This is the perfect reference book for all students of medieval history: the world of the knights is brought to life and placed in context with an expert, deeply-researched and accessible text and over 500 fine art images that richly illustrate the castles, quests, battles, literature, loves, tournaments, courts, honours and triumphs of these mounted nobleman warriors.
A magnificent and detailed account of medieval knights, their origins, training, military exploits and adventures, and an analysis of their role in feudal Europe.
An accessible and authoritative history of the world of the medieval knight. It covers every aspect of the knight's life their noble status, rigorous training, horsemanship, military exploits, romantic adventures, quests and crusades and their epic rise and fall in feudal Europe and beyond.. It covers a comprehensive analysis of the ideal of knighthood, with its roots in classical mythology and its flowering into extravagant art and literature of the Middle Ages. Special sections cover the most revered and honoured knights of the times, as well as legendary heroes such as the knights of King Arthur, who inspired a literary tradition that continues today.
A magisterial history of the origins, reality, and legend of the knight “A carefully researched, concise, readable, and entertaining account of an institution that remains a part of the Western imagination.” —Los Angeles Times Born out of the chaos of the early Middle Ages, the armored and highly mobile knight revolutionized warfare and quickly became a mythic figure in history. From the Knights Templars and English knighthood to the crusades and chivalry, The Knight in History, by acclaimed medievalist Frances Gies, bestselling coauthor of Life in a Medieval Castle, paints a remarkable true picture of knighthood—exploring the knight’s earliest appearance as an agent of lawless violence, his reemergence as a dynamic social entity, his eventual disappearance from the European stage, and his transformation into Western culture’s most iconic hero.
On the great influence of a valiant lord: "The companions, who see that good warriors are honored by the great lords for their prowess, become more determined to attain this level of prowess." On the lady who sees her knight honored: "All of this makes the noble lady rejoice greatly within herself at the fact that she has set her mind and heart on loving and helping to make such a good knight or good man-at-arms." On the worthiest amusements: "The best pastime of all is to be often in good company, far from unworthy men and from unworthy activities from which no good can come." Enter the real world of knights and their code of ethics and behavior. Read how an aspiring knight of the fourteenth century would conduct himself and learn what he would have needed to know when traveling, fighting, appearing in court, and engaging fellow knights. Composed at the height of the Hundred Years War by Geoffroi de Charny, one of the most respected knights of his age, A Knight's Own Book of Chivalry was designed as a guide for members of the Company of the Star, an order created by Jean II of France in 1352 to rival the English Order of the Garter. This is the most authentic and complete manual on the day-to-day life of the knight that has survived the centuries, and this edition contains a specially commissioned introduction from historian Richard W. Kaeuper that gives the history of both the book and its author, who, among his other achievements, was the original owner of the Shroud of Turin.
