Could any of you tell me what the basic books are that I should buy to start my research out with? I'm portraying a 1362 mercenary crossbowman/man-at-arms in northern-france.

I've already bought the following:
- Techniques of Medieval Armour Reproduction; 14th century,
- The Sword in the age of Chivalry,
- Records of the Medieval Sword,
- The Archeology of Weapons,
- The Book of the Crossbow

And I am thinking about buying:
- Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight,
- Armour from the Battle of Wisby,
- Fashion in the Age of the Black Prince: A Study of the Years 1340-1365,
- Medieval Tailor's Assistant: Making Common Garments 1200-1500,
- Dress Accessories C.1150-C.1450: Finds from Medieval Excavations in London,
- Shoes and Pattens,
- Stepping Through Time,
- Knives and scabbards
- All relevant Osprey books

Any comment please? Thanks!

Bertus

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A general history of the Hundred Years war ought be a good start as well. It seems you are concentrating on the material aspects (which is understandably important for being able to recognise what is proper to make or buy, or how to make it). It is however very important to read some decent histories of the era interested in, as well as a good social history detailing daily life, how differeing social classes interacted with themselves and each other, and the like.

Of the list you put forward, they are all decent books.

A&AoMK is perhaps the best general survey of armour.

The Wisby book is really the most in-depth study of 14th century armour, and to an armour historian is invaluable. That said, it really only tells you what the army of the town was wearing on that Summer day in specific. There is a decent ammount of evidence that the kit they were wearing is outdated by the time the battle is fought - the actual fighting men of the town being absent on an expedition when the Danish army arrived in front of Wisby. It was an army of old men and boys, and second rate equipment that faced an army of professional mercenarys that got itself slaughtered in the course of an afternoon. You must bear this in mind when using this as a reference for kit - the SCA heavily uses this as a reference for coat of plates, but it perhaps reflects military trends of the 1330's & 40's - not the 1360's. Also, I have seen both the reprint and the original, and while the reprint is valuable, it is not as good as the original. In example, it lacks the pull-out diagrams of the armours the original contains. I would get this book, but there are others I would purchase or read first.

Fashion in the age of the Black Prince, and A&AoMK would come first, if I were the one laying out funds for purchase.

The Osprey books are a crapshoot. Some of the illustrations are nearly laughable (check out Armies of the Irish Wars), and otherwise excellent artists like Angus MacBride take liberties with their illustrations, but they often contain good photographs of extant arms & armour, funeral monuments, wallpaintings, etc, under one cover that would be difficult to accumulate otherwise. The Osprey books covering the early Hundred years war are abyssimal regarding illustrations with the notable exception of the Campaign series on Crecy. The French Army of the Hundred Years war in the MAA series isn't bad either.

I'd grab the MoL books listed as they were available - they go out of print fairly swiftly in my experience. That said, be aware they are a catalog with some diagrams, and not a how-to book. It is significantly cheaper to buy readily available reproduction buckles from several manufacturers and make your oen belts with these than it would be to make a mold and cast your own.

When putting together kit, I alwys follow these caveats.

I make it myself if I have the capabilitiues to make an accurate copy of an item If my copy would be sub-standard, I always go to a professional. This leaves me buying much of my armor rather than making it for instance. I can make brigandines, and bucklers, but I am not going to be able to make a complex shaped helmet good enough to be an accurate copy, so something like that I buy. I also buy an item if the time involved in manufacturing it, plus the tools involved needed to produce it make the proposition of making the item myself uneconomical.

For instsance, I am not going to outfit an armourers shop for myself - I am going to make what I am capable of in the shop of a friend. I will outfit a complete woodworking shop, as I have the tallents to make the boxes, stools, and benches that are the general fare of camp furniture, and I can make them as accurately, or 'nicely' as you please. Probably well enough to sell to others.

My philosophy on the subject anyhow.

