A powerful new history detailing the most significant military clashes between Islam and Christendom over the 1,300 years of the Muslim caliphate.

From the taking of the holy city of Jerusalem in the 7th century AD by Caliph Umar, to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire following the end of World War I, Christian popes, emperors and kings, and Muslim caliphs and sultans were locked in a 1300-year battle for political, military, ideological, economic and religious supremacy.

In this powerful new history of the era, acknowledged expert on the history of the Middle East and the Crusades Simon Mayall focuses on some of the most significant clashes of arms in human history: the taking and retaking of Jerusalem and the collapse of the Crusader states; the fall of Constantinople; the sieges of Rhodes and Malta; the assault on Vienna and the 'high-water mark' of Ottoman advance into Europe; culminating in the Allied capture of Jerusalem in World War I, the final collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the dissolution of the sultanate and the caliphate, and the formation of modern Europe and the modern Middle East.

The House of War offers a wide, sweeping narrative, encompassing the broad historical and religious context of this period, while focussing on some of the key, pivotal sieges and battles, and on the protagonists, political and military, who determined their conclusions and their consequences.

A groundbreaking new history of the wars of the Ottoman Expansion, a truly global conflagration that crisscrossed three continents and ultimately defined the borders and future of a modern Europe.

The determined attempt to thwart Ottoman dominance was fought across five theaters from the Balkans to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, from Persia to Russia. This intercontinental melee is expertly re-told in this fascinating new history by historian Si Sheppard.

But this is not the story of a clash of civilizations between East and West as you might assume. Europe was not united against the Turks; the scandal of the age was the alliance between King Francis I of France and Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Meanwhile, the resistance of the Saadi dynasty of Morocco to Ottoman encroachment played a critical role in denying Constantinople direct access to the Atlantic Ocean. By the same token, though religious imperatives were critical to the motivations of all the key actors involved, these in no way fell neatly along the Christian Muslim divide. Crescent Dawn expertly shows how the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V desired nothing more than to eradicate the Protestant heresy metastasizing throughout his domains, but the threat of Turkish invasion forced him to stay his hand and indulge his Lutheran subjects to ensure a common defense. Nevertheless, the collective effort to constrain the expansion of the Ottoman superpower did succeed with the ultimate victory in 1571 the tipping point in reordering the trajectory of history.

Crescent Dawn features some of the legendary figures of the era - from Mehmet the Conqueror, and Suleiman the Magnificent on the Ottoman side, to Charles V and Vasco de Gama on the other - and some of the most exotic locales on Earth - from the sumptuous palaces of Constantinople to the bloody battlefields of the Balkans to the awe-inspiring mountains of Ethiopia. This is a colorful history that brings the great battles of the age to life and clearly shows how the western struggle against the Ottomans constituted the first truly world war.

A vivid new history of the criminal underworld in the medieval Holy Land

The religious wars of the crusades are renowned for their military engagements. But the period was witness to brutality beyond the battlefield. More so than any other medieval war zone, the Holy Land was rife with unprecedented levels of criminality and violence.

In the first history of its kind, Steve Tibble explores the criminal underbelly of the crusades. From gangsters and bandits to muggers and pirates, Tibble presents extraordinary evidence of an illicit underworld. He shows how the real problem in the region stemmed not from religion but from young men. Dislocated, disinhibited, and present in disturbingly large numbers, they were the propellant that stoked two centuries of unceasing warfare and shocking levels of criminality.

Crusader Criminals charts the downward spiral of desensitisation that grew out of the horrors of incessant warfare--and in doing so uncovers some of the most surprising stories of the time.

[A] riveting story... you owe it to yourself to pick up The Last Viking. It's that exciting, that good.--The Washington Post

A rich and compelling account of the life of King Harald Hardrada, the man who inspired the hit Netflix show Vikings: Valhalla.

Harald Sigurdsson burst into history as a teenaged youth in a Viking battle from which he escaped with little more than his life and a thirst for vengeance. But from these humble origins, he became one of Norway's most legendary kings. The Last Viking is a fast-moving narrative account of the life of King Harald Hardrada, as he journeyed across the medieval world, from the frozen wastelands of the North to the glittering towers of Byzantium and the passions of the Holy Land, until his warrior death on the battlefield in England.

Combining Norse sagas, Byzantine accounts, Anglo-Saxon chronicles, and even King Harald's own verse and prose into a single, compelling story, Don Hollway vividly depicts the violence and spectacle of the late Viking era and delves into the dramatic events that brought an end to almost three centuries of Norse conquest and expansion.

