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The Renaissance at War (Smithsonian History of Warfare) (Smithsonian History of Warfare) | 
 enlarge | Author: Thomas Arnold
Publisher: Collins
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
Buy New: $3.59
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Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 40195
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.5
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.232
ASIN: B0014SYR4C
Publication Date: May 1, 2006
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Condition: Brand new!
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Product Description
With the dawning of the Renaissance came technological and social advances that changed forever the art of warfare. Rich with anecdotal detail, a compelling and comprehensive narrative by an expert military historian transports you to the midst of the action as it examines the strategies, campaigns, prominent figures, and key conflicts of the age. From artillery and fortifications to military leadership, from cavalry tactics to the new infantry, from the Crusades to the guerrilla wars in late 16th-century France, penetrating cultural, tactical, and technical analyses plus numerous illustrations, maps, and charts paint a full portrait of Renaissance warfare.
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A Most Excellent Work July 25, 2008
This book provides a thematic discussion of the Renaissance at War, with many excellent illustrations and maps of battles--some famous, some more obscure, and all dealt with in a factual and often humorous manner. I have not read any of the other books of this series, but this volume--easy to read and an excellent reference as well. The excellent discussions in this volume about the spread of gunpowder and the subtle challenge it posed to chivalric nobility, as well as the way in which kings and nobles straddled between the old and new ways of war are discussed well here. In addition, this book contains the finest description of the French Wars of Religion, the complicated battles in Italy between the French, Swiss, Germans, Spanish, and Turks I have seen, as well as a well-done examination of the Dutch Revolt. In short, if you like military history at all, and you are curious about the wars of the Renaissance, you will find much of value in this book.
Excellent overall analysis of the period February 11, 2008
This slim but lavishly illustrated volume offers a very perceptive analysis of the late-fifteenth and early-sixteenth century re-examination of military matters that occured in Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. It discusses the technological and tactical advances, in a more concise manner than similar works like David Eltis's, but it also integrates them into the renaissance of military philosophy, and indeed of all facets of society, that was occuring at the time. That analysis, combined with illuminating sidebars, several key case studies, and gorgeous artwork make this perhaps the top general reference for Renaissance military history.
superb introductory work June 30, 2005
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Indeed a very nice book, with a lot of interesting information. The writer avoids the complicated style most historians dealing with the Renaissance prefer, and writes clearly, with regard of and respect to the ones who never have dealt with the complexities of the history of warfare, especially in a period such as this, when the wide use of gunpowder marked a turning point in the style of warfare and the perception of military tactics. Arnold covers every basic aspect of the Renaissance warfare, the decline of the Knight (in that old, medieval sense), the change in styles of fortifications, the change of the role of the general, the use of the artillery, etc, and does so while giving in the same time an accurate account of the main historical events (of military nature, obviously). Thus, the reader has an accurate, viewed from all sides, perspective of the matter. If there were more stars to give, I would definitely give them (!) although one must remember that this is an introductory study, and for particular details and a more in depth analysis there are other books to consider. In all this book is...a great place to start.
A Nice Surprise- fascinating book with excellent graphics June 19, 2002
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
First off, I knew nothing about war during the European Renaissance before reading this book, so I went in with pretty low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised- this book is fascinating. Thomas Arnold writes in a very clear style, that is easy to follow. His research is detailed, but he does not bog the reader down with too many minute details. Also, this book is full of excellent graphics. It has many period prints, maps, tapestry images, and some well done battlefield graphics. I thought this illustrations really helped emphasize many of the author's key points. This is the first book in the series that I have read, so now I have rather high expectations for the other volumes I purchased with this one. I highly recommend this book to any military history student, or anyone interested in learning more about how warfare changed in Europe during the Renaissance.
A Very Detailed and Well Crafted Book January 5, 2002
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
Thomas Arnold is a great writer, and having John Keegan as the editor of could only have helped the text. It is very easy to read and still extremely interesting, covering first the technical evolution of warfare from the 15th to the 17th centuries and then covering the major conflicts of the era.Added to the strong writing and editing are many computer generated maps of individual battles and some great illustrations, many taken from period tapestries and paintings. This book is probably the most clear, well-written book available on the subject, while still encompassing many lesser known facets of the Renaissance and even injecting some humor in a couple of passages. Don't judge it by its textbook appearance and odd dimensions...it is anything but textbook-like and will undoubtedly lead you to buy more of the books in the series.
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