Random House New Releases - History - Medieval - Between June 19, 2012 and July 19, 2013.

Crusader Castles in Cyprus, Greece and the Aegean 1191-1571 by Adam Hook

2013-05-21T00:30:00-05:00

Crusader Castles in Cyprus, Greece and the Aegean 1191-1571
Written by David Nicolle
Illustrated by Adam Hook

eBook, 64 pages | Osprey Publishing | History - Military; History - Medieval; History - Greece | $13.95 | May 21, 2013 | 978-1-4728-0381-8 (1-4728-0381-7)

Crusader castles and other fortifications in Cyprus, the south-western coast of Turkey, and Greece are among the best examples of late medieval military architecture to be seen in Europe. These important fortifications, erected by the Hospitallers during the 15th century to face the growing Ottoman Turkish threat, vary considerably from those in the Middle East. Despite there being many visible remains of fortifications in Cyprus, Greece, and the Aegean, few studies exist of these areas compared to the fortifications of the Holy Land.

Providing numerous architectural plans, maps, and color illustrations, this book seeks to redress this imbalance and complement the previous bestselling treatments of Crusader fortifications in the Fortress series.

Dragonslayers by Peter Dennis

2013-03-19T00:30:00-05:00

Dragonslayers From Beowulf to St. George
Written by Joseph McCullough
Illustrated by Peter Dennis

From legend and mythology to The Hobbit and A Game of Thrones, the dragon is a perennial favorite in the fantasy genre.

With its fiery breath, scaly armour, and baleful, malevolent stare, the dragon became the ultimate symbol of evil and corruption in European folklore and mythology. Often serving as a stand-in for Satan, or the power of evil gods, dragons spread death and hopelessness throughout the land. Only heroes of uncommon valour, courageousness, and purity could hope to battle these monsters and emerge victorious. Those that did became legends. They became dragonslayers. The list of dragonslayers is small, but it is filled with great and legendary names. Hercules, Beowulf, Cuchulain, Sigfried, Lancelot, and Saint George all battled to the death with dragons. Other heroes such as the Danish King Frotho, the French Saint Mercurialis, the Polish champion Krak, and the Russian warrior Dobrynya Nikitch might be less well known to western readers, but also fought and defeated dragons. This book will retell the greatest legends of this select group of warriors, while examining the myth of the dragonslayer in a historical, mythological, and even theological context.

English Castles 1200-1300 by Adam Hook

2013-02-19T00:30:00-05:00

English Castles 1200-1300
Written by Christopher Gravett
Illustrated by Adam Hook

The simple castles raised after the Norman conquest had been developed throughout 11th and 12th centuries, whilst the introduction of Islamic and Byzantine fortification techniques from the late 12th century led to further developments in castle architecture. These fortifications were to be well tested throughout the course of the 13th century as England was riven by the conflict, characterized by prolonged sieges, between the monarchy and powerful magnates. As well as providing the focus for warfare, castles increasingly became the centres of their communities, providing a more permanent base for the lord, his family and retainers, as well as acting as centres for justice and administration.

Tannenberg 1410 by Richard Hook

2013-02-19T00:30:00-05:00

Tannenberg 1410 Disaster for the Teutonic Knights
Written by Stephen Turnbull
Illustrated by Richard Hook

By 1400 the long running conflict between the Order of Teutonic Knights and Poland and Lithuania was coming to a head, partly as a result of the Order’s meddling in the internal politics of its neighbours. In June 1410 King Wladislaw Jagiello of Poland invaded the Order’s territory with a powerful allied army including all the enemies of the Teutonic Knights – Poles, Lithuanians, Russians, Bohemians, Hungarians, Tartars and Cossacks. This book recounts how, when the armies clashed on the wooded, rolling hills near the small village of Tannenberg, the Teutonic Knights suffered a disastrous defeat from which their Order never recovered.

