By Sword and Fire by Sean Mcglynn

By Sword and Fire by Sean Mcglynn

Sean McGlynn investigates the reality of medieval warfare. For all the talk of chivalry, medieval warfare routinely involved acts which we would consider war crimes. Lands laid waste, civilians slaughtered, prisoners massacred: this was standard fare justified by tradition and practical military necessity. It was unbelievably barbaric, but seldom uncontrolled. Such acts of atrocity were calculated, hideous cruelties inflicted in order to achieve a specific end. Sean McGlynn examines the battles of Acre and Agincourt, sieges like Beziers, Lincoln, Jerusalem and Limoges as well as the infamous chevauchees of the Hundred Years War that devastated great swathes of France. He reveals how these grisly affairs form the origin of accepted 'rules of war', codes of conduct that are today being enforced in the International Court of Justice in the Hague. Written for the popular not the academic market, this is a 'warts and all' portrait of war in the middle ages that combines vivid narrative with explanation and analysis.

'Sean McGlynn's excellent book examines the reason for [the] barbarity and reaches the same conclusion as [McNab] did during [his] time as a PoW in the first Iraq war..Unlike many books on warfare, this book dares to say what others won't.' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'it is vividly and wittily related, full of detail nd constantly fascinating' DAILY TELEGRAPH

Sean McGlynn is the author of THE INVASION OF ENGLAND 1216 (Sutton 2001) and contributed to the CASSELL ATLAS OF THE MEDIEVAL WORLD. He is a regular contributor to HISTORY TODAY, HISTORY REVIEW, ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW and many academic journals.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780297846789
ISBN 10	0297846787
Title	By Sword and Fire
Author	Sean Mcglynn
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Orion Publishing Co
Year published	2008-04-10
Number of pages	304
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.