When you think of the Middle Ages, visions of a Knight in shining armor, riding to rescue the damsel in distress come to mind. But the fairy tale is just that, a tale. In the new book The Medieval Knight, Christopher Gravett examines the true history of the medieval knight from the early knights of William the Conqueror through to the eventually decline in the 15th century.
Listen to our podcast episode with Christopher Gravett
Gravett is an expert in the field of medieval arms, armor and warfare. As a former senior curator at the Royal Armouries he uses his extensive knowledge to break through the myths of knighthood. Being a Knight wasn’t just warfare and tournaments, they were also master equestrians and studied etiquette for court appearances.
Gravett’s years of working at the Royal Armouries is obvious in the ‘Armour and Weapons’ chapter. He goes into great detail on the armor used by knights, the cost, the weight, the construction, details usually overlooked in other books.
Tying it all together are the fantastic pictures throughout the book. Taken from primary sources and manuscripts as well as drawn by the talented Graham Turner. The pictures help visualize the various weapons and warfare described in the book.
The Medieval Knight is an excellent book on the history of knights and should be in every medievalists library. With the exceptional pictures included in full color the physical book is the ideal medium for this book. I highly recommend The Medieval Knight for any medievalist or even writers of historical fiction or fantasy. Follow the links below to buy your copy now.
Book Synopsis:
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.
Medieval Archives gives The Medieval Knight 4 out of 5 stars
Disclaimer: Medieval Archives received a complimentary copy of “The Medieval Knight” for review purposes
You can buy The Medieval Knight through the links below:
- Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WwJ3Ri (affiliate link)
- Osprey Books website: https://ospreypublishing.com/the-medieval-knight
About the Author
Christopher Gravett is a former Senior Curator at the Royal Armouries, Tower of London, and a recognized authority on the arms, armour and warfare of the medieval world. He has worked as an advisor for numerous TV and film productions, and has written several books, including DK Eyewitness Knight and Castle and more than 20 titles for Osprey.
