An up-close introduction to the most admired warriors in history
"They mounted their horses, grasped the lances made of fine Bordeaux Steel, closed the visors of their helmets, and made their way to their stations for the first course. Spurring their horses on, they advanced toward each other at full gallop, lowering their lances as they approached. The tip of Clifford’s lance caught Boucmel high on his breastplate and was deflected off . . . directly into the young squire’s mail hood, piercing his neck clean through."
This tragic account of an ambitious young Frenchman’s senseless death during a "friendly" joust with an English knight underscores the ever-present danger that stalked the flower of European youth in the Middle Ages. In The Knight, you’ll meet John Boucmel, Nicholas Clifford, and scores of other warriors who risked their lives to fill the medieval lists and battlefields in a relentless quest for fame, glory, and victory.
This vivid, fast-paced narrative whisks you from the blood-soaked fields of Normandy in the Hundred Years’ War to the battered walls of Jerusalem in the first Crusade, from a sumptuous feast in an English castle to the pomp and pageantry of a spectacular thirty-day jousting tournament. You’ll discover how knights were trained; how they paid for their expensive weapons, armor, and horses; and how the solemn vows they took influenced their behavior both on and off the battlefield. Discover the truth behind the countless legends of the Age of Chivalry in The Knight.
Show moreAn up-close introduction to the most admired warriors in history
"They mounted their horses, grasped the lances made of fine Bordeaux Steel, closed the visors of their helmets, and made their way to their stations for the first course. Spurring their horses on, they advanced toward each other at full gallop, lowering their lances as they approached. The tip of Clifford’s lance caught Boucmel high on his breastplate and was deflected off . . . directly into the young squire’s mail hood, piercing his neck clean through."
This tragic account of an ambitious young Frenchman’s senseless death during a "friendly" joust with an English knight underscores the ever-present danger that stalked the flower of European youth in the Middle Ages. In The Knight, you’ll meet John Boucmel, Nicholas Clifford, and scores of other warriors who risked their lives to fill the medieval lists and battlefields in a relentless quest for fame, glory, and victory.
This vivid, fast-paced narrative whisks you from the blood-soaked fields of Normandy in the Hundred Years’ War to the battered walls of Jerusalem in the first Crusade, from a sumptuous feast in an English castle to the pomp and pageantry of a spectacular thirty-day jousting tournament. You’ll discover how knights were trained; how they paid for their expensive weapons, armor, and horses; and how the solemn vows they took influenced their behavior both on and off the battlefield. Discover the truth behind the countless legends of the Age of Chivalry in The Knight.
Show moreThe mounted warrior; from blood to laughter; the knight's equipment; love and war; castles and siegecraft; the fall of Jerusalem; warriors of Christ; mercenaries; conclusion - from lance to firearm.
ALAN BAKER is the author of four previous books, including The Gladiator: The Secret History of Rome's Warrior Slaves. He is currently working on his next book, The Viking, coming soon from Wiley.
A brisk, fact-filled introduction to the elements of knighthood and
its evolution in the 11th through 15th centuries.
You couldn't throw a brick during the Middle Ages without having it
land in one battle or another, typically a princely turf squabble,
though the size might increase anywhere up to a crusade. Into these
frays rode the knight upon his battle horse, and Baker (The
Gladiator, 2001) tells his readers how such near-mythic beings were
groomed and ordained and what vows they took in military service to
the liege lord. If there is a certain colorlessness to Baker's
writing, it nonetheless offers gobbets of hard information and
stories to give it life. The author first takes on the feudal
system and breaks it down into regions, thereby giving a taste of
the localized character of the period's political, economic, and
military power structure. He explains the purpose of jousting
tournaments and describes a weeklong jousting challenge that took
place in France. The development of weaponry is covered, as are
castle architecture and foodstuffs, from the great feasts with
entrees of swan and porpoise, to the humble beans and peas that
were the daily fare of page and squire. Baker captures the nature
of siege warfare through stories of the great operations against
Antioch, Nicaea, and the castle of Richard the Lionhearted. He
lavishes considerable time on the knights and their relationship to
the crusades, in part because notions of virtue and honor are
inextricably entangled with the recapture of the Holy Land, and the
religious aspects of courtly love came to be identified with
knighthood. Finally came the decline: when mercenaries took over
the knight's role, and gunpowder spelled the end of swordplay and
lancework.
A blessing for any fancier of knights, from the smitten 12-year-old
to the older guy who can't believe his bad luck at having been born
900 years too late. (""Kirkus Reviews,"" December 15, 2002)
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
