The ways of war in the Middle Ages never cease to fascinate. There is a glamour associated with knights in shining armour, colourful tournaments and heroic deeds which appeals to the modern imagination, while the technical ingenuity of mighty war engines is a source of admiration. Because mediaeval warfare had its colourful side it is easy to overlook the fact that war was a very serious business in an age when brute force was the recognised way of settling a quarrel and conflicts formed a normal way of life at every level of society. This volume depicts the art of war from a full range of mediaeval books and reveals a wealth of social and historical information, as well as technical data and specifications.