Medieval Military Combat : Battle Tactics and Fighting Techniques of the Wars of the Roses.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lewis, Tom.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Military art and science--Great Britain--History--Medieval, 500-1500.

Military art and science.

Military art and science--Medieval.

Great Britain--History--Wars of the Roses, 1455-1485.

Great Britain.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (189 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Havertown : Casemate Publishers & Book Distributors, LLC, 2021.

Summary:

While scholarship has analysed the battles of the Wars of the Roses and many of the weapons wielded by soldiers of the time, it is still a matter for conjecture how battles of this period were fought at unit and individual level. With many of the practical details lost to time, and a lack of contemporary accounts, books and films have distorted the general understanding of how a medieval battle could have unfolded. So how did medieval soldiers in the War of the Roses, embroiled in the infantry fighting, carry out their grim work? Military historian and intelligence analyst Tom Lewis examines the weapons and types of soldiers deployed in battles; and explores the logical arrangement of armies and necessary command decisions. The study puts forward three new hypotheses: that medieval combat likely would have seen a command arrangement at the front of the battle lines to avoid exhaustion being a devastating negative factor; that a rout in the aftermath of medieval battles was likely less devastating to the loser than previously thought; and that combatants and fatalities were both over-reported for medieval battles. These theories are further explored in a case study of the battle of Towton. -- Dust jacket.

Contents:

Intro

Title

Copyright

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction: A Medieval Mystery

1 The Wars of the Roses

2 The Genesis of Infantry Combat

3 The Black Hole of Knowledge Regarding Medieval Combat

4 Misunderstanding Medieval Tactics, Armour and Weapons Through Modern Books and Movies

5 Armour in the Medieval Period

6 The Longbow’s Place in Medieval Battle

7 The Fight of the Poleaxe Soldier

8 How were Medieval Battles Actually Fought?

9 Towton as an Example of Medieval Battle

10 The Myth of Fatalities in Medieval Battle

Conclusion: A New Theory of Medieval Battle

Appendix 1: Accounts of the Battle of Towton

Appendix 2: Percussive Weapons of the Leeds Armouries Database

Appendix 3: Re-enactor Analysis

Endnotes

Bibliography.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9781612008882

1612008887

OCLC:

1340454014