Essential Books for Reenactors | Arms and Armour

Medieval arms and armour are often seen as symbolising the middle ages. It is a huge subject area but these peerless books are invaluable guides.

	The Artillery of the Dukes of Burgundy, 1363-1477 Robert Douglas Smith & Kelly DeVries A major new exploration of the history and development of gunpowder weapons in the 15th century based on the artillery of the Dukes of Burgundy.
	Bloodied Banners: Martial Display on the Medieval Battlefield Robert W. Jones Groundbreaking reassessment of the role played by armour, weapons and heraldry in medieval warfare, showing their cultural as well as military significance.
	British Basket Hilted Swords: A Typology of Basket-Type Sword Hilts Cyril Mazansky Descriptive catalogue with typology of a British sword-type with a 500-year history.
	`The Furie of the Ordnance': Artillery in the English Civil Wars Stephen Bull Shows how new developments in guns and artillery played a decisive role in the English Civil War.
	Medieval Archer Jim Bradbury A study of the archer and his weapon from the 11th to the 15th century, focusing on military tactics but also exploring the archer's position in society.
	A Polite Exchange of Bullets The Duel and the English Gentleman, 1750-1850 Stephen Banks Explores why minor slights to certain kinds of gentlemen led to duels in order for honour to be satisfied, and how such ideas about honour changed over time.
	Records of the Medieval Sword Ewart Oakeshott The origins, development and use of the two-edged knightly sword of the European middle ages, from the great migrations to the Renaissance.
	The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England Hilda Ellis Davidson Representative examples of swords from 8th-11th century, fully described and illustrated, with general overview.
	Swords of the Viking Age Ian Peirce & Ewart Oakeshott Representative examples of swords from 8th-11th century, fully described and illustrated, with general overview.
	The Sword in the Age of Chivalry Ewart Oakeshott A comprehensive history and typology of the European knightly sword from c.1050 to c.1550, that draws on evidence from literature and art as well as from archaeology.

You might also be interested in the following Brochures below:
Spring 2010 Medieval Life Brochure
Spring 2010 Arms, Armour & Warfare Brochure