The Cambridge Illustrated Atlas of Warfare: The Middle Ages, 768–1487

Warfare in the Middle Ages is often characterized as being dominated by lone, heroic knights or enormous mobs of plodding infantry. In this colorful and informative book, authors Hooper and Bennett debunk many of the myths surrounding medieval warfare to present a picture of a military culture as sophisticated as our modern one, with well organized armies and a high degree of tactical intelligence. The authors make their case by masterful use of high-quality maps, battle plans, and pictorial essays that explore such topics as siege warfare, the use of cavalry, the development of naval warfare, medieval science and warfare, and the legacy of the Middle Ages in modern military warfare. The Atlas spans the period from the coronation of Charlemagne to the last of the English Wars of the Roses and covers campaigns in and around Europe and the Mediterranean. The illustrations depict all levels of warfare from the strategic campaigns down to individual battles, fortifications, and weaponry. The lucid narrative that accompanies the pictures explains the course of campaigns and lessons to be learned from them. This book is written for the general reader with an interest in the history of warfare.