Armies of Medieval Burgundy 1364-1477

In the mid 14th Century, the Duchy of Burgundy was brought to an end. Shortly after, the French King Jean the Good was defeated by the English. His son Philip led further opposition to the English, and in reward is father made him the new Duke of Burgundy. This men-at-arms title overviews all aspects of the military of this Duchy, from Philip's appointment in 1364 to the fall of the Duchy under Charles the Bold in 1477. The book is well-written and offers full coverage of the topic. Recruitment, pay, organization, food, numbers, and medical support of the Burgundian soldiers are all examined, as are the large number of mercenary contingents that served in the Army. Page 8 includes a fascinating graph with the exact numbers of every troop type in the Burgundian Army in 1417. The reforms of Charles the Bold's Army at the end of this period are discussed in detail. An overlooked topic that recieves a lot of attention in this title is late medieval artillery. After this tactics and the experiences of the field armies are described, and then the personal arms and armor of the soldiers, particularly the crossbows and longbows of the infantry. In my opinion, this is the best artwork that Gerry Embleton has done for Osprey. Though not an equal of Angus McBride, his plates are colorful and detailed and give a good picture of the clothing and armor of these men, along with the artillery and the flags. In short this is a fine Osprey title on a military power of late medieval Europe, and the men that fought to protect its interests for over a hundred years.