Osprey Warrior 58 : English Medieval Knight 1300-1400

The 14th-century knight lived in a century of change, both in the method of recruitment and in the visual appearance of the fighting men. The knight's life is described; his training in the castle yard; the hard knocks in the tournament, whether in joust, team event or the increasingly popular foot combat later in the century; plus the risks in the hunting field. His role as a feudal vassal, with concomitant castle guard duties, is compared to the later part of the century and the recruitment of knights and retinues by captains using a contract system. The army on campaign explores the knight's life with the army, especially in the wars against Scotland and, latterly, the Hundred Years War in France, as well as expeditions to Spain and other theatres of war. The role of mercenary knights, the motivation of knights in the field and the influence (or not) of chivalry, are explored. Armour evolved from complete mail at the beginning of the 14th century to complete steel plate by the end, so effective as to render the shield obsolete. Photographs of rare surviving contemporary pieces are included, including photographs and diagrams of surviving coats of plates from the battle of Wisby in Gotland, to illustrate this most popular form of body armour. Costume of the period, the types of horses ridden, and the retinue following a knight, are explained. Text by Christopher Gravett with eight plates of illustrations by Graham Turner, covering all aspects of knighthood in this period and with detailed exploded views of the armour and equipment.

Contents

• Historical Background
• Chronology
• Training
• Appearance and Equipment
• Recruitment
• Campaign Life
• Experience of Battle
• What to See
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Index