Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades, 1000 1300 - by John France (Paperback)

About the Book

This authoritative and concise work surveys the range of warfare in the high Middle Ages while reflecting on the society that produced these military struggles. The book brings together for the first time a wealth of information on such topics as...

Book Synopsis

This authoritative and concise work surveys the range of warfare in the high Middle Ages while reflecting on the society that produced these military struggles. The book brings together for the first time a wealth of information on such topics as knighthood, military organization, weaponry and fortifications, and warfare in the East. In 1095 with the launching of the First Crusade, Europeans established a great military endeavour to save the Holy Land, an undertaking that remained a central preoccupation until the end of the thirteenth century. While the expeditions that went forth to fight the Muslims involved armies of exceptional size, much of the warfare within western Europe itself was conducted by small armies on behalf of landowners who were often neighbours and kin. In his approach to his subject, John France considers political, social, and economic development in the age of the crusades. He emphasizes the significance of four factors in shaping medieval warfare: the dominance of land as a form of wealth, the limited competence of government, the state of technology that favoured defence over attack, and the geography and climate of western Europe. His coverage of the castle and the knight in armour depicts the role of landowners in producing these characteristic medieval instruments of war. In addition, France provides an extensive analysis of battles in which he reconstructs a series of encounters in superb detail.

Review Quotes

"France packs an impressive array of information into this authoritative study. . . The author provides enough detail (including examples of battles with maps) to make his book accessible to an educated audience."--Virginia Quarterly Review

"France, whose Victory in the East is undoubtedly the finest military history of the First Crusade, has turned here to a general study of the military history of Europe from1000 to 1300. Unique facts and novel ideas come to the reader at a furious pace, but with . . . clear footnotes and an ample bibliography. This book should lead students and researchers alike to fresh discussions of what it was like to fight wars during the Middle Ages."--Choice

"I am full of admiration for this excellent story of the practice of warfare in the Central Middle Ages. It is a work of both scholarship and synthesis, full of insight, and communicated in an accessible and professional way."--Norman Housley, University of Leicester

"John France . . . . has produced a minor tour de force of synthesis and analysis of one of the central features of medieval life."--Christopher Tyerman, Hertford College, Oxford. War in History. Vol. 7, No. 3, 212.

"This book contributes considerably to scholarship in this field. Furthermore, it does so in a manner which is clearly presented, well written, and often entertaining to read."--Military History

"This book is clearly based on a considerable amount of detailed research and reading. 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 context, with an examination of the causes and objectives of war."--A.J. Forey, Emeritus, University of Dublin. American Historical Review. Spring 2000.

"This is a valuable book packed with an extensive survey of recent studies by specialists, elucidated by rich notes, and complemented by a full bibliography. . . It is an excellent place to commence an examination of the subject, and specialists will also find it helpful in gaining a background for regions and periods other than their own."--James F. Powers, College of the Holy Cross. Speculum, October 2000

About the Author

JOHN FRANCE is Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Wales, Swansea. He is the author of Victory in the East: A Military History of the First Crusade.