{"product_id":"the-lords-of-battle-9780851156620","title":"The Lords of Battle","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFirst study of the Dark Age \u003ci\u003ecomitatus\u003c\/i\u003e, or warband, drawing evidence from literary and historical sources.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Lords of Battle\u003c\/i\u003e examines the image of the \u003ci\u003ecomitatus\u003c\/i\u003e, or warband, as it is portrayed in literary and historical sources from Britain's early medieval period, attempting to determine the extent to which it reflectsan historical reality. Through an extensive use of a variety of source material, literary, historical, and archaeological, the book investigates both the structure of the warband, and the practices and institutions which supported it. After a review of the historical background of Dark Age Britain, Stephen Evans explores the practical characteristics of the \u003ci\u003ecomitatus\u003c\/i\u003e: its military organisation; its internal social structure and its place within society as a whole; and the lord-retainer relationship, its duties and obligations. He also examines the cultural, social, and economic institutions which produced and supported the warband. Overall, the study provides a numberof insights into the ideals and practices of Britain's Celtic and Anglo-Saxon warrior-élites during a turbulent period.  Dr STEPHEN EVANS gained his PhD from Temple University.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHistorical background of Dark-Age Britain; military organization; social structure; duties and obligations; poets, poetry and heroic ideals; the hall; other social institutions and cultural concepts; economic supports. Appendix - the dating of heroic poetry.","brand":"Boydell \u0026 Brewer Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49406238425431,"sku":"9780851156620","price":23.09,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-lords-of-battle-9780851156620","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}