Really broad but informative overview of cultural trends amongst the western European aristocracy from the 15th to 16th century. It takes reality as its primary focus in that it addresses the changing material conditions that made traditional chivalric values untenable rather than going on a quest for obscure and irrelevant historical references to Chivalry that lack any significance. Consequentially it addresses the development of artillery, attitudes towards firearms, changes in cavalry strategy, the development of secular knightly orders, protonationalism and so on.