Medieval Scandinavian Armies (1)

Medieval Scandinavian Armies (1) PDF Author: David Lindholm
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9781841765051
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
While Scandinavia's 'Viking Age' is one of the most studied aspects of early medieval history, much less has been published about the centuries that followed. Yet the armies of Sweden, Norway and Denmark offer fascinating differences from the rest of medieval Western Europe, both in their organisation and their war gear - due partly to their remoteness, climate and terrain, but partly to their long freedom from the feudal system of other kingdoms. This book explains the special nature of Scandinavian armies, shaped by the relative weakness of kings and aristocrats, and the contrasts between the separate nations of the North.

Medieval Scandinavian Armies (1)

Medieval Scandinavian Armies (1) PDF Author: David Lindholm
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9781841765051
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book

Book Description
While Scandinavia's 'Viking Age' is one of the most studied aspects of early medieval history, much less has been published about the centuries that followed. Yet the armies of Sweden, Norway and Denmark offer fascinating differences from the rest of medieval Western Europe, both in their organisation and their war gear - due partly to their remoteness, climate and terrain, but partly to their long freedom from the feudal system of other kingdoms. This book explains the special nature of Scandinavian armies, shaped by the relative weakness of kings and aristocrats, and the contrasts between the separate nations of the North.

Medieval Scandinavian Armies

Medieval Scandinavian Armies PDF Author: David Lindholm
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Scandinavia
Languages : en
Pages : 48

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Book Description


Medieval Scandinavian Armies (2)

Medieval Scandinavian Armies (2) PDF Author: David Lindholm
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9781841765068
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
While Scandinavia's 'Viking Age' is one of the most studied aspects of early medieval history, much less has been published about the centuries which followed. Yet the armies of Sweden, Norway and Denmark offer fascinating differences from the rest of medieval Western Europe, both in their organisation and their war gear. This second of two books covers the period which saw both expansion in the Baltic, and long wars born of the attempt to bring Scandinavia under a single monarchy - the Union of Kalmar. In the North, as elsewhere, the perfection of plate armour could not prevent the steady decline in the importance of the 15th century mounted knight in favour of the well armed infantryman.

The Scandinavian Baltic Crusades 1100–1500

The Scandinavian Baltic Crusades 1100–1500 PDF Author: David Lindholm
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9781841769882
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Wielding their swords in the name of their faith, the crusaders originally set out to reclaim Jerusalem and its surrounding territory in the Middle East. Increasingly, however, Eastern Europe and the last remaining bastions of pagan Europe became the targets of their religious zeal. The era officially began in 1147, when the Saxons, Danes, and Poles, responding to Pope Eugene III's call, initiated a crusade against the Wends of the Southern Baltic. This was followed by crusades against the Livonians, Estonians, Finns, Prussians, and Lithuanians. By the 13th century much of the responsibility for sustaining these crusades fell to the Teutonic Knights, a military order formed in the Holy Land in 1190. They were aided by the constant support of the Roman pontiff and by a steady flow of mercenaries from throughout Christendom. The subsequent Scandinavian campaigns laid the foundations of modern Baltic society by destroying pagan rural farming settlements, and establishing fortified Christian towns and major castles. As with the majority of crusades, the prospective acquisition of land and power was the one of the key driving forces behind these bloody military expeditions. This book reveals the colorful history of these Crusades when the soldiers of the Pope fought their way across Eastern Europe and inexorably changed the future of the continent.

German Medieval Armies 1300-1500

German Medieval Armies 1300-1500 PDF Author: Christopher Gravett
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Armies
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Armies of the Great Northern War 1700–1720

Armies of the Great Northern War 1700–1720 PDF Author: Gabriele Esposito
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 147283366X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 50

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Book Description
The Great Northern War was a long series of campaigns in which Russia, linked with several other countries in temporary alliances, confronted and eventually replaced Sweden as the predominant power in Northern Europe. While contemporary with the Duke of Marlborough's pivotal campaigns against France, the Great Northern War was in fact more decisive, since it reshaped the Northern European power balance up to the eve of the Napoleonic Wars. It began with a series of astonishing Swedish victories lead by King Charles XII, from Denmark to Poland and deep into Germany. But Peter the Great of Russia showed steadfast determination, and Charles overreached himself when he invaded Russia in 1708; the Russians adopted classic 'scorched earth' tactics until they could destroy the Swedish army at Poltava in 1709, one of the most overwhelming victories in history. Nevertheless, Sweden continued to fight, and frequently win, in Germany, Denmark and Norway, until Charles's death in battle in 1718, though the war itself did not conclude until 1721. This study explores, in detail, the numerous armies and complex alliances engaged in the war for Northern European dominance. Containing accurate full-colour artwork and unrivalled detail, Armies of the Great Northern War offers a vivid insight into the troops which battled for control of the North.

