The Medieval Miltary Revolution: State, Society and Military Change in Medieval and Early Modern Europe

by Andrew Ayton (Editor), J.L. Price

In recent years military history has moved decisively out of its specialized ghetto and has come to be regarded as central to the mainstream study of the past. The concept of a 'military revolution' consisting of the emergence of large infantry-based armies in early modern Europe, the use of potent gunpowder weapons and the rapid escalation of war costs, is now seen to have had far-reaching political and social consequences for European society. Indeed, war itself is now seen as a major engine of state development during this key period. The essays in this volume illustrate the integration of military history with the broader concerns of historians, and also suggest that the military history of the Middle Ages was more dynamic than is often recognized: that the 'military revolution' needs to be interpreted by placing it in the context of rapid socio-political transformation.

Genres: History, Medieval, War, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Hull.

Reviews

[Stephen Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a collection of widely disparate essays with the theme "uniting" theme being medieval military changes. The essays included issues of fortifications and the philosophies of war. The only one I think I would use in my teaching is the one on the Dutch Republic, which the author says went against the grain of increased centralization of power. The Dutch Republic was essentially created to wage war, which it did very well, but it was otherwise almost a confederation with Holland playing the leading role. The author discusses that it was able to overcome this mainly by creating a centralized apparatus that only dealt with the military. It worked well enough until the Republic racked up so much debt that it became unsustainable.

This book is fine for a specialist (which I'm not), but not great for a casual reader.