Otterburn 1388 by Stephen Walsh

2013-01-22T00:30:00-05:00

Otterburn 1388 Bloody Border Conflict
Written by Peter Armstrong
Illustrated by Stephen Walsh

In his Chronicles, Froissart describes Otterburn as ‘the best fought and the most severe’ battle of his time. Fought at Redesdale in Northumberland in August 1388, the battle originated from the ongoing war between the Scots and the English following Robert Bruce’s victory over the English at Bannockburn in 1314. Using all the contemporary sources, this book details the events that led up to the clash on the borders, examines the opposing armies, their weaponry and their commanders – including the Douglases on the Scots side and the Percys on the English – and gives a full account of the battle and its aftermath.

Medieval European Armies by Gerry Embleton

2012-12-18T00:30:00-05:00

Medieval European Armies
Written by Terence Wise
Illustrated by Gerry Embleton

Almost continual warfare raged in Europe during the period 1300-1500. These wars were the furnaces in which many of the modern European nations were forged. Parallel with this emergence of the nations came the development of national armies to protect the newly-won borders and independence, yet throughout this period the old feudal method of raising an army persisted. This fascinating study by Terence Wise explores the organization, weapons and equipment of the armies who fought across Medieval Europe, from the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) to the fight against the Moors in Spain, and the French invasion of Italy in 1494.

Saracen Strongholds AD 630-1050 by Adam Hook

2012-11-20T00:30:00-05:00

Saracen Strongholds AD 630-1050 The Middle East and Central Asia
Written by David Nicolle
Illustrated by Adam Hook

The Islamic world developed its own highly sophisticated, effective and varied style of fortification. It drew upon pre-existing Romano-Byzantine, Iranian, Central Asian and Indian traditions of military architecture, plus influences from China, to produce something new and distinctive. In turn, Islamic concepts of military architecture influenced fortifications throughout the Byzantine Empire and, to an even greater extent, in Western Europe. One key point of distinction with the latter in particular was that Islamic fortifications were primarily focussed upon defending cities and frontiers, rather than being associated with royal and feudal elites, as was the case in most of Europe. Despite this highly practical role, medieval Islamic military architecture went beyond the merely functional, and the finest surviving examples are imbued with a sense of symbolic magnificence. This title, the first of several proposed volumes in the Fortress series, takes a look at early Islamic fortifications in the central and eastern lands. It covers the historical background, socio-political circumstances, and purposes of early military architecture; the incorporation of several different traditions and the development of a distinctive character; and the fortifications' role in protecting industry, trade and the frontiers of the Islamic world. Subsequent volumes will deal with the 12th to 16th centuries in the center and east, and the western Islamic lands of North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, respectively.

Scottish Baronial Castles 1250-1450 by Adam Hook

2012-11-20T00:30:00-05:00

Scottish Baronial Castles 1250-1450
Written by Michael Brown
Illustrated by Adam Hook

Devastated by the civil wars of the 17th century or by the neglect and deliberate destruction of their owners who saw them as archaic and barbaric, the vast majority of Scottish baronial castles built between 1250 and 1450 survive as little more than skeletal ruins. These reminders of Scotland's past have captured the imaginations of romantics, artists, writers and tourists since the late 18th century. Often set in spectacular surroundings, on cliff-tops, islands, and gorges, their ruined grandeur evokes a medieval world of sieges, banquets and murders, and provides a rare physical link with the Anglo-Scottish wars of Robert the Bruce and William Wallace.

This book examines the three periods of castle building in the years 1250-1450: the years of peace in the late 13th century; the six decades of war with the English when the castles became key centers for garrisons and government; and the post-war era of castle building and reconstruction. Covering castles in the Isles, the Lowlands and the Highlands, and featuring some of the most striking examples of the art, such as Caelaverock and Bothwell this book presents the story of these monuments in an accessible and highly-illustrated format.