A history of Britain in the violent and unruly era between the first Scandinavian raids in 789 and the final expulsion of the Vikings from York in 954.

In 865, a great Viking army landed in East Anglia, precipitating a series of wars that would last until the middle of the following century. It was in this time of crisis that the modern kingdoms of Britain were born. In their responses to the Viking threat, these kingdoms forged their identities as hybrid cultures: vibrant and entrepreneurial peoples adapting to instability and opportunity.

Traditionally, Alfred the Great is cast as the central player in the story of Viking Age Britain. But Max Adams, while stressing the genius of Alfred as war leader, law-giver, and forger of the English nation, has a more nuanced narrative approach to this conventional version of history. The Britain encountered by the Scandinavians of the ninth and tenth centuries was one of regional diversity and self-conscious cultural identities, depicted in glorious narrative fashion in The Viking Wars.

If you want to discover the captivating history of the Magna Carta, then keep reading...

The Magna Carta is celebrated as one of the most important documents in human history. It is the main source of constitutional law around the world, promising people liberties and protection from the arbitrary power of the government.

However, it is also a set of promises extorted in bad faith from an unwilling king, and these promises dealt with the problems of the 13th-century aristocracy. Among the ordinary problems of fees, customs, and land law, greater ideas found their way into the document, revolutionary ideas that would change the world.

However, in 1215, they were sparse, mentioned here and there in the form of high ideals more than in the form of a law.

Some parts of the Magna Carta are still quoted, such as clauses that deal with justice before peers, freedom from unlawful imprisonment, freedom of the church, and so on. However, in medieval times, these clauses did not have the same meaning as they do today. The Magna Carta showed itself to be a flexible document with ideas that could be bent and transformed to suit the needs of the new times.

In Magna Carta: A Captivating Guide to the History of the Great Charter and its Influence on Medieval England and the Rest of the World, you will discover topics such as

• King John
• The Path to Runnymede
• The Magna Carta
• The Failure of the Magna Carta
• The War
• The Regent and the End of the First Barons' War
• Henry III and the Magna Carta
• Second Barons' War and Edward I
• The Late Medieval Period and the Tudors
• The Revival of the Magna Carta
• The New World and the Magna Carta

So if you want to learn more about the Magna Carta, scroll up and click the add to cart button

A fully illustrated study of the French armies that were inspired by Saint Jeanne d'Arc, reformed under King Charles VII and eventually victorious over England in the Hundred Years' War.

Saint Jeanne d'Arc remains a central figure in France's national legend, having ushered the country's flagging military forces into a period of extraordinary reform and revival that culminated - some 22 years after her death - in the French emerging triumphant from the Hundred Years' War. France's 1429 victory at Orléans, which was headed by Saint Jeanne, marked the first major setback to a long series of English successes and led directly to the coronation of King Charles VII, who would transform France's fortunes by making peace with Burgundy, gathering foreign allies and creating permanent armed forces under royal control.

In this engaging new study, French military historian Philippe Gaillard examines the events and individuals that brought about such a pivotal shift in the trajectory of medieval France. Combining detailed research with period illustrations, artefact photography and newly commissioned artwork plates, the author brings to life the story of Saint Jeanne d'Arc, the army she revitalized and the structural and tactical changes that carried King Charles VII and France to victory at Formigny and Castillon in the 1450s.

In his short life, master cutler and Freifechter Joachim Meyer appears to have had quite a successful career as a fencing master, teaching craftsmen and noblemen alike while also authoring at least four different fencing treatises (and possibly more). His works became renowned far outside of his own nation and were copied by other authors for over 100 years after his death.

This book contains Dr. Rebecca Garber's entirely new translation of Meyer's longest and most developed treatise, Foundational Description of the Free, Knightly, and Noble Art of Fencing, published in 1570. It teaches complex and sophisticated methods for using all the typical weapons of his day, beginning with the two-handed sword prized by the tradition of Johannes Liechtenauer, then showing how traditional German fencing should be applied to the eastern European dusack and the Mediterranean rapier which had become popular as sidearms, and finally covering the dagger and polearms that were commonly used in the militias of the Imperial Free Cities.

To aid in the study of this important work, the 62 elaborate Figures created by the circle of Tobias Stimmer have been broken up into individual pairs of fencers and placed inline in the text, and hundreds of footnotes have been added throughout. In addition, Roger Norling has provided an exhaustive, 110-page introduction to Meyer and the world that he inhabited.

