I am lucky to have received a pre-release copy of this book to review. I am not paid to write reviews. The Vikings have long occupied a fascinating position in popular history. Were they bloodthirsty raiders, skilled warriors or farmers who occasionally picked up weapons? Violence in Viking Society tackles this question head-on, presenting a […]
The pas d’armes was the most theatrical form of the medieval tournament: one knight held a bridge, a gate or a fountain against all comers, under published rules, inside a story borrowed from romance. It flourished in the fifteenth century, from Castile to Burgundy, and it is one of the best-documented settings we have for […]
Japan’s martial history has produced some of the most recognisable warriors in the world, but separating the historical people from the legends surrounding them can be difficult. In Japanese Fighting Heroes, Jamie Ryder embraces both, producing an entertaining and highly accessible journey through Japanese history, folklore and popular culture. The book is not simply a […]
Murder and Mayhem in Late Medieval England covers a subject particularly close to my heart. I regularly give talks to local history groups on medieval crime, violence and punishment, so I approached Kathryn Warner’s book keen to see what new stories and evidence it might uncover. I wasn’t disappointed. Warner draws extensively on coroners’ rolls, […]
