The Scottish warrior has throughout history been armed with some of the most famous and instantly recognisable weapons and armour ever produced. From the majestic Highland two-handed sword and the diminutive sgian dhu that tucks into the sock of every Scotsman in formal dress to the distinctive leather shield or targe, these objects are redolent of great men and hard-fought battles – men such as William Wallace, Robert the Bruce and Bonnie Prince Charlie and battles such as Stirling Bridge, Bannockburn, Flodden and Culloden. An important aspect of national heritage and folklore, Scottish weapons and armor are icons of valor and pride for millions worldwide. With a foreword by the 23rd Chief of the Clan Macnab, this pioneering study by Fergus Cannan examines the Scottish people at war and the armor and weaponry they have used on the battlefield from the Stone Age to the present day.

This book uses the magnificent collections of arms and armour from the Royal Armouries, augmented by the unique Civil War Armoury at Littlecote House, and others, to show the weapons and armours used by the Englishmen who fought for King or Parliament during the Civil War. The arms and armour of each different type of soldier is described in detail, and their use and effectiveness in battle is fully discussed, with many fascinating quotations from contemporary manuals and memoirs.

Border Fury provides a fascinating account of the period of Anglo-Scottish Border conflict from the Edwardian invasions of 1296 until the Union of the Crowns under James VI of Scotland, James I of England in 1603. It looks at developments in the art of war during the period, the key transition from medieval to renaissance warfare, the development of tactics, arms, armour and military logistics during the period. All the key personalities involved are profiled and the typology of each battle site is examined in detail with the author providing several new interpretations that differ radically from those that have previously been understood.

The story of arms in Western Europe from the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution. A treasury of information based on solid scholarship, anyone seeking a factual and vivid account of the story of arms from the Renaissance period to the Industrial Revolution will welcome this book. The author chooses as his starting-point the invasion of Italy by France in 1494, which sowed the dragon's teeth of all the successive European wars; the French invasion was to accelerate the trend towards new armaments and new methods of warfare. The authordescribes the development of the handgun and the pike, the use and style of staff-weapons, mace and axe and war-hammer, dagger and dirk and bayonet. He shows how armour attained its full Renaissance splendour and then suffered itssorry and inevitable decline, culminating in the Industrial Revolution, with its far-reaching effects on military armaments. Above all, he follows the long history of the sword, queen of weapons, to the late eighteenth century, when it finally ceased to form a part of a gentleman's every-day wear. Lavishly illustrated. EWART OAKESHOTT was one of the world's leading authorities on the arms and armour of medieval Europe. His other works on the subject include Records of the Medieval Sword and The Sword in the Age of Chivalry.

DIVIndispensable resource employs alphabetized, easy-to-use format. Arquebuses, flintlocks, and other antique guns appear here, along with German armor, Roman short swords, Turkish crossbows, much more. Over 4,500 individual photos and drawings, 875 detailed figures. /div

The Middle Ages are commonly divided into three periods--early, high or central, and late. Each period was marked by its own crises and wars, and the weapons and fighters reflected the technological and other advancements being made. This book is a richly illustrated history of warfare in Western Europe during those years. Part One, the early Middle Ages, covers the late Romans, the Germanic invaders and Byzantines, the Franks, the Vikings and Hungarians, and the Anglo-Saxons and Normans in England. Part Two, the high or central Middle Ages, considers the feudal system, knights and chivalry, knights at war, infantrymen, land warfare, siege and naval warfare, crusades in Palestine, templars and hospitalers, the Reconquista in Spain, and the Teutonic knights. Part Three, the late Middle Ages, discusses the evolution of new types of armor and weapons, the Hundred Years' War, mercenaries, and firearms.

Descriptive catalogue with typology of a British sword-type with a 500-year history.

A celebration of more than a decade of collecting by the Metropolitan Museum's Department of Arms and Armour since the reinstallation of its permanent galleries in 1991. Fifty-eight of the most important recent acquisitions are featured in this volume.