商品簡介
The first book of a two-volume history of siege warfare and techniques in Europe and the Middle and Far East covering the period 450-1500.
Medieval warfare was dominated by the attack and defence of fortified places. Siege methods and technology developed alongside improvements in defences. This book goes back to the original historical sources to analyse this relationship as part of a comprehensive view of the whole subject, across three continents.
Where possible, sieges are studied through both archaeological evidence and historical records. Other questions are investigated. How did medieval commanders gain their knowledge? Who designed and operated siege equipment? What role was played by theoretical texts and the science of siege warfare? How did nomadic peoples learn to conduct sieges?
As for the defences of towns and (later) castles, current studies have rejected a simply military of recognising their role as symbols of lordship. It is suggested here that the truth is complex, with multiple functions changing over time.
This book begins with the replacement of the western Roman empire by barbarian successor states, but also examines the development of the Byzantine empire, the Muslim Caliphate and the relationship with China, through to the early thirteenth century.
作者簡介
Peter Purton first acquired his lifelong interest in medieval fortifications from a childhood visit to the Edwardian castles of North Wales in 1963. Securing a first class honours degree, then a doctorate in history, from Oxford University, he now works as an equalities officer for Britain's Trades Union Congress. Much of his spare time over more than a decade has been devoted to the research for this two-volume history of the medieval siege.
