Description
Book SynopsisThe first serious study of tournaments throughout Europe reveals their importance - in the training of the medieval knight, the development of arms and armour, as an instrument of political patronage, and as a grand public spectacle.Will appeal to a wide audience. It is beautifully presented...the illustrations add further glory to a thorough historical analysis which is based on extensive research in Europe-wide sources... particularly useful in bringing toour attention lesser-known materials from the Iberian peninsula. The level of discussion, range and thoroughness of treatment and excellence of annotation make this a useful reference work for the academic historian too: it is hard to find any aspect of tournaments that is not covered.HISTORY The first serious study of tournaments throughout Europe reveals their importance - in the training of the medieval knight, the development of arms and armour, as an instrument of political patronage, and as a grand public spectacle.
Table of ContentsThe origins of the tournament; the tournament in north-west Europe to 1400; the tournament in Germany - Italy - Spain; the late medieval and Renaissance tournament - spectacles - pas d'armes - challenges; the dangers of tournaments - spiritual condemnation and public disorder; tournament armour; tournaments as events.
