Knights, those larger-than-life figures who dominated the medieval world, have inspired writers and artists down through the centuries, but were they really spotless heroes of a glorious age of chivalry and romance? Or were they little better than bandits in their lust for land and loot? This book examines the way in which writers and chroniclers of the times portrayed knighthood and contrasts this with the way in which real knights lived. It explores the role of knights in peace and war, with accounts of the battles they fought and of their frequent clashes with authority. Special features focus on topics such as heraldry, the tournament, knightly orders, the castle, the development of armour and the careers of celebrated individual knights. The author was awarded a DPhil for her thesis on aspects of medieval knightly literature. Her first book was The Sinful Knights.