{"title":"Massimo Predonzani","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the intriguing world of Massimo Predonzani, where history and mystery intertwine. Perfect for fans of historical thrillers, delve into tales of espionage and intrigue.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"italian-wars-volume-2-book-massimo-predonzani-9781913118808","title":"The Italian Wars Volume 2","description":"The League of Cambrai was an alliance stipulated in December 1508 between the main European powers with the purpose of halting the expansion of the Republic of Venice. The war that followed was one of the major conflicts in the Italian wars: it lasted from 1508 to 1516, and saw several stages. The major States involved were the Kingdom of France, the Pontifical State, and the Republic of Venice. They were sided by the European powers of Spain, England, Scotland, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Kingdom of Hungary, other than several minor States, such as the Dukedom of Milan, the Republic of Florence, the Dukedom of Ferrara, the city of Mantua, and the Swiss cantons.The authors describe the three phases that followed one another during the conflict, and the alternating alliances among the States involved - the League against Venice in the Battle of Agnadello; the following League against France, declared by Pope Julius II, in the Battle of Ravenna; finally, the last phase of the conflict with the alliance between Venice and France in the Battle of Marignano, also known as the Battle of the Giants.In this volume, the structure of the armies, the weapons, the battles and their death toll are described. Chronicles, reports, and studies on the subject were compared and contrasted with one another to render a picture as true as possible to the reality of facts, highlighting the often contrasting versions of the chroniclers. Finally, military heraldry, armies' identification marks, and captains' emblems displayed on garments, harnesses, and insignias are analyzed. Also in this case, documentary sources were studied and compared with the iconographical sources.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49735957938449,"sku":"NGR9781913118808","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50006003450129,"sku":"GOR011618646","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1913118800.jpg?v=1751630806"},{"product_id":"italian-wars-volume-3-book-massimo-predonzani-9781914059667","title":"The Italian Wars Volume 3","description":"In the early hours of the 24th of February 1525, under the walls of the city of Pavia, the best Imperial fought against one of the largest French armies every to have invade the Italian states. Armies led by the young Francis Ist of France and the Emperor Charles Vth fought for the coveted prize of the Duchy of Milan. By the end of the fighting, the renowned Black Legion had been wiped out and the cream of the French Heavy Cavalry had been destroyed, by the massed ranks of drilled and disciplined Spanish arquebusiers. The French King and many of his nobles were prisoner of the enemy.Seen as one of the most significant battles in history, Pavia was to be the decisive battle of what became known as the Italian Wars, a series of conflicts that for almost thirty years raged the length of the peninsula, fought by Europe's most powerful states.The defeat of the French Gendarmes at Pavia would signal the end of the dominance of heavy cavalry on the battlefield and the rise of the professional infantry soldier using increasingly proficient firearms in ever greater numbers.In this third volume of the series, the events that led to the decisive battle of Pavia, from the Peace of Noyon in 1516 to the fateful day are examined. The phases of the battle have been reconstructed and described in detail, comparing the many and varied accounts, whilst the site of the battle is examined for evidence of the fighting.The armies and troops that fought at the battle are also examined in detail, as are their leaders.The authors also devote an important section of the book to the heraldry of the armies. Coats of Arms, heraldic devices and flags the colors used are examined and reconstructed from original images and French, Spanish, and Italian sources. The culmination of this groundbreaking research is the creation of 8 specially commissioned original color plates depicting the clothing, equipment, flags and heraldic devices of the armies at Pavia.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49777757258001,"sku":"NGR9781914059667","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50006003417361,"sku":"GOR013834905","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1914059662.jpg?v=1751631667"},{"product_id":"italian-wars-volume-4-book-massimo-predonzani-9781915070296","title":"The Italian Wars Volume 4","description":"April 1544: The French army led by Charles of Bourbon Count of Enghien - deployed in the siege of Cairignano, a city occupied by the imperials - was ordered to fight Alfonso d'Avalos Marquis of Vasto, the hated Imperial rival. After almost twenty years from the legendary Battle of Pavia, the two most powerful European States faced each other again in battle. On one side, French and Swiss. On the other side, Imperials and the dreaded Landsknechts. The memory of the carnage of the Black Bands and Swiss soldiers is still vivid in the Swiss veterans' minds. On Easter day 1544, the two armies engaged in battle but the outcome remained unclear. The day after, however, the men led by Bourbon seemed to prevail. The Imperial cavalry was defeated by the French - who demonstrated again their bravery. The initial success of the Spanish infantry was soon jeopardized by the gruesome clash between the Imperial square formations and the Swiss. The Enfants perdus detached from the Swiss square and massacred the enemy with their halberds with a flank attack. A wrong maneuver of the Imperial cavalry broke their companions' formation and signed the Imperial defeat. Hundreds of Landsknechts died under French's and Swiss' pikes with only a few survivors. At the end of the day, Bourbon and his men are victorious. For how glorious this battle was, its outcome changed little to nothing in the power balance of Italy. Thus, the French crown regarded it as a secondary victory.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49883721335057,"sku":"NGR9781915070296","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52086599549201,"sku":"GOR014484576","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52602490257681,"sku":"NIN9781915070296","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1915070295.jpg?v=1751631603"},{"product_id":"the-italian-wars-volume-5-book-massimo-predonzani-9781804514528","title":"The The Italian Wars Volume 5","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"...the numerical explanations and discussions are exceptionally helpful. Well done. Enjoyed it.