ENGLISH WARRIOR weaponry warfare medieval ancient

ISBN 1898281106

Size = 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall

England is a territory carved out by military conquest from the decaying corpse of the Roman Empire. A unified English kingdom was horn from the struggle of the various small Anglo-Saxon kingdoms against Scandinavian invaders whom the English eventually overcame and absorbed. Today the Vikings have a strong image in popular culture, while their victims-turned-conquerors remain largely unknown.

This book offers an examination of the life and times of the English warrior from the Continental homeland in the first century AD, through the period of migration and conquest, local internal struggles and the Danish wars to the slaughter of the English leadership at the battle of Hastings. This important new work is not intended to be a bald listing of the battles and campaigns from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and other sources, but rather it is an attempt to get below the surface of Anglo-Saxon warriorhood and to investigate the rites, social attitudes, mentality and mythology of the warfare of those times.

The book is divided into 3 main sections which deal with warriorhood, weaponry and warfare respectively. The first covers the warrior's role in early English society, his rights and duties, the important rituals of feasting, gift-giving and duelling, and the local and national military organizations. The second part discusses the various weapons and items of military equipment which are known to have been in use during the period, often with a concise summary of the generally accepted typology for the many kinds of military hardware. In the third part, the social and legal nature of warfare is presented, as well as details of strategy and tactics, military buildings and earthworks, and the use of supply trains. Valuable appendices offer original translations of the 3 principal Old English military poems, the battles of Maldon, Finnsburh and Brunanburh.

The latest thinking from many discipliaes is brought together in a unique and fascinating survey of the role of the military in Anglo-Saxon England. The author combines original translations from the Old English and Old Norse source documents with archaeological and linguistic evidence to present a comprehensive and wide-ranging treatment on the subject. Students of military history will find here a wealth of new insights into a neglected period of English history.

267 pages. Hard cover with NO dust jacket (as issued). Ex-Library, cleaner than usual.

Weight = 800 g

BOOK CONDITION = VERY GOOD

NEW: This book has been designated by the seller as brand new.

FINE: No defects, little usage. Older books may show minor flaws.

VERY GOOD: Shows some signs of wear and is no longer fresh. Attractive.

GOOD: Average used book with all pages present. Possible loose bindings, highlighting, cocked spine or torn dust jackets.

FAIR: Chipped dust jacket.

POOR: All text is legible but may be soiled and have binding defects. Reading copies and binding copies fall into this category.