This book will prove to be an important resource for any student of medieval or early modern fencing.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 HISTORICAL WRITERS' ASSOCIATION NON-FICTION CROWN AWARD

'It's quite a feat to write an account of England's most famous battle that makes the reader feel like they're experiencing history that is fresh, new and exhilarating.' Dan Snow

This groundbreaking study by Mike Livingston, as featured on History Hit's Agincourt, presents a new interpretation of Henry V's great victory.

From Shakespeare's 'band of brothers' speech to its appearances in numerous films, Agincourt rightfully has a place among a handful of conflicts whose names are immediately recognized around the world. Renowned medieval historian Mike Livingston provides a new look at this famous battle, with a foreword by world famous historic novelist Bernard Cornwell.

Agincourt takes us back to the original sources, including the French battle plan that still survives today, to give a new interpretation, one that challenges the traditional site of the battlefield itself. It is a thrilling new history that not only rewrites the battle as we know it, but also provides fresh insights into the men who fought and died there.

From Boudica to William the Conqueror, this is the story of the Early Middle Ages and the hidden history of its people Updated with the latest archaeological research new chapters on the most influential yet widely unrecognized people of the British isles, In Search of the Dark Ages illuminates the fascinating and mysterious centuries between the Romans and the Norman Conquest of 1066. In this new edition, Michael Wood vividly conjures some of the most important people in British history such as Hadrian, a Libyan refugee from the Arab conquests and arguably the most important person of African origin in British history, to Queen Boadicea, the leader of a terrible war of resistance against the Romans. Here too, warts and all, are the Saxon, Viking and Norman kings who laid the political foundations of England: Offa of Mercia, Alfred the Great, Athelstan, and William the Conqueror, whose victory at Hastings in 1066 marked the end of Anglo-Saxon England. Reflecting the latest historical, textual and archaeological research, this revised and updated edition of Michael Wood's classic book overturns preconceptions of the Dark Ages as a shadowy and brutal era, showing them to be a richly exciting and formative period in the history of Britain.

Explores the rise of the Frankish Kingdom, focusing on Charlemagne's military campaigns and the evolution of the Frankish army.

The centuries that followed the fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476 saw the formation of numerous Romano-Germanic kingdoms from the fusion between different Germanic communities and the Roman population. In time the Frankish Kingdom came to dominate over all the others and conquered most of continental Europe under the guidance of the famous Carolingian royal family. In the book we will follow the military ascendancy of the warlike Franks from 613 to 987.

The greatest protagonist of this bloody period was Charlemagne, probably the greatest military commander of the Early Middle Ages. He transformed the Frankish kingdom into a large state - the Holy Roman Empire - that dominated most of continental Western Europe for almost a century. Charlemagne spent his long reign (768-814) fighting against a multitude of warlike enemies who lived on the frontiers of his dominions: Arabs, Basques, Bretons, Frisians, Vikings, Saxons, Thuringians, Slavs, Avars, Bavarians and Lombards. He obtained some spectacular victories over the latter, but also suffered some humiliating defeats like the famous one of Roncevaux Pass. Gabriele Esposito follows the evolution of the Frankish Army from the rise of the Franks' under the Merovingian monarchs to the dissolution of the Carolingian royal family, reconstructing the most important military campaigns in detail. All the major troop types are covered, providing information on the organization and equipment of each contingent. The enemies of the Franks are also considered. The clear text is illustrated with dozens of stunning colour photographs depicting replica weapons and equipment of the period in use.

Barbarians, Marauders, and Infidels examines the motives and terrors of war during the Middle Ages, the rise and fall of ethnic and religious groups, and the actions of good and evil military leaders during this violent and colorful period. In this sweeping chronicle, historical figures and major campaigns such as Charlemagne, the Magyars, and the Crusades are presented not as icons but as a living part of their times, with all their achievements and human failures. Santosuosso asserts that war, for most of the Middle Ages, was carried out for God, personal gain, and honor. Both Christians and Muslims often explained their acts of violence in war as the will of God. Besides the religious motivation, soldiers, if upper class, believed that acts of bravery were a necessary aspect of gaining honor in society. Finally, war constituted a way to make material gains in a period of chronic underemployment and low prosperity. Particular emphasis is given to massive transitions from one period to the next in the medieval era. The author explains how these changes reflected an environment where charismatic leaders, the Church, and the aristocracy played leading roles as managers of the art and practice of war and normally as main actors on the battlefield.

This is the ninth volume of the series on Indian history with the generic title, From Indus to Independence: A Trek through Indian History and provides a historic narrative of the rise, decline and eventual fall of the great Maratha Empire through the 17th and 18th centuries. The book analyses the origins of the Marathas, their rise to power and the period of what could be called 'The Maratha Dominance'.