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Another very useful book for your given time period:

Daily Life in Chaucer's England by
Jeffrey L. Singman and Will McLean, Greenwood Press
ISBN: 0-313-29375-9
ISSN: 1080-4749

This is a good starting place for 14th C. reenactment, having concise snippets for almost every imaginable facet of daily life. Prayers, social background, clothing, military life, etc. None of the chapters goes into any depth, however, but it's a good overview and 'how-to' source.

An interesting book on the 100 Years War:

The Hundred Years War by Robin Neillands

ISBN 0-415-00148-X(hbk)
ISBN 0-415-07149-6 (pbk)

The Merchant of Prato by Iris Origo is a nice character study of a 14th C. Italian merchant. Unlike A Distant Mirror (also a very popular book on 14th C. life), Origo's book is based on the contents of thousands of personal letters to/from her main subject, Francesco di Marco Datini.

I second Chef's observations on the Wisby book. It's a wonderful book, but it doesn't give you a picture of what was normal for the time. You may consider ordering the original via inter-library loan and scanning or photocopying it (for non-copywrite infringing, educational purposes only, of course).

The Museum of London books are great! Get them all before they go out of print yet again.

Just my two cents

Yes indeed it would be a good idea to also read about the hundred years war in general and daily life in those days. But I felt I already had some base knowledge about these things. I currently have a part-time job in a dutch archeological themepark. I work there every sunday portraying a town guard in a 1350's dutch town. The themeparks intend is to really show daily life as it was in those days, so all employees get this reader about daily life in the 1350's in holland. Having read this and me guessing that daily life was pretty much the same all over western-europe in those days, my first priority was to get my kit together. Also, I read some internet pages over the hundred years war in general and there's this guy in my re-enactment group that's busy making a common biography for the whole group, so he's the expert on the history part. If I have any questions concerning this I only have to ask him. That explains the material aspect I am focusing on I hope.

About the Wisby armour being outdated, yes I heard so, but... Our group being just mercenaries, we have this problem that we probably don't wear the top of the notch gear that was available. Also I heard that Wisby was one the richest towns of northern Europe in those days, so they could afford to equip there better troops with the latest in armour, but the more poorer mercenaries and knights all over the rest of Europe might still have to do with the more outdated stuff. In general I just have no idea how this wealth vs. armourtype thing was distributed over western-europe.

I see that the Amsterdam University library has the 1939 edition of Wisby Armour on loan, so I'll just buy the reprint and copy what is missing from the old edition.

Same problem as above arises of course with 'Fashion in the age of the Black Prince'. Since we are mercenaries and our members status' varies between footsoldiers and maybe one or two people low-nobility, I guess we shouldn't be wearing the latest in fashion, for it would be too innovative en too expensive for our personae. The book might still be a good indicator though because it starts at 1340, while our group is doing a 1362 portrayal. But I'd rather also buy for example the Medieval Tailor's Assistant: Making Common Garments 1200-1500 to get to know how to make common garments for, as I said, we have mostly common personae in the group.

I'll watch out with the Osprey books yes. One of my groupmembers relies quite a bit on them, but I already read on a few forums that the illustrations varied in accuracy / authenticity, so I'm not taking every illustration for real.

The MoL books, what are they? Are those the following books?
- Textiles and Clothing : Medieval Finds from Excavations in London, c.1150-c.1450
by Elisabeth Crowfoot, et al
- Knives and Scabbards : Medieval Finds from Excavations in London
by J. Cowgill, et al
- Dress Accessories C.1150-C.1450 : Finds from Medieval Excavations in London
by Geoff Egan, Frances Pritchard
?

As for Bob R.'s

"I make it myself the capabilitiues to make an accurate copy of an item ....

My philosophy on the subject anyhow."

I agree completely, it's my philosophy too. 100% Accuracy and Authenticity are my priority. That's what I am aiming for. If it costs a bit more than making or ordering a second rate object than that's just that. In the long run you'll be proud of and feel good in your authentic kit. I just wish most people of my group also thought like this. I still have to get them off the idea that what's cheapest is the best. Most of them still think like this: "Why have a forged cauldron made for us by a professional smith when we could just as easily find a 19th century copper cauldron in the second hand shop round the corner for much less money."

