Explore a fascinating dimension of medieval life in this engaging account of knights and their horses. Oakeshott reveals how war tactics changed because of the swift terror of fighting on horseback instead of on foot. The author brings us into the world of jousts and spear-play, where a horse's strength, speed, and resiliency were absolutely essential. To engage in such exciting, dangerous activities, a "knight's horse had to have nerves of steel and a steadfast heart". Oakeshott dispels myths about the so-called ponderous horse of medieval times. He tells how horses were bred and trained for...

Now back in print and in paperback, this is another in the famous Knight series by the renowned medieval historian Ewart Oakeshott. Explore another fascinating dimension of medieval warfare in this engaging account of knights and their various kinds of armor.

Oakeshott focuses on the armor of the later Middle Ages, from 1100 to 1500, He examines how armor developed, how craftsmen made the important garments of mail and plate, and he looks in detail at the different kinds of helmets and which were the best. He also looks at the other important aspects of a knight's armor, such as the helm,...

In The Archaeology of Weapons, Ewart Oakeshott traces the development of European arms in logical sequence, showing how changes were wrought by the use of new materials and the ever-shifting demands of war and fashion. This history begins nearly two hundred years before the Christian era, covering among other subjects the charioteers of the Near East, the Roman attitude to arms and the Bronze Age weapons of Europe. The core of the book, however, is the middle ages: a general survey of the institution of chivalry, an understanding of which is vital to the appreciation of all the arms of the...