River Kings

River Kings PDF Author: Cat Jarman
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1643138707
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
Follow an epic story of the Viking Age that traces the historical trail of an ancient piece of jewelry found in a Viking grave in England to its origins thousands of miles east in India. An acclaimed bioarchaeologist, Catrine Jarman has used cutting-edge forensic techniques to spark her investigation into the history of the Vikings who came to rest in British soil. By examining teeth that are now over one thousand years old, she can determine childhood diet—and thereby where a person was likely born. With radiocarbon dating, she can ascertain a death-date down to the range of a few years. And her research offers enlightening new visions of the roles of women and children in Viking culture. Three years ago, a Carnelian bead came into her temporary possession. River Kings sees her trace the path of this ancient piece of jewelry back to eighth-century Baghdad and India, discovering along the way that the Vikings’ route was far more varied than we might think—that with them came people from the Middle East, not just Scandinavia, and that the reason for this unexpected integration between the Eastern and Western worlds may well have been a slave trade running through the Silk Road, all the way to Britain. Told as a riveting history of the Vikings and the methods we use to understand them, this is a major reassessment of the fierce, often-mythologized voyagers of the North—and of the global medieval world as we know it.

Armies of Medieval Russia 750–1250

Armies of Medieval Russia 750–1250 PDF Author: David Nicolle
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1855328488
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 49

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Book Description
In the centuries following the first expeditions down the great rivers of northern Russia by Viking traders and adventurers, the foundations for a new state were laid. Many influences combined in this colourful culture which grew up first around the great cities of Kiev and Novgorod – Scandinavian, Finnish, Slav, steppe Turkish, Byzantine. By the time of the Mongol invasions of the 12th century the small enclaves of the old pagan Rus', tolerated by the Khazar Khans for their commercial usefulness, had evolved into a Christian nation. Its story is told here in fascinating detail, and illustrated with striking colour reconstructions of the warriors themselves.

The Viking Great Army and the Making of England

The Viking Great Army and the Making of England PDF Author: Dawn Hadley
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 0500776369
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 391

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Book Description
Featuring the latest scientific techniques and findings, this book is the definitive account of the Viking Great Army’s journey and how their presence forever changed England. When the Viking Great Army swept through England between 865 and 878 CE, the course of English history was forever changed. The people of the British Isles had become accustomed to raids for silver and prisoners, but 865 CE saw a fundamental shift as the Norsemen stayed through winter and became immersed in the heart of the nation. The Viking army was here to stay. This critical period for English history led to revolutionary changes in the fabric of society, creating the growth of towns and industry, transforming power politics, and ultimately leading to the rise of Alfred the Great and Wessex as the preeminent kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England. Authors Dawn Hadley and Julian Richards, specialists in Anglo-Saxon and Viking Age archaeology, draw on the most up-to-date scientific techniques and excavations, including their recent research at the Great Army’s camp at Torksey. Together they unravel the movements of the Great Army across England like a detective story, while piecing together a new picture of the Vikings in unimaginable detail. Hadley and Richards unearth the swords and jewelry the Vikings manufactured, examine how they buried their great warriors, and which everyday objects they discarded. These discoveries revolutionized what is known of the size, complexity, and social make-up of the army. Like all good stories, this one has plenty of heroes and villains, and features a wide array of vivid illustrations, including site views, plans, weapons, and hoards. This exciting volume tells the definitive account of a vital period in Norse and British history and is a must-have for history and archaeology lovers.

Norse Warfare

Norse Warfare PDF Author: Martina Sprague
Publisher: Hippocrene Books
ISBN: 9780781811767
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 386

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Book Description
Until the early 1000s, waves of strange and ferocious warriors from the barren northlands swept into Britain and Western Europe. Plundering and pillaging, they left devastation in their wake. Trembling victims never knew when they would strike next. The Vikings fought for personal glory, material wealth and a longing for adventure and freedom. This book tackles the myth of the Vikings, their unconventional methods of warfare, cunning strategies and boldly innovative ship building techniques. The author casts a scholarly eye and a fresh light onto these fiercely independent people.