David, I'll look into the books you mentioned, when I can get my hands on them Might take a while though since I rather like to buy books than get them at a library, but buying books costs money .
I have one guy in the group who is partly italian of origin, so we made him a italian mercenary too. I told him about your recoomendation of "The Merchant of Prato by Iris Origo", but illustrative enough for most of the groupmembers the response wasn't very enthusiastic. They'd rather have we (me and other member which does the history part) buy and read all the books so they can just ask us anything they want to know. But I keep working on it to stimulate them to do their own research, and maybe one day... they will!

Another funny thing, I see David lives in Aachen... I have made my character a mercenary whose name is 'Herman von Aachen' 8-), I'm still working on the biography (depends heavily on what the other guy will come up with for a common groupbiography) but that I'll stick to Aachen as my place of origin or something stands firm in my mind.
I chose Aachen because my parents grew up in the nearby dutch town/city of Kerkrade, just over the border with Herzogenrath. Nice coincident to meet a real Aachener guy here

Greetings from the Netherlands,
Bertus

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A site that you may find useful, especially for his well annotated bibliography is Marc Carlson's Some Clothing of the Middle Ages.

There was a review of the Medieval Tailor's Assistant posted to this board a few weeks ago it may be worthwhile doing a search for it.

Yes, the MOL books are the one's you listed.
Another series of museum catalogues and archeological papers that you may find helpful are the Rotterdam Papaers published through the Boymans van Beuningen Museum. They have lots of good information on accessories such as pots, tableware, cookware, souvenir tokens, etc.

Ah, OK, I think I am familiar with your group - your website is down though.

Please forgive what I wrote if it came off as some sort of lecture. I am so used to trying to help people who won't read a book if they can find what they want on a website, and who would rather someone tell them information rather than research themselves, it has become second nature to start off with a list of caveats, and recommending social histories so they have a grounding in "where and when" they are. You already live in the "where", and seem to have the "when" down as well.

Unfortunately of course, most of the available images are dealing with the nobility in some form or other, and we are often left guessing as to probable appearance of equipment of troops lower down the social scale - take for instance, who has any idea what Henry V's archers "wicker helmets" looked like? Fortunately considering your location, you may be able to get some clues in the form of lists of equipment purchased by the French Monarchy for distribution to soldiers - in fact, Osprey's "French Armies of the Hundred Years War" will prove invaluable to you, and I would get it soonest, as it has such lists from the era you wish to depict, both equipment purchased, and also items ordered to be produced for the army at the 'clos de gallees'. Also included is a listing of available primary & secondary documentation on the subject - quite a bit of scholarship has been devoted to the subject by French scholars in the last two decades, and there are reams of articles placing in print some of the primary documentation. Amusingly enough, I often use Osprey books for their biobliographies, to see how to fill out my library.

Keep in mind when you read Thordman as to how relevant this might be to France, and double check against the primary documentation of the region you are depicting yourself operating in. Regardless of your 'personas' national origin, as your equipment and clothing wore out or was damaged, it would needs be repaired or replaced localy.

I'm glad your philosophy is the same as mine. You need to introduce your more frugal friends to the concept of "False Economy" -

"how economic is it to purchase cheaper equipment if the end result is unsatisfactory, requiring the equipments eventual replacement? Save up and buy it once, rather than buying something cheap several times over. In the long run, more money is usually spent replacing poorly made, or inauthentic equipment then if you just got the proper item in the first place"

You can quote me on that.

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"Unfortunately of course, most of the available images are dealing with the nobility in some form or other, and we are often left guessing as to probable appearance of equipment of troops lower down the social scale"
Indeed

Thanks for all the advice Bob!

Over all, I'd love to go about to check on primary sources or archives and such, but I'm really limited in my mobility:
- No drivers license and no car (never needed it till now) makes going abroad very tough.
- Being a student means not having plenty of money to spare. I'd be happy if I could get my hands on those books first.

Here's my updated book-list, it might be of help to anyone else starting out research for 14th c. re-enactment and stumbling upon this thread.