The arrival of Islam into the Deccan Plateau and South India coincides with the recognised rise of the Marathas as fearless and stubborn warriors. The early Maratha chiefs contributed to the military prowess of the Shahi kingdoms of the Deccan and their opposition to the Mughal invasion, conspicuous for their valour and loyalty. This volume describes in detail the early years and coming of age of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder the what later came to be called the Maratha Empire. His daring exploits and the vision that he had of establishing a Hindu kingdom for the emancipation of the Hindu population are explained in full.

The rule of the Peshwas and continuing rise of the Maratha Empire to it halcyon days between 1720 and 1755 are chronicled in detail. The Battle of Panipat, fought and lost in 1761, is analysed before the volume looks at the onset of decline and the fundamental causes that created strategically unsound circumstances from which the Empire could not recover. The role of the English East India Company in finally breaking up the Empire is studied, and their duplicitous nature underlined. The book provides the reader with an in-depth understanding of the changed circumstances in Indian history with the arrival of European powers into the sub-continent.

An engrossing history of the pivotal year 1217 when invading French forces were defeated and the future of England secured.

In 1215 King John had agreed to the terms of Magna Carta, but he then reneged on his word, plunging the kingdom into war. The rebellious barons offered the throne to the French prince Louis and set off the chain of events that almost changed the course of English history.

Louis first arrived in May 1216, was proclaimed king in the heart of London, and by the autumn had around half of England under his control. However, the choice of a French prince had enormous repercussions: now not merely an internal rebellion, but a war in which the defenders were battling to prevent a foreign takeover. John's death in October 1216 left the throne in the hands of his 9-year-old son, Henry, and his regent, William Marshal, which changed the face of the war again, for now the king trying to fight off an invader was not a hated tyrant but an innocent child.

1217 charts the nascent sense of national identity that began to swell. Three key battles would determine England's destiny. The fortress of Dover was besieged, the city of Lincoln was attacked, and a great invasion force set sail, and unusually for the time, was intercepted at sea. Catherine Hanley expertly navigates medieval siege warfare, royal politics, and fighting at sea to bring this remarkable period of English history to life.

Challenging the boundaries between military and gender history, and surveying a vast range of contemporary sources, this is the first account in English of the entire, 40-year military career of one of the most powerful women of the Middle Ages.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A taut page-turner with all the hallmarks of a good historical thriller.--Orlando Sentinel

The basis for the major motion picture starring Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, and Adam Driver, now streaming on Hulu!

The gripping true story of the duel to end all duels in medieval France as a resolute knight defends his wife's honor against the man she accuses of a heinous crime

In the midst of the devastating Hundred Years' War between France and England, Jean de Carrouges, a Norman knight fresh from combat in Scotland, returns home to yet another deadly threat. His wife, Marguerite, has accused squire Jacques Le Gris of rape. A deadlocked court decrees a trial by combat between the two men that will also leave Marguerite's fate in the balance. For if her husband loses the duel, she will be put to death as a false accuser.

While enemy troops pillage the land, and rebellion and plague threaten the lives of all, Carrouges and Le Gris meet in full armor on a walled field in Paris. What follows is the final duel ever authorized by the Parlement of Paris, a fierce fight with lance, sword, and dagger before a massive crowd that includes the teenage King Charles VI, during which both combatants are wounded--but only one fatally.

Based on extensive research in Normandy and Paris, The Last Duel brings to life a colorful, turbulent age and three unforgettable characters caught in a fatal triangle of crime, scandal, and revenge. The Last Duel is at once a moving human drama, a captivating true crime story, and an engrossing work of historical intrigue with themes that echo powerfully centuries later.

The Damietta Crusade, which is often referred to as the 'Fifth Crusade', was the first of the numbered crusades to be targeted against Egypt. Rather than directly targeting Jerusalem, its architects believed that by threatening the economic hub of Cairo the Ayyubid sultan would gladly give up Jerusalem in exchange.

Here Laurence Marvin offers the first book-length treatment of the Damietta Crusade in almost 40 years. Written in accessible language and driven by a narrative and analysis firmly grounded in the primary sources in multiple languages, Marvin emphasizes what made this campaign unique, from its planning, choice of target, brown-water or amphibious nature, course, and result. He presents a multi-sided perspective by amply describing and analyzing the Egyptians and other groups in the eastern Mediterranean who played an important role in mounting a successful defense against Latin Christian forces. Marvin contends that the crusade in Egypt failed not because it derived from an unachievable or flawed grand strategy, but because of shifting operational goals, leadership issues, the social dynamics within the army, arrivals and departures of participants, and the effective defense led by Egypt's sultan, al-Kamil. This detailed analysis of an understudied event of thirteenth century history brings the latest methodologies of military history to bear on a wide range of primary sources, raising important questions about the complex nature of warfare and crusade in the medieval Mediterranean.

