Warfare is one of the central themes of medieval history,  but until recently its technical details and organisation have not  been properly investigated. Professor Verbruggen's masterly work  applies rigorous standards to the analyses of the often very obscure  surviving evidence, and comes up with conclusions which are very  different from those of earlier generations of military  historians.    He begins by analysing the sources for our  knowledge of the military history of the period, and assessing their  reliability, going on to look at the constituent parts of the medieval  army. He then turns to the way in which it was used, the vexed  question of medieval tactics, which is explored by analysing accounts  of a series of major battles. This leads on to the problems of  strategy: whether to seek battle, fight a defensive war, or attempt a  war of conquest. Throughout, there is rich detail in support of the  argument, drawn from primary sources.    Professor Verbruggen's  study has been acknowledged as the classic text on the subject since  it first appeared in Dutch in 1954. This is the first appearance of  the full text in English; ithas been revised in detail by the author  in the light of recent scholarship. It remains an indispensable text  for anyone interested in medieval warfare.J.F. VERBRUGGEN is  former Professor of History, University of Congo, and University of  Bujumbura (Burundi)

The Art of Warfare in Western Europe During the Middle Ages: From the Eighth Century to 1340 (Warfare in History) PDF

The list of books you might like