Arms & Armour:
- Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight,
- Armour from the Battle of Wisby,
- Techniques of Medieval Armour Reproduction; 14th century,
- The Archeology of Weapons,
- The Sword in the age of Chivalry,
- Records of the Medieval Sword,
- The Book of the Crossbow,
- The Art of Making Armour,
- Medieval Warfare in Manuscripts,
- Codex Manesse. Die Miniaturen der Großen Heidelberger Liederhandschrift,
- Kleidung & Waffen der Spätgotik,
- Medieval Military Costume,
- Medieval Warfare,
- A Companion to Medieval Arms and Armour,
- The Medieval Armour From Rhodes

Medieval swordfighting:
- Medieval Combat: A Fifteenth-Century Illustrated Manual of Swordfighting and Close-Quarter Combat,
- Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship: Sigmund Ringeck's Commentaries on Liechtenauer,
- Italian Medieval Swordsmanship: Fiore de Liberi's Flos Duellatorum, Volume 1--fascimile & translation,
- Italian Medieval Swordsmanship: Fiore de Liberi's Flos Duellatorum, Volume 2--Interpretations,
- Ars Gladitoria: 15th Century Swordsmanship of Master Fillipo Vadi,
- Medieval Swordsmanship: Illustrated Methods and Techniques

Clothing:
- Fashion in the Age of the Black Prince: A Study of the Years 1340-1365,
- Medieval Tailor's Assistant: Making Common Garments 1200-1500,
- Medieval Costume in England and France : The 13th, 14th and 15th Centuries,
- Shoes and Pattens,
- Stepping Through Time,
- Die mittelalterlichen Schuhe aus Schleswig, Ausgrabung Schild 1971-1975,
- Textiles and Clothing : Medieval Finds from Excavations in London, c.1150-c.1450,
- Dress Accessories C.1150-C.1450 : Finds from Medieval Excavations in London,
- History of Costume: From the ancient mesopotamiens to the twentieth century,
- The Visual History of Costume,
- Gürtel des hohen und späten Mittelalters

Daily Life and utensils:
- Daily Life in Chaucer's England,
- The Merchant of Prato,
- The Medieval Household: Daily Living c. 1150-c. 1450. Medieval Finds from Excavations in London,
- The Medieval Horse and Its Equipment c. 1150-c. 1450. Medieval Finds from Excavations in London,
- Knives and Scabbards : Medieval Finds from Excavations in London,
- Pottery produced and traded in north-west Europe, 1350-1650,
- Pre-industriële gebruiksvoorwerpen, 1150-1800,
- Medieval Rural Life in the Luttrell Psalter,
- Stadtluft, Hirsebrei und Bettelmönch. Die Stadt um 1300

History:
- The Hundred Years War : Trial by Battle,
- The Hundred Years War : Trial by Fire,
- Medieval Mercenaries : The Great Companies,
- The Hundred Years War by Robin Neillands

Childrensbooks, but nice to get a general feeling:
- A knight and his Armor,
- A knight and his Weapons,
- A knight and his Horse,
- A knight in Battle,
- A knight and his Castle

Osprey books:
- Osprey: Crecy 1346, Triumph of the Longbow,
- Osprey: French Armies of the Hundred Years War,
- Osprey: The Armies of Crécy and Poitiers,
- Osprey: English Longbowman 1330-1515 (revised edition),
- Osprey: Italian Militiaman 1260-1392,
- Osprey: Italian Medieval Armies 1300-1500,
- Osprey: German Medieval Armies 1300-1500,
- Osprey: The Swiss at War 1300-1500,
- Osprey: Medieval European Armies,
- Osprey: Knight of Outremer 1187-1344,
- Osprey: Nicopolis 1396 The Last Crusade,
- Osprey: Armies of Medieval Burgundy 1364-1477,
- Osprey: English Medieval Knight 1400-1500,
- Osprey: Henry V and the conquest of France,
- Osprey: The Armies of Agincourt,
- Osprey: Agincourt 1415 Triumph agains the Odds,
- Osprey: Orleans 1429,
- Osprey: Medieval Siege Warfare,
- Osprey: Knights at Tournament,
- Osprey: Medieval Heraldry

Greets & many thanks,
Bertus

[ 06-25-2002: Message edited by: Herman ]

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Sounds like a great list. Trouble is, by the time you purchase all those books you could have almost had a car for the same money!