The Castles of Edward I in Wales 1277-1307 by Adam Hook

2012-10-23T00:30:00-05:00

The Castles of Edward I in Wales 1277-1307
Written by Christopher Gravett
Illustrated by Adam Hook

In 1277 Edward I gathered a huge army and marched into Wales to subdue the rebel Welsh princes who continued to raid and pillage English controlled areas of Wales, and even England itself. A key part of his strategy of subjugating and colonizing the Welsh was to erect a castle at every point where his army rested, to provide permanent bases for English garrisons and a visual reminder of English power.

This title takes a detailed look at the design, development and principles of defense of the Edwardian Welsh castles, documenting daily life within their walls and the historical events that took place around them. Looking at key sites such as Cardigan, Aberystwyth and Conwy it highlights the varied castle designs ranging from fortifications based on French models to the defenses inspired by Constantinople, illustrated with eight pages of full colour illustrations and cutaway artwork. Chris Gravett provides a clear explanation of why the castles were there, who lived in them and how they were built - crucial reading for anyone interested in some of the most romantic and militarily effective buildings ever created.

Chinese Walled Cities 221 BC - AD 1644 by Steve Noon

2012-10-23T00:30:00-05:00

Chinese Walled Cities 221 BC - AD 1644
Written by Stephen Turnbull
Illustrated by Steve Noon

It has been said in China that a city without a wall would be as inconceivable as a house without a roof. Even the smallest village invariably had some form of defensive wall, while the Great Wall of China was an attempt to build a barrier along the most vulnerable border of the entire country. Yet the finest examples of walled communities were China’s walled cities, whose defensive architecture surpassed anything along the Great Wall. This book traces the evolution of the walled city from the 3,000 year old remains of the beaten earth walls of the Shang dynasty to the huge stone fortifications of the Ming dynasty. Stephen Turnbull, expert military historian, reveals the defensive structures from all the major ancient Chinese cities, and discusses how they protected entire communities, and not just castle dwellers, with colour artwork reconstructions, maps and archive photographs.

Fortifications in Wessex c. 800-1066 by Donato Spedaliere

2012-10-23T00:30:00-05:00

Fortifications in Wessex c. 800-1066
Written by Ryan Lavelle
Illustrated by Donato Spedaliere

The defence of the 9th-century kingdom of Wessex under King Alfred against the 'Great Viking Army' is one of the major military achievements of Early Medieval history. While the guerrilla warfare in the Somerset marshes and the battle of Edington are characteristic of Alfred's military abilities, his definitive physical achievement was a series of some 30 well-structured fortifications (known as burhs) across the kingdom. Many of these fortifications survive to this day and some were even reinforced to stand up to German tanks in the expected invasion of 1940. This title describes their beginnings in the turbulent early years of Alfred’s reign as well as their subsequent development and use.

The Great Wall of China 221 BC-AD 1644 by Steve Noon

2012-10-23T00:30:00-05:00

The Great Wall of China 221 BC-AD 1644
Written by Stephen Turnbull
Illustrated by Steve Noon

The most famous example of fortification in the world, the Great Wall of China stretches for more than 6,000km across inhospitable terrain. Charting its development from its earliest origins in the 7th century BC through to the present day, this account reveals the true history of the wall, and explores the myths that surround it. Included are details of what it was like to live within the wall, how it was garrisoned and patrolled, and a discussion of how effective it was against attack. Through extensive examination of both ancient and modern sources, colour maps, artwork and photographs, this book illustrates why the wall is one of the great wonders of the world.

Japanese Castles AD 250-1540 by Peter Dennis

2012-10-23T00:30:00-05:00

Japanese Castles AD 250-1540
Written by Stephen Turnbull
Illustrated by Peter Dennis

Dr Stephen Turnbull is internationally recognised for his research into and writing on Japanese military history. Here he applies his scholarship to an account of the evolution of Japanese defensive architecture and engineering, from early earthworks through to wooden and earth castles and, finally, the emergence of the stone towers that are so characteristic of the samurai. He also plots the adaptation of Japanese castles to accommodate the introduction of firearms. With unpublished photographs from the author's private collection and full-colour artwork, including detailed cutaways, this is an essential guide to the fascinating development of Japanese castles.

