

‘Once you engage in battle it is inexcusable to display any sloth or hesitation; you must breakfast on the enemy before he dines on you.’ – Kai Ka’us ibn Iskander, Persian prince, 1082AD

Why were Welsh longbowmen and Italian mercenaries more effective in battle than French armoured knights? How able were the crusaders? What is the difference between chain mail and scale mail? Fighting Techniques of the Medieval World describes combat in what has been characterized as the ‘age of chivalry’. The book explores the tactics and strategy required to win battles with the technology available and points out how the development of such weapons technology changed the face of the battlefield. Divided into five sections, the text begins with the foot soldier and the mounted soldier, the equipment they wore and used, and how they fought together as a unit. The third section discusses how these units were used together on the battlefield, and the importance of a general correctly disposing his troops before the battle began. The fourth section looks at siege warfare – a common event in this era of fortification. Finally the book covers naval warfare, from the ships in which the men fought to the weapons they carried and the major battles of the period. Using specially commissioned color and black-and-white artworks to illustrate the battles, equipment and tactics of the era, Fighting Techniques of the Medieval World shows in detail the methods by which armies gained and lost ascendancy on the battlefield. This is an essential companion for any reader interested in medieval warfare.

Matthew Bennett MA, FSA, FRHistS, has been a senior lecturer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst since 1984. He is the co-author of the Cambridge Atlas of Warfare: The Middle Ages 768-1487. He has also published many academic articles on chivalry and crusader warfare.