Sorry, but I have to come clean with you: I am not a real Aachener. Yes, it's true. I'm a fake! My wife and I are Americans living in Aachen. I sing opera (no kidding) and Renee is studying German and keeping the cat in line.

Would love to get together with your group someday and/or see your theme park. My reenactment friends in Germany are either both too early and too late for me (1250 and 1470).

Renee and I are flying back to the States for the Summer next week, but would love to hear about any Fall events you may have!

On the topic of leather things...

I've an appointment with the curator (or his assistant) at the Deutsches Ledermuseum in Offenbach this Friday to see the insides and rear sides of about a dozen wonderful 14th C. cases (Futterale und Minnekaestchen). They even granted me permission to use a tripod for my photos, making David a very happy camper indeed. Will be happy to share my results with any interested parties.

One more book to potentially add to your list:

Die mittelalterlichen Schuhe aus Schleswig, Ausgrabung Schild 1971-1975 by Christiane Schnack, Karl Wachholtz Verlag, Neumünster, 1992.

It's out of print, but is very much worth a look. It is extremely academic, has a huge bibliography, and includes several hundred line drawings (no photos) of the finds.

Best regards

Opera singer, wow . In Germany, even wower! (you being american).

I think the best time for you to visit the themepark would be in the last weekend of september. Then the annual LPLG event is being held in the themepark Archeon. LPLG stands for 'Landelijk Platform Levende Geschiedenis', which means 'National Platform Living History'. So it's a get together of all dutch re-enactment societies during this one fall-weekend. Not just medieval people, also romans, border-reevers, troops from napoleons time, western 'cowboys', etc. till world war II soldiers. My group is gonna be there too of course .

I'd be interested in those pics . Maybe if you could see a way of scanning some and mailing them? I'd be very happy .

Thanks for the book advice, i'll keep an eye open for it.

Happy flight to the US of A! I wish you good summer holidays!

Bertus

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That weekend sounds like a BLAST! Could you privately email me the details?

I'm afraid I have yet another book for you (this arrived in the mail today and is wonderful):

Stadtluft, Hirsebrei und Bettelmönch - Die Stadt um 1300, Theiss Verlag, 1992.

It is the 500 page catalog of a Baden-Württemburg and Nordostschweiz exhibition on city life in the 14th C., and is an impressive work. The tone is archeological and academic, but there are hundreds of color photos of pottery, shoes, burial sites, preserved building interiors, and of course contemporary iconographical sources. In other words, if you don't read German, there is still a wealth of information to be found in the photos and line drawing of the finds.

The price is a whopping 25 Euro including delivery in Germany, so WOO HOO!!

The Deutsches Ledermuseum in Offenbach made for a fun and exhausting afternoon. Took 6 rolls of film, all with a tripod and somewhat improvised exposures (crosses fingers). I'm going to have the photo lab burn the images onto a CD tomorrow, so more on that later. Was pleasantly surprised to find out that only about 40% of their Medieval pieces are on display. The curator opened a drawer filled with no fewer than a dozen Besteck Futterale (silverware cases) from the 14th - 16th centuries. Had to hold back the urge to take anything other than photos with me! Pity that their visitors are more interested in cowboy saddles and platform shoes than things medieval.

Take care and perhaps see you in September?

D

P.S. - just came across two photos of extant 14th C. toilet seats (p.370) of that book. Just what you should reenact for your theme park guests! Splinters...

Looks good. The price makes it even better of course, hehehe. I'll put it on the list!

Sounds like a cool museum. Just sad that the visitors don't have a sense of historical values, take an interest.

Yes, maybe we'll meet in September. I'll mail you about that weekend.

Bye for now!
Bertus

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