\" - Historical Miniatures Gaming Society\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In November 1500, Ferdinand of Spain and Louis XII of France signed the secret Treaty of Granada. This agreement enabled Spain and France to easily conquer and divide the Kingdom of Naples in the years 1501 and 1502. The treaty divided Naples between the two nations, however disputes arose over the division and the boundaries of the newly conquered territories soon led to war.Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, the Spanish Commander in Naples, was aware of the inferior quality of his troops and retreated to Barletta (Apulia). His plan was to await reinforcements from Spain. The French commander, Louis d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours, split the French army into several garrisons all around Barletta, and sent a contingent led by Beraud d'Aubigny to occupy Calabria. Over the following eight months, skirmishes, ambushes, and sudden attacks, which were to become Córdoba's trademark tactic, became the norm.In April 1503, Córdoba, following the arrival of Spanish and Landsknecht reinforcements, left Barletta and moved over to the offensive. The Spanish defeated d'Aubigny's army on 21 April and then just over a week later on the 28th, they defeated the Duke of Nemours at Cerignola. The Duke was to fall in the fighting. Gonzalo de Córdoba and his troops entered Naples in triumph on 16 May 1503.Louis XII, eager to reclaim his lost territories, gathered an army and invaded Naples. However, the French were defeated again in December 1503, near the river Garigliano. Gaeta, the last French stronghold in Naples, fell on 1 January 1504. On 31 January 1504, the Treaty of Lyon was signed ratifying Spanish possession of the Kingdom of Naples.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49883730608401,"sku":"NGR9781804514528","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50761030009105,"sku":"GOR014062261","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53069325664529,"sku":"CIN1804514527G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1804514527.jpg?v=1751631480"},{"product_id":"battle-of-pavia-1525-book-massimo-predonzani-9781804518342","title":"The Battle of Pavia 1525","description":"Five centuries have passed since the famed Battle of Pavia - one of the most significant engagements in military history. This clash marked the culmination of the so-called Italian Wars, which had ravaged the Italian peninsula for over 30 years as European powers vied for dominance of the peninsula. At Pavia, the supremacy of heavy cavalry on the battlefield finally yielded to the disciplined strength of professional infantry. The landsknecht pikemen crushed their Swiss rivals and annihilated the German mercenaries of the Black Band in French service. Yet, the true credit for victory belongs to the Spanish arquebusiers, expertly led by the Marchese di Pescara. The deadly volleys from their firearms decimated the elite French gendarmerie and led to the capture of the King of France, François I. The Battle of Pavia 1525 is Massimo Predonzani's second work devoted to this historic encounter. More than a simple revision, it expands upon his earlier research with a detailed account of the city's siege, drawing upon the testimonies of chroniclers who witnessed the events firsthand. For the battle itself, Predonzani's analysis of the Capodimonte Tapestries proves essential, as these offer the most accurate visual representations of the conflict. He compares their imagery with accounts from contemporary Italian, Spanish, German, and French sources, as well as with reports from participants in both the siege and the battle. Through this meticulous comparison, Predonzani identifies the figures depicted in the tapestries and their heraldic insignia. The text is richly supported by well-researched colour plates, illustrations, photographs, and campaign maps.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51880402780433,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":51880403009809,"sku":"NGR9781804518342","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53283878404369,"sku":"NIN9781804518342","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781804518342.jpg?v=1766138965"},{"product_id":"battle-of-anghiari-june-29-1440-book-massimo-predonzani-9781804519936","title":"The Battle of Anghiari, June 29, 1440","description":"The victorious outcome of the Battle of Anghiari on 29 June 1440 between the Milanese troops of Filippo Maria Visconti and the Florentine army supported by the contingents of the Pope and the Sforza, will be very important for the city of Florence. In fact, with this victory it will definitively free itself from the Milanese danger that since the time of Gian Galeazzo Visconti had oppressed, with wars and devastation, the city of the lily and all of Tuscany. This military success will be commemorated by Florence in literature and art. Famous in fact is the fresco of the battle painted by Leonardo in 1504 in Florence, unfortunately lost. But undoubtedly more important is a front of a Florentine 'cassone' painted after the mid-1400s to commemorate the battle, a 'cassone' that is now in the National Gallery in Dublin. This work of art is not the only one with this theme to have been created at the time, but certainly the most precise. The places represented and the moments of the battle are the same as those written in contemporary sources. Furthermore, the military heraldry depicted precisely identifies the infantry and knights of the two armies. We find the main banners of the Duke Visconti, of Florence and of the Pope. Then the devices of the main captains: the leopard of the Bracceschi, the waves of the Attendolo-Sforza and the bear of the Orsini and also the devices of numerous minor captains, all confirmed by research on chronicles, registers and letters of the period.Finally, everything has been reconstructed in the color plates and supported by images, photos and maps of the battle.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53364180910353,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":53364181336337,"sku":"NGR9781804519936","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781804519936.jpg?v=1782209732"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-massimo-predonzani.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}