Sunday, 24 April 2011

Book Review: Medieval Warfare


This book is interesting as it doesn't simply go into the weapons and tactics used during the time period. Instead a large portion of it is devoted to how the armies were raised and the societies that were in place to facilitate such armies being raised. 

This then is a book discussing the logistics of medieval warfare back towards the late Roman empire period at least. It is a fascinating read as a result because it demonstrates the resources leaders back then needed just to field a single knight. It also demonstrated that the simple view of "Kings used knights who owned fiefs to fight for them" was a lot more complicated in reality back then (as it is now; as are many things). 

A count of France for example made a contract with the King of England to provide his services for a set amount of time annually but that he would not fight against the King of France. And should France and England go to war he would do his best to dissuade the French King. 

Complex contracts; oaths and fealties crop up all over the book which makes one wonder at how they managed to keep track of all these things without a modern civil service. Fact of the matter is that they didn't manage it sometimes with ensuing casualties as a result. If anything one thing that can be seen throughout the book and in every other conflict zone is that where war and their makers go; the civilians are always the ones to suffer the most. A timeless truism that repeats itself across history. Unless you're a civilian living in the right place. The right place being the place not being sacked by roaming horsemen. 

Would I recommend the book for a read? It is hard to say; you'd definitely have to be interested in history and this time period. It was good for me as it underscored the difficulties of government on pitiful resources and the all important first concern of warfare which was raising and maintaining an army. 


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