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The book is replete with dramatic episodes - such as the battle on frozen Lake Peipus in 1242, or the disaster of Tannenberg - but focuses primarily on the knights' struggle to maintain power, fend off incursions and raiding bands and to launch crusades against unbelieving foes.  And it was the crusade which chiefly characterised and breathed life into this Holy Order.William Urban's narrative charts the rise and fall of the Order and, in an accessible and engaging style, throws light on a band of knights whose deeds and motives have long been misunderstood.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49530080198929,"sku":"GOR005433864","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50269341253905,"sku":"GOR010777005","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51420985753873,"sku":"GOR010508892","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51805809410321,"sku":"CIN1848326203VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53064858566929,"sku":"CIN1848326203G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1848326203.jpg?v=1751346372"},{"product_id":"bayonets-and-scimitars-book-urban-william-9781848327115","title":"Bayonets and Scimitars","description":"The eighteenth century marked a watershed in European history. This was a period of significant economic, political and technological upheaval which led to the American and French revolutions, and was to ultimately pave the way for Europe's domination of much of the world during the nineteenth century. The wars and political maneuvering of Frederick the Great and Catherine the Great transformed Prussia and Russia into major players in European politics. France, the richest nation in the West; survived losing successive wars, then bankrupted itself assisting the Americans in an unnecessary war of revenge. Britain became the model of economic and financial efficiency and made itself supreme in North America, the Caribbean, and in India, only to face such financial troubles that its leaders antagonized its colonial subjects in America. This excellent new book by esteemed military historian William Urban traces the evolution of war-making throughout this turbulent period  -  the politics, the weaponry, the organization of armies, and the transformation of mercenaries into professionals. This highly readable account concentrates not just on high politics and military strategy but also on the everyday experiences of those involved giving us a compelling glimpse of the human face of warfare during this important period.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49534468587793,"sku":"GOR008857660","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1848327110.jpg?v=1751027156"},{"product_id":"matchlocks-to-flintlocks-warfare-in-europe-and-beyond-1500-1700-book-urban-william-9781848326286","title":"Matchlocks to Flintlocks: Warfare in Europe and Beyond 1500-1700","description":"In the early modern world three dominant cultures of war were shaped by a synergy of their internal and external interactions. One was Latin Christian western Europe. Another was Ottoman Islam. The third, no less vital forrnso often being overlooked, was east-central Europe: Poland\/Lithuania, Livonia, Russia, the freebooting Cossacks, a volatile mix of variations on a general Christian theme.rnrnWilliam Urban's fascinating narrative is an integrated account of early modern war at the sharp end: of campaigns and battles, soldiers and generals. Temporally it extends from the French invasion of Italy in 1494 to Austria's Balkan victories culminating in the 1718 Treaty of Peterwardein. Geographically it covers ground from the Low Countries to the depths of the Ukraine.That narrative in turn focuses Urban's major analytical points: the replacement of 'crowd armies' by professionals, and the professionals' integration into crown armies: government-supervised, bureaucratised institutions. The key to this process was the mercenary. Originally recruited because the obligations of feudal levies were too limited, mercenary forces evolved operationally into skilled users of an increasingly complex gunpowder technology in ever more complex tactical situations. By the end of the seventeenth century, soldiers were identifying with the states and the rulers they served.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49555054166289,"sku":"GOR007262494","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53127834992913,"sku":"GOR014759032","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1848326289.jpg?v=1751281085"},{"product_id":"bayonets-for-hire-mercenaries-at-war-1550-1789-book-urban-william-9781853677427","title":"Bayonets for Hire: Mercenaries at War, 1550-1789","description":"Explores the changing role of mercenaries in Early Modern Europe Covers all the key battles of the period  By the author of The Teutonic Knights and Medieval Mercenaries  From the Greek professional armies of Alexander, through the Hundred Years War, to today, mercenaries have been ever-present, their role constantly evolving. In this compelling new history William Urban takes up their captivating and turbulent story from 1550 to 1789: from the Wars of Religion to the eve of the French Revolution. The 16th century saw increasing sophistication in European politics and commerce, religious and scientific thought, and military technology. Everywhere professionals became more important.  Mercenaries are often considered a marginal phenomenon, but Urban shows that as military professionals they contributed significantly to the development of the modern state. Increasingly not just individual soldiers and officers became mercenaries, but entire armies of well equipped, well trained, and, in time, experienced soldiers were available to friends and allies. By the late-1600s these armies had evolved into large and efficient fighting forces. The infantry were using muskets equipped with bayonets; the engineers were building better fortresses and devising better methods of assaulting them; the cavalry were adjusting to new tactics; the generals learning strategy from service under great field marshals and by reading their books; and everyone was paying attention to treasury officers. Nothing could be done without money. With money, anything was possible - buying cannons and the neutrality of neighbours, providing troops with food and clothing, satisfying fashion-conscious mistresses. For money, anything was possible. By the mid-1700s military service had become a profession. The old-fashioned mercenary was less common, but he would not disappear until swept away by the volunteer armies of the French Revolution. Money gave way, temporarily, to patriotism. WILLIAM URBAN is the Lee L. Morgan Professor of History at Monmouth College, Illinois, USA. His numerous works include the highly acclaimed The Teutonic Knights and Medieval Mercenaries.  WILLIAM MCNEILL is the author of The Rise of the West and is among the world's most respected historians.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49584549527825,"sku":"GOR005319320","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49628876243217,"sku":"GOR012686883","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53433289933073,"sku":"CIN1853677426VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1853677426.jpg?v=1751434330"},{"product_id":"teutonic-knights-book-urban-william-9781853676673","title":"The Teutonic Knights","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50156981551377,"sku":"CIN1853676675A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50331593539857,"sku":"GOR004201384","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50953701228817,"sku":"CIN1853676675VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52107210883345,"sku":"CIN1853676675G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1853676675.jpg?v=1751423656"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/collections\/author-books-by-urban-william.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}