Bannockburn 1314 by Graham Turner

2012-09-18T00:30:00-05:00

Bannockburn 1314 Robert Bruce's great victory
Written by Peter Armstrong
Illustrated by Graham Turner

Osprey's study of the Battle of Bannockburn, which was part of the First War of Scottish Independence (1296-1328) and the climax of the career of King Robert the Bruce. In 1307 King Edward I of England, 'The Hammer of the Scots' and nemesis of William Wallace, died and his son, Edward II, was not from the same mould. Idle and apathetic, he allowed the Scots the chance to recover from the grievous punishment inflicted upon them. By 1314 Bruce had captured every major English-held castle bar Stirling and Edward II took an army north to subdue the Scots. Pete Armstrong's account of this pivotal campaign culminates at the decisive battle of Bannockburn that finally won Scotland her independence.

European Medieval Tactics (2) by David Nicolle

2012-09-18T00:30:00-05:00

European Medieval Tactics (2) New Infantry, New Weapons 1260-1500
Written by David Nicolle

Longbows, crossbows, heavy spears, swiss pikes, catapaults, and especially gunpowder artillery and handheld guns such as the arquebus gradually but profoundly changed European warfare.

By about 1260 the steady rise of the European heavily armoured mounted knight to the predominant role in most pitched battles was complete. But though he dominated the actual day of battle, he did not dominate warfare - there were plenty of vital though unglamorous tasks for which footsoldiers were still necessary, 'cleaning up round the edges'. With the development in the 13th century of co-operative tactics using crossbowmen and heavy spearmen, deployed together to compensate for each others' vulnerabilities, circumstance began to arise in which the charge by Muslim horse-archers, and then by European armoured knights, could be defied.

Infantry were far cheaper and easier to train than knights, and potentially there were far more of them. Slowly, tactics emerged by which more numerous and more varied infantry played an increasing part in battles. The best-known examples of this 'democratization of the battlefield' are the English longbowmen who won battles against French knights in the Hundred Years' War, and the massed Swiss spearmen and halberdiers who did the same in wars against the Dukes of Burgundy.

Illustrated with specially commissioned full-colour artwork depicting the tactical formations of the era, this book traces these and other examples of this 'jerky' and uneven process through its regional differences, which were invariably entwined with parallel cavalry developments - the balanced army of 'mixed arms' was always the key to success. By the time serious hand-held firearms appeared on battlefields in large numbers in about 1500, the face of medieval warfare had been transformed.

The Ottoman Empire 1326-1699 by Stephen Turnbull

2012-09-18T00:30:00-05:00

The Ottoman Empire 1326-1699
Written by Stephen Turnbull

The Ottoman Empire and its conflicts provide one of the longest continuous narratives in military history. Its rulers were never overthrown by a foreign power and no usurper succeeded in taking the throne. At its height under the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Empire became the most powerful state in the world - a multi-national, multilingual empire that stretched from Vienna to the upper Arab peninsula. With Suleiman's death began the gradual decline to the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699 in which the Ottoman Empire lost much of its European territory. This volume covers the main campaigns and the part played by such elite troops as the Janissaries and the Sipahis, as well as exploring the social and economic impact of the conquests.

Stirling Bridge and Falkirk 1297-98 by Peter Armstrong

2012-09-18T00:30:00-05:00

Stirling Bridge and Falkirk 1297-98 William Wallace's rebellion
Written by Peter Armstrong
Illustrated by Angus McBride

Osprey's study of William Wallace's rebellion in the First War of the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296-1357). The death of the last of the Scottish royal house of Canmore in 1290 triggered a succession crisis. Attempts to undermine Scottish independence by King Edward I of England sparked open rebellion culminating in an English defeat at the hands of William Wallace at Stirling Bridge in 1297. Edward gathered an army, marched north and at Falkirk on 22 July 1298 he brought Wallace’s army to battle. Amid accusations of treachery, Wallace’s spearmen were slaughtered by Edward’s longbowmen, then charged by the English cavalry and almost annihilated. In 1305 Wallace was captured and executed, but the flame of rebellion he had ignited could not be extinguished.

