I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book.. This is a really good book about Knights that keeps you interested until the end.

Very approachable and readable history of medieval knights, their lives and times. Well illustrated. The book provides a good amount of detail on every aspect of the life of a knight, both in peace and war.

It mainly looks at the knight of England France. It is a visual book along with a lot of things thrown at the reader. But it is a good introduction to those who have a specific interest in knights.

The Medieval Knight by Christoper Gravett provides a detailed history of knights in medieval Britain. Three hundred years of knighthood is covered in a timeline that highlights the changing warfare, social rank, and etiquette over time. Chapters cover organization, training, chivalric knight, armor and weapons, the knight on campaign and in battle, and the end of the knight. Gravett contrasts the literary ideal of the knight with the reality of actual knighthood. Being a knight was more about warfare than chivalry. It was an expensive proposition and one that often failed against ground soldiers. By the 15th century, many knights lived in houses instead of castles; some were even peasants. Rather than being knighted by royalty, most early knights knighted each other. Less than always honorable, some knights even took advantage of the weak. Filled with many facts, information, and illustrations, this book will be of interest to military and medieval buffs. (Review based on Kindle version.)

The Medieval Knight was popular from 1200-1500 throughout Europe. English kings and nobles originally required forty days of knightly service, either fighting or standing guard, in exchange for bequeathing land to the knight. However, they were soon forced to pay the knights too.

It was getting increasingly expensive to be a knight. Better armor meant additional cost. Each knight had squires and horses to outfit too. With the rise of standing infantry and firearms, the chivalrous knight was left to history books.

The Medieval Knight book takes on an interesting subject. However, it reads like a textbook. It, unfortunately, plods through a history of knights rather than making the reader feel the beating heart of a knight. So if you want to read a history book, you may enjoy this book more than I did. 3 stars.

Thanks to Osprey Publishing and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Really nice Osprey style illustrations, short clear descriptions of dress, fighting styles and even medicine. Probably a good starter for schools studying the medieval period.

The book starts with a general summary of the age of knights. Included in that were examples of how knights fit within the feudal system and feudal armies. Of particular interest was the guide the maximum number of retainers by noble rank found in The Black Book of Edward IV ... basically the book has a good balance of general information and specific examples. Once we get through the history lesson, the author turns toward the evolution of the knight's equipment. Here the material drifted into more detail than I care for and I skimmed over a lot of the talk about how much what cost et al. As a casual reader, that did nothing for me. Over all it was a pretty solid reference.

I previewed the kindle version; unfortunately the kindle format shuffles the pictures/images making it difficult to match up text with image. In one section the caption was complete interlaced with the main text.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#TheMedievalKnight #NetGalley

Like a picture book for adults, but with so much more! The text ties the history together, but the pictures can be admired and pored over time and time again. I'm making space on my coffee table for it RIGHT NOW!