Medieval Mercenaries

Author : William Urban
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1848328559
Total Pages : 286 pages
Book Rating : 4.56/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Medieval Mercenaries written by William Urban and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2015-11-30 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Middle Ages were a turbulent and violent time, when the fate of nations was most often decided on the battlefield, and strength of arms was key to acquiring and maintaining power. Feudal oaths and local militias were more often than not incapable of providing the skilled and disciplined warriors necessary to keep the enemy at bay. It was the mercenary who stepped in to fill the ranks. A mercenary was a professional soldier who took employment with no concern for the morals or cause of the paymaster. But within these confines we discover a surprising array of men, from the lowest-born foot soldier to the wealthiest aristocrat the occasional clergyman, even. What united them all was a willingness, and often the desire, to fight for their supper.In this benchmark work, William Urban explores the vital importance of the mercenary to the medieval power-broker, from the Byzantine Varangian Guard to fifteenth-century soldiers of fortune in the Baltic. Through contemporary chronicles and the most up-to-date scholarship, he presents an in-depth portrait of the mercenary across the Middle Ages.

Author : Hunt Janin
Publisher : McFarland
ISBN 13 : 1476612072
Total Pages : 219 pages
Book Rating : 4.72/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Mercenaries in Medieval and Renaissance Europe written by Hunt Janin and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-01-10 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In medieval and Renaissance Europe, mercenaries--professional soldiers who fought for money or other rewards--played violent, colorful, international roles in warfare, but they have received relatively little scholarly attention. In this book a large number of vignettes portray their activities in Western Europe over a period of nearly 900 years, from the Merovingian mercenaries of 752 through the Thirty Years' War, which ended in 1648. Intended as an introduction to the subject and drawing heavily on contemporary first-person accounts, the book creates a vivid but balanced mosaic of the many thousands of mercenaries who were hired to fight for various employers.

Author : David Murphy
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472855108
Total Pages : 155 pages
Book Rating : 4.07/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Condottiere 1300–1500 written by David Murphy and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-12-23 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally contracted by wealthy Italian city states to protect their assets during a time of ceaseless warring, many condottieri of the Italian peninsula became famous for their wealth, venality and amorality during the 14th and 15th centuries. Some even came to rule cities themselves. Lavishly illustrated with contemporary depictions and original artwork, this title examines the complex military organization, recruitment, training and weaponry of the Condottieri. With insight into their origins and motivations, the author, Dr David Murphy, brings together the social, political and military history of these powerful and unscrupulous men who managed to influence Italian society and warfare for over two centuries.

Author : William Urban
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1848328559
Total Pages : 286 pages
Book Rating : 4.56/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Medieval Mercenaries written by William Urban and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2015-11-30 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Middle Ages were a turbulent and violent time, when the fate of nations was most often decided on the battlefield, and strength of arms was key to acquiring and maintaining power. Feudal oaths and local militias were more often than not incapable of providing the skilled and disciplined warriors necessary to keep the enemy at bay. It was the mercenary who stepped in to fill the ranks. A mercenary was a professional soldier who took employment with no concern for the morals or cause of the paymaster. But within these confines we discover a surprising array of men, from the lowest-born foot soldier to the wealthiest aristocrat the occasional clergyman, even. What united them all was a willingness, and often the desire, to fight for their supper.In this benchmark work, William Urban explores the vital importance of the mercenary to the medieval power-broker, from the Byzantine Varangian Guard to fifteenth-century soldiers of fortune in the Baltic. Through contemporary chronicles and the most up-to-date scholarship, he presents an in-depth portrait of the mercenary across the Middle Ages.

Author : William L. Urban
Publisher : Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal
ISBN 13 : 9781853676970
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.77/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Medieval Mercenaries written by William L. Urban and published by Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal. This book was released on 2006 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Middle Ages were a turbulent and violent time, when the fate of nations was most often decided on the battlefield, and strength of arms was key to acquiring and maintaining power. Feudal oaths and local militias were more often than not incapable of providing the skilled and disciplined warriors necessary to keep the enemy at bay. It was the mercenary who stepped in to fill the ranks. In this benchmark work, William Urban explores the vital importance of the mercenary to the medieval power-broker, from the Byzantine Varangian Guard to fifteenth-century soldiers of fortune in the Baltic. Through contemporary chronicles and the most up-to-date scholarship, he presents an in-depth portrait of the mercenary across the Middle Ages. A mercenary was a professional soldier who took employment with minimum concern for the morals, ethics or cause of the paymaster. But within these confines we discover a surprising array of fighting-men, from the lowest-born foot soldier to the wealthiest aristocrat – the occasional clergyman, even. What united them all was a willingness, and often the desire, to fight for their supper. Shocking, informative and hugely entertaining, Medieval Mercenaries is a compelling account of the business of war in the age of chivalry.

Author : Kenneth Fowler
Publisher : Wiley-Blackwell
ISBN 13 : 9780631158868
Total Pages : 404 pages
Book Rating : 4.63/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Medieval Mercenaries, The Great Companies written by Kenneth Fowler and published by Wiley-Blackwell. This book was released on 2001-02-08 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first book devoted exclusively to the history of 'The Great Companies', an assembly of mercenaries drawn from different European countries who came together to fight in the second half of the 14th century, sometimes in the employ of kings, the pope, princes or city republics, but frequently fighting on their own account.

Author : John France
Publisher : BRILL
ISBN 13 : 9004164472
Total Pages : 428 pages
Book Rating : 4.75/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Mercenaries and Paid Men written by John France and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2008-01-01 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why were mercenaries such a commonplace of war in the medieval and early modern periods and why have they traditionally been so poorly regarded? Who were mercenaries, and how were they distinguished from other soldiers? The contributors to this volume attempt to cast light on these questions.

Author : David Murphy
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472855094
Total Pages : 65 pages
Book Rating : 4.91/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Condottiere 1300–1500 written by David Murphy and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-12-23 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally contracted by wealthy Italian city states to protect their assets during a time of ceaseless warring, many condottieri of the Italian peninsula became famous for their wealth, venality and amorality during the 14th and 15th centuries. Some even came to rule cities themselves. Lavishly illustrated with contemporary depictions and original artwork, this title examines the complex military organization, recruitment, training and weaponry of the Condottieri. With insight into their origins and motivations, the author, Dr David Murphy, brings together the social, political and military history of these powerful and unscrupulous men who managed to influence Italian society and warfare for over two centuries.

Author : John France
Publisher : BRILL
ISBN 13 : 9047432614
Total Pages : 427 pages
Book Rating : 4.16/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Mercenaries and Paid Men written by John France and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2008-03-31 with total page 427 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why were mercenaries such a commonplace of war in the medieval and early modern periods and why have they traditionally been so poorly regarded? Who were mercenaries, and how were they distinguished from other soldiers? The contributors to this volume attempt to cast light on these questions.

Author : Hussein Fancy
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
ISBN 13 : 022632964X
Total Pages : 329 pages
Book Rating : 4.42/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book The Mercenary Mediterranean written by Hussein Fancy and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2016-03-22 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the course of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the Christian kings of Aragon recruited thousands of foreign Muslim soldiers to serve in their armies and as members of their royal courts. Based on extensive research in Arabic, Latin and Romance sources, 'The Mercenary Mediterranean' explores this little-known and misunderstood history.