Byzantine Imperial Guardsmen 925-1025 by Giuseppe Rava

2012-08-21T00:30:00-05:00

Byzantine Imperial Guardsmen 925-1025 The T�ghmata and Imperial Guard
Written by Raffaele D'Amato
Illustrated by Giuseppe Rava

The hundred-year period ending in 1025, from the reign of the Emperor Constantine VII to that of Basil II 'the Bulgar-Slayer', encompassed the last great era of Byzantine aggression and dominance in the Near East and Balkans. During that time, a succession of soldier-emperors challenged and defeated an array of opponents on land and at sea and reconquered vast swathes of territory. At the heart of the Emperors' forces were the professional, highly mobile Tagmata or Imperial Guard regiments, originally formed to guard the Emperor¹s person in the capital but invariably deployed as elite combat troops. Joining these heavy cavalry units, were a variety of exotic mercenary units recruited from foreigners, notably the legendary Varangians. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork, this lively study sheds new light on the colourful regiments of the Byzantine Imperial Guard, the formidable warriors who provided the Byzantine emperors with an insurance policy in the capital, and the elite of their field armies when on campaign.

Byzantine Imperial Guardsmen 925-1025 by Giuseppe Rava

2012-08-21T00:30:00-05:00

Byzantine Imperial Guardsmen 925-1025 The T�ghmata and Imperial Guard
Written by Raffaele D'Amato
Illustrated by Giuseppe Rava

European Medieval Tactics (2) by David Nicolle

2012-08-21T00:30:00-05:00

European Medieval Tactics (2) New Infantry, New Weapons 1260-1500
Written by David Nicolle

Random House New Releases - History - Medieval - Between June 19, 2012 and July 19, 2013.

Crusader Castles in Cyprus, Greece and the Aegean 1191-1571 by Adam Hook

Crusader Castles in Cyprus, Greece and the Aegean 1191-1571 Written by David Nicolle Illustrated by Adam Hook

Dragonslayers by Peter Dennis

Dragonslayers From Beowulf to St. GeorgeWritten by Joseph McCullough Illustrated by Peter Dennis

English Castles 1200-1300 by Adam Hook

English Castles 1200-1300 Written by Christopher Gravett Illustrated by Adam Hook

Tannenberg 1410 by Richard Hook

Tannenberg 1410 Disaster for the Teutonic KnightsWritten by Stephen Turnbull Illustrated by Richard Hook

Otterburn 1388 by Stephen Walsh

Otterburn 1388 Bloody Border ConflictWritten by Peter Armstrong Illustrated by Stephen Walsh

Medieval European Armies by Gerry Embleton

Medieval European Armies Written by Terence Wise Illustrated by Gerry Embleton

Saracen Strongholds AD 630-1050 by Adam Hook

Saracen Strongholds AD 630-1050 The Middle East and Central AsiaWritten by David Nicolle Illustrated by Adam Hook

Scottish Baronial Castles 1250-1450 by Adam Hook

Scottish Baronial Castles 1250-1450 Written by Michael Brown Illustrated by Adam Hook

The Castles of Edward I in Wales 1277-1307 by Adam Hook

The Castles of Edward I in Wales 1277-1307 Written by Christopher Gravett Illustrated by Adam Hook

Chinese Walled Cities 221 BC - AD 1644 by Steve Noon

Chinese Walled Cities 221 BC - AD 1644 Written by Stephen Turnbull Illustrated by Steve Noon

Fortifications in Wessex c. 800-1066 by Donato Spedaliere

Fortifications in Wessex c. 800-1066 Written by Ryan Lavelle Illustrated by Donato Spedaliere

