Essays throwing fresh light on what it was like to be a medieval soldier, drawing on archival research. The "long" fourteenth century saw England fighting wars on a number of diverse fronts - not just abroad, in the Hundred Years War, but closer to home. But while tactics, battles, and logistics have been frequently discussed, the actual experience of being a soldier has been less often studied. Via a careful re-evaluation of original sources, and the use of innovative methodological techniques such as statistical analysis and the use of relational databases, the essays here bring new insights to bear on soldiers, both as individuals and as groups. Topics addressed include military service and the dynamics of recruitment; the social composition of the armies; the question of whether soldiers saw their role as a "profession"; and the experience of prisoners of war. Contributors: Andrew Ayton, David Simpkin, Andrew Spencer, David Bachrach, Iain MacInnes, Adam Chapman, Michael Jones, Guilhem Pepin, Remy Ambuhl, Adrian R. Bell

About the Author
Anne Curry is Emeritus Professor of Medieval History at the University of Southampton, and author of many works on the Hundred Years War, particularly on the battle of Agincourt. She also edited the 1422-53 section of the Parliament Rolls of Medieval England. ADAM CHAPMAN, General Editor, Victoria County History, Institute of Historical Research, School of Advanced Study, University of London Andrew M. Spencer is an Affiliated Lecturer in Medieval History at Cambridge University and Fellow and Senior Tutor of Gonville and Caius College. He is a historian of politics and the constitution of England in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and has written extensively on the constitutional, political, military and social role of the nobility in particular. David S. Bachrach is a professor of medieval history at the University of New Hampshire. His research interests include the administrative and military history of the Carolingian Empire as well as the medieval German and English kingdoms. REMY AMBUEHL is Associate Professor in Medieval History at the University of Southampton, UK.

Reviews
A vivid and detailed picture of the variety and flexibility of the century's military forces. * THE HISTORIAN *
Contains a great deal of valuable and thought-provoking research. * JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR ARMY HISTORICAL RESEARCH *
Sustains the claim that few areas of medieval studies have flourished as much in recent years as military history has done. * ANNUAL BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL LITERATURE *
An important volume. * MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY *
Contribute[s] in several significant ways to our knowledge of late medieval English military history. [...] The groundbreaking efforts of these historians open the way for more extensive future investigations. * MEDIEVAL WARFARE *
Extraordinarily rewarding. * MUHLBERGER'S WORLD HISTORY *



Book Information
ISBN 9781783272433
Author Adrian R Bell
Format Paperback
Page Count 244
Imprint The Boydell Press
Publisher Boydell & Brewer Ltd