The Art of Medieval Warfare: Strategies, Tactics, and Weapons of the Battlefield

This comprehensive outline explores the fascinating world of medieval warfare, delving into the strategies, tactics, and weaponry that shaped the battlefields of this era.

Part I: The Strategy of Medieval War

Examines the various goals of medieval warfare, from conquest and defense to religious campaigns.

Discusses the importance of campaign planning, logistics, and supply lines.

Explores the role of fortifications, such as castles and siege towers, in medieval warfare.

Analyzes the evolution of medieval armies from feudal levies to professional forces.

Considers the social stratification of medieval armies, including knights, men-at-arms, archers, and peasant levies.

Investigates the impact of mercenaries on medieval battles.

Unveils the secrets of medieval deception and intelligence tactics, including feints, ambushes, and disinformation.

Examines the use of scouts and spies to understand enemy movements.

Analyzes famous examples of successful and failed deception in medieval warfare.

Part II: Medieval Battle Tactics

Explores the evolution of heavy cavalry and the development of the lance charge.

Discusses the different types of cavalry used in medieval warfare, including light cavalry, heavy cavalry, and mounted archers.

Analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of cavalry and the tactics used to counter them.

Examines the development of shield walls and their decline on the battlefield.

Considers the rise of polearms, such as pikes and halberds, and their use in massed formations.

Discusses the evolving role of archers and crossbowmen in medieval warfare.

Unveils the methods used to attack and defend fortifications, including sapping, scaling, battering rams, and trebuchets.

Analyzes famous siege battles and their impact on the course of medieval history.

Part III: Weaponry and Technology

Explores the different types of swords, axes, maces, and polearms used in medieval combat.

Discusses the development of armor and its impact on weapon design.

Examines the evolution of the bow, crossbow, and early gunpowder weapons.

Analyzes the impact of technological advancements on medieval warfare.

Conclusion

Summarizes the evolution of medieval warfare, highlighting the key changes in strategy, tactics, and weaponry.

Emphasizes the lasting legacy of medieval battles on modern military ideas.

Considers the human experience of medieval warfare, exploring the physical and psychological realities of combat for the individual soldier.

Explores the link between King Arthur's kingdom and the rise of Mercia, uncovering lost battlefields.

This book is a fundamentally new perspective on the historical Arthur, which for the first time since Leslie Alcock's Arthur's Britain, written 50 years ago, provides genuine insights using archaeological evidence.' Professor Mark Horton

England today is a rich, complex mix of identities, cultures, and heritages. However, in the decades after Roman Britain collapsed in the fifth century, the cultures of the Angles and of the Saxons, with significant degrees of homogeneity, spread rapidly westwards across much of eastern, southern and central England.

Then it stopped. Or was stopped. For the area then still beyond Anglo-Saxon reach is characterized by a network of military and economic links across the island. Perhaps significantly, this includes parts of Britain traditionally associated with King Arthur. Later, the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural kingdom of Mercia, in alliance with British kingdoms in Wales, spread from the Midlands across England under the mysterious King Penda, dominating the earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms with its wealth and military power. The region that gave birth to Mercia is also a region that was a most likely base for the elusive figure of King Arthur.

The authors use historical and archaeological evidence, much of it new, to explore the link between Arthur's kingdom and the rise of Penda's Mercia. They seek to locate lost Arthurian battlefields and understand what happened there, with exciting, new results. This is the story of one region, two kings and two centuries that changed England forever.

Dracula - the fifteenth-century Romanian prince, also known as Vlad the Impaler, is one of the most fascinating personalities of medieval history. This book includes a wide range of studies on the life and times of Vlad III Dracula by leading historians and scholars from around the world. It presents a diversity of viewpoints, allowing the reader to understand the different historical perspectives with which Vlad is viewed in modern historiography. It also includes a wealth of supplementary materials, essential for anyone interested in learning about the life of Vlad the Impaler. Dracula: Essays on the Life and Times of Vlad the Impaler penetrates the myths surrounding the real Dracula to uncover the true story of this legendary historical figure. Edited by Dr. Kurt W. Treptow, author of Vlad III Dracula: The Life and Times of the Historical Dracula, it includes works by leading American, British, and Romanian scholars on Vlad the Impaler, including Constantin C. Giurescu, Veniamin Ciobanu, Matei Cazacu, Kurt W, Treptow, Radu R. Florescu, Raymond T. McNally, and others.