The Great Wall of China 221 BC-AD 1644 by Steve Noon

The Great Wall of China 221 BC-AD 1644 Written by Stephen Turnbull Illustrated by Steve Noon

Japanese Castles AD 250-1540 by Peter Dennis

Japanese Castles AD 250-1540 Written by Stephen Turnbull Illustrated by Peter Dennis

Bannockburn 1314 by Graham Turner

Bannockburn 1314 Robert Bruce's great victoryWritten by Peter Armstrong Illustrated by Graham Turner

European Medieval Tactics (2) by David Nicolle

European Medieval Tactics (2) New Infantry, New Weapons 1260-1500Written by David Nicolle

The Ottoman Empire 1326-1699 by Stephen Turnbull

The Ottoman Empire 1326-1699 Written by Stephen Turnbull

Stirling Bridge and Falkirk 1297-98 by Peter Armstrong

Stirling Bridge and Falkirk 1297-98 William Wallace's rebellionWritten by Peter Armstrong Illustrated by Angus McBride

Byzantine Imperial Guardsmen 925-1025 by Giuseppe Rava

Byzantine Imperial Guardsmen 925-1025 The T�ghmata and Imperial GuardWritten by Raffaele D'Amato Illustrated by Giuseppe Rava

Byzantine Imperial Guardsmen 925-1025 by Giuseppe Rava

Byzantine Imperial Guardsmen 925-1025 The T�ghmata and Imperial GuardWritten by Raffaele D'Amato Illustrated by Giuseppe Rava

European Medieval Tactics (2) by David Nicolle

European Medieval Tactics (2) New Infantry, New Weapons 1260-1500Written by David Nicolle

Crusader Castles in Cyprus, Greece and the Aegean 1191-1571
Written by David Nicolle
Illustrated by Adam Hook

Dragonslayers From Beowulf to St. George
Written by Joseph McCullough
Illustrated by Peter Dennis

English Castles 1200-1300
Written by Christopher Gravett
Illustrated by Adam Hook

Tannenberg 1410 Disaster for the Teutonic Knights
Written by Stephen Turnbull
Illustrated by Richard Hook

Otterburn 1388 Bloody Border Conflict
Written by Peter Armstrong
Illustrated by Stephen Walsh

Medieval European Armies
Written by Terence Wise
Illustrated by Gerry Embleton

Saracen Strongholds AD 630-1050 The Middle East and Central Asia
Written by David Nicolle
Illustrated by Adam Hook

Scottish Baronial Castles 1250-1450
Written by Michael Brown
Illustrated by Adam Hook

The Castles of Edward I in Wales 1277-1307
Written by Christopher Gravett
Illustrated by Adam Hook

Chinese Walled Cities 221 BC - AD 1644
Written by Stephen Turnbull
Illustrated by Steve Noon

Fortifications in Wessex c. 800-1066
Written by Ryan Lavelle
Illustrated by Donato Spedaliere

The Great Wall of China 221 BC-AD 1644
Written by Stephen Turnbull
Illustrated by Steve Noon

Japanese Castles AD 250-1540
Written by Stephen Turnbull
Illustrated by Peter Dennis

Bannockburn 1314 Robert Bruce's great victory
Written by Peter Armstrong
Illustrated by Graham Turner

European Medieval Tactics (2) New Infantry, New Weapons 1260-1500
Written by David Nicolle

The Ottoman Empire 1326-1699
Written by Stephen Turnbull

Stirling Bridge and Falkirk 1297-98 William Wallace's rebellion
Written by Peter Armstrong
Illustrated by Angus McBride

Byzantine Imperial Guardsmen 925-1025 The T�ghmata and Imperial Guard
Written by Raffaele D'Amato
Illustrated by Giuseppe Rava

Byzantine Imperial Guardsmen 925-1025 The T�ghmata and Imperial Guard
Written by Raffaele D'Amato
Illustrated by Giuseppe Rava

European Medieval Tactics (2) New Infantry, New Weapons 1260-1500
Written by David Nicolle