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The ‘knight in shining armour’ has become a staple figure in popular culture, and images of bloody battlefields, bustling feasting halls and courtly tournaments have been creatively interpreted many times in film and fiction. But what was the medieval knight truly like? In this fascinating title, former Senior Curator at the Royal Armouries Christopher Gravett describes how knights evolved over three centuries of English and European history, the wars they fought, their lives both in peacetime and on campaign, the weapons they fought with, the armour and clothing they wore and their fascinating code and mythology of chivalry. The text is richly illustrated with images ranging from manuscript illustrations to modern artwork reconstructions and many photographs of historic artefacts and sites.

Reviews

From the start, it’s Gravett so you are not going to fault the content – Gravett was for many years the Senior Curator at the Royal Armouries and that pedigree says enough on its own.

This is not an easy read, the author assumes that you have an interest (correctly I would guess or why would you be reading the book) and that you will understand the technical names and terms. I must admit I would like to have seen a glossary to make reading a little easier. However, despite this being a more studious read it is excellent and so full of fact and detail that you will need to keep this as a reference book as you will not absorb all of the information here.

One thing you do need to be aware of though is that this is NOT an original book… The content first appeared in three separate titles, by this author it must be said, in the publisher’s ‘Warrior’ series (numbers 35, 48 and 58). This is acknowledged, albeit in small print, but it is obvious from other reviews that few people have read this. And there is a previous compilation of these titles from the same publisher although the colour plates here are larger and superior.

Be aware that this is a compilation, but this is a superb book and really good value for money and a valuable addition to the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in the Medieval era.

Interested in medieval re-enacting but are afraid of being caught not knowing your chausses from your greaves? Are you writing a story set during the Wars of the Roses but don’t want to have your knight in shining armour dressed like he’s going on the First Crusade? Into medieval cosplaying, or studying the period in school? Or are you simply interested in knowing the basics about knights? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then The Medieval Knight is a resource book you’ll want to get.

The Medieval Knight is “A comprehensive overview of the development of the fearsome medieval English knight” says the book’s description, and that pretty much covers it. It follows the development from the 12th century to the 15th century and covers a wide range of topics.

The chapters are short and concise, summarizing a variety of topics such as the evolution from traditional feudalism with its 40 days of service to a lord in exchange for land to “bastard” feudalism with its emphasis on contracts and pay, to how a knight dressed and how his armor changed through the years, different fighting styles, tournaments and jousts, battle plans and strategies, down to how wounds were treated.

Coming in at 170 pages, it is a good introduction to the topic, perfect for school age and adult readers alike. The text is complimented by many full colour illustrations, contemporary medieval paintings along with a number of modern ones by one of my favourite military/medieval artists, Graham Turner. In fact, I’d like the book for the artwork alone and moved my rating from 3 stars to 4 because of Mr. Turner’s contributions.

Dr Chris McNab specializes in military history and related technology. To date he has published more than 100 books including US Soldier vs German Soldier (2020), Hitler’s Tanks (2020) and The Great Bear at War (2019). Chris has also written extensively for major encyclopaedia series, magazines, and newspapers. He lives in South Wales, UK.