Armies of the Normans 911–1194

Organization, Equipment and Tactics

Gabriele Esposito

$77.95

Hardback

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English

Pen and Sword
01 March 2024

History; Military history; Warfare & defence

Series: Armies of the Past

The Norman story began in 911, when a frightened French king (Charles III 'the Simple') gave land on the Channel coast to the Viking leader Rollo in return for adopting Christianity and helping repel other Viking marauders. Rollo and his fellow Norsemen (hence 'Normandy' and 'Normans') adopted all the trappings of feudalism, evolving from pagan ship-borne raiders to archetypal Christian knights and builders of castles. However, they seem to have lost none of their ferocity and adventuring spirit. As well as Duke William's famous cross-Channel conquest, Norman forces (often mercenaries) conquered territories in Spain, Sicily, Malta, Italy and Albania and formed the hard core of the early Crusades. Bohemond captured Antioch from the Turks and set up a principality that endured almost two centuries. Gabriele Esposito discusses the armies of the Normans in all these theatres, incorporating not only the Norman knights but the various feudal levies, local auxiliaries and mercenary contingents that fought with them. Having outlined the major battles and campaigns, he details their equipment, weapons and tactics. The accessible text is supported by numerous colour photographs of replica costume, weapons and equipment in use.

AUTHOR: Gabriele Esposito is an Italian researcher and a long-time student of military history, whose interests and expertise range widely over various periods. He is the author of numerous books on armies and uniforms and is a regular contributor to many specialized magazines in Italy, France, Netherlands and UK. His many previous works include thirteen previous titles in Pen & Sword's Armies of the Past series. He lives in Italy near the battlefield of Beneventum.

90 colour illustrations

By: Gabriele Esposito
Imprint: Pen and Sword
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 246mm, Width: 172mm,
ISBN: 9781399047401
ISBN 10: 139904740X
Series: Armies of the Past
Pages: 168
Publication Date: 01 March 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Unspecified

Gabriele Esposito is an Italian researcher and a long-time student of military history, whose interests and expertise range widely over various periods. He is the author of numerous books on armies and uniforms and is a regular contributor to many specialized magazines in Italy, France, Netherlands and UK. His many previous works include Armies of Early Colonial North America 1607-1713, published by Pen & Sword in 2018.

Reviews for Armies of the Normans 911–1194: Organization, Equipment and Tactics

"""Another fine volume [...] in the long-running and well-regarded [Armies of the Past] series books about specific armies concentrates on the Normans....""-- ""Historical Miniatures Gaming Society"""