Why did knights wear armour? How was it made? What was it like to fight in a battle? Why did knights joust? How did a man become a knight? This book traces the progress of a young nobleman, as he becomes first a page, then a squire, and finally a knight. It looks at the lives of the peasants who lived on the knights' estates, investigates the role of women, and considers the influence of the church. Using contemporary evidence to distinguish myth from reality, Knights in Armour tells the story of the knights, from their early beginnings as cavalry soldiers, to the time when the pikes, cannons and handguns replaced them as the supreme fighting force. A lively text combines with photographic re-enactments to bring the knights to life for a 20th-century readership.