Product Description

Originally contracted by wealthy Italian city states to protect their assets during a time of ceaseless warring, many condottieri of the Italian peninsula became famous for their wealth, venality and amorality during the 14th and 15th centuries. Some even came to rule cities themselves. Lavishly illustrated with contemporary depictions and original artwork, this title examines the complex military organization, recruitment, training and weaponry of the Condottieri. With insight into their origins and motivations, the author, Dr David Murphy, brings together the social, political and military history of these powerful and unscrupulous men who managed to influence Italian society and warfare for over two centuries.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #398467 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Customer Reviews

Good overview, but feels like something's missing.
This book gives an excellent although brief account of the Italian condottiere of the 14th and 15th centuries. It gives details on their methods of recruitment, background, tactics, arms and equipment. As always Graham Turner's reconstructions are of excellent quality. His depiction of a group of condottiere on the march and his reconstruction of a late 15th century heavily armoured condottiere man-at-arms are particularly evocative.

So why only 3 stars? My problem is not in the "quality" (which was excellent) but the "quantity" of the work. I remember when the number of colour plates in a "Warrior" book was 12, somehow this seems to have shrunk down to 8. Also we only have detailed reconstructions of men from the beginning and the end of the period. I felt we also needed another plate depicting a condottiere from the middle of the period, e.g. circa 1390 or 1420. I also noted that there were no black and white photos of items from the Churburg armoury, this seems something of an oversight when they are such an important source of information on Italian knights of this period.

Overall though, this is a solid and respectable addition to Osprey's Warrior series. I look forwards eagerly to future books by Murphy and Turner.