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Życie średniowiecznego rycerza
Lśniące zbroje, turnieje, szlachetne ideały – czy tak wyglądało życie średniowiecznego rycerza?
Niedoścignione wzory czy okrutnicy zabijający dla pieniędzy? Kim naprawdę byli średniowieczni rycerze?
Niezwykle elitarna formacja, której jedynym zadaniem i obowiązkiem była walka. To oni, na polach bitew, decydowali o biegu średniowiecznej historii. Mimo że w czasie wojny nie mieli dla przeciwników litości, dla nas są symbolami cnoty i rycerskiego honoru. Ich wspaniałe czyny opiewają pieśni, a legendy opowiadają o ich odwadze i lojalności. Jacy byli naprawdę? Która wersja ich historii jest tą prawdziwą?
Czy na zwycięstwie w turnieju rycerskim można było zarobić? Jak miał się rycerski etos do prawdziwego życia? Czy rycerskie przygody były równie barwne jak te opisywane w eposach? Czy rycerze byli wierni damom swoich serc? I czy każdy z nich miał swój zamek?
Frances Gies, współautorka bestsellerowej serii o życiu w średniowieczu, tym razem zabiera nas w fascynującą podróż do wieków średnich, aby bliżej poznać życie rycerza – najbardziej kultowej postaci tej epoki. Przeprowadzi nas od historii pierwszych rycerzy, przez członków zakonów krzyżowych, aż po schyłek tej formacji.
Na pewno słyszałeś mnóstwo legend o rycerzach, ale czy znasz ich prawdziwą historię?
Niedoścignione wzory czy okrutnicy zabijający dla pieniędzy? Kim naprawdę byli średniowieczni rycerze?
Niezwykle elitarna formacja, której jedynym zadaniem i obowiązkiem była walka. To oni, na polach bitew, decydowali o biegu średniowiecznej historii. Mimo że w czasie wojny nie mieli dla przeciwników litości, dla nas są symbolami cnoty i rycerskiego honoru. Ich wspaniałe czyny opiewają pieśni, a legendy opowiadają o ich odwadze i lojalności. Jacy byli naprawdę? Która wersja ich historii jest tą prawdziwą?
Czy na zwycięstwie w turnieju rycerskim można było zarobić? Jak miał się rycerski etos do prawdziwego życia? Czy rycerskie przygody były równie barwne jak te opisywane w eposach? Czy rycerze byli wierni damom swoich serc? I czy każdy z nich miał swój zamek?
Frances Gies, współautorka bestsellerowej serii o życiu w średniowieczu, tym razem zabiera nas w fascynującą podróż do wieków średnich, aby bliżej poznać życie rycerza – najbardziej kultowej postaci tej epoki. Przeprowadzi nas od historii pierwszych rycerzy, przez członków zakonów krzyżowych, aż po schyłek tej formacji.
Na pewno słyszałeś mnóstwo legend o rycerzach, ale czy znasz ich prawdziwą historię?
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
70 people are currently reading
748 people want to read
About the author
Frances Gies
22 books70 followersFrances and and her husband Joseph Gies were historians and writers who collaborated on a number of books about the Middle Ages as well as wrote individual works.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
January 11, 2019
It's simply incredible how time can alter your perspective of something you remember fondly. Frances Gies book is not terrible in any respect, but I did find this time around that it was not nearly as incredible as I thought it was when I read it a decade ago. Part of that might simply have been the fact that I had recently finished T.H. White's The Once and Future King and the image of Knights and castles were bouncing around in my brain. Still, despite the newfound clarity, Gies's book is still significant and relevant to any medievalist historian, or history enthusiast period.
Gies book is a great foundational book, meaning that it is a good book to begin digging into the study of the Medieval period as well as the role and function of knights in society. Rather than simply hitting the "greatest hits" of the Knight's aesthetic, Gies tries to show how the military unit of the knight actually developed from the Roman infantry unit into the eventual landed gentry bearing heralds and jousting with other nobles at court. Gies shows her reader that the development of such a unit was not just a sudden appearance, but instead was a steady cultural, economic, and political development that was owed entirely to a number of societal changes.
The Knight in History follows the rise and ultimate fall of the Knight in society, and by the end of this book, the reader is sure to have observed the fascinating arc of this figure which has come to embody such a careful role in the zeitgeist. The knight is a figure which has inspired so much literature and art, and while Gies does not completely abandon this figure as purely a delusion, she instead tries to provide a caredul argument to remind her reader that for every story about a knight rescuing a damsel from a tall tower, there were at least four other knights who would have probably charged her family a ransom for her return.
Gies book is a great foundational book, meaning that it is a good book to begin digging into the study of the Medieval period as well as the role and function of knights in society. Rather than simply hitting the "greatest hits" of the Knight's aesthetic, Gies tries to show how the military unit of the knight actually developed from the Roman infantry unit into the eventual landed gentry bearing heralds and jousting with other nobles at court. Gies shows her reader that the development of such a unit was not just a sudden appearance, but instead was a steady cultural, economic, and political development that was owed entirely to a number of societal changes.
The Knight in History follows the rise and ultimate fall of the Knight in society, and by the end of this book, the reader is sure to have observed the fascinating arc of this figure which has come to embody such a careful role in the zeitgeist. The knight is a figure which has inspired so much literature and art, and while Gies does not completely abandon this figure as purely a delusion, she instead tries to provide a caredul argument to remind her reader that for every story about a knight rescuing a damsel from a tall tower, there were at least four other knights who would have probably charged her family a ransom for her return.
April 2, 2015
Interesting and entertaining account of knights throughout history.Chapters included the background,first knights,crusaders,fifteenth century knights and the decline.While I didn't much like the writing style I found it really detailed and well researched.
July 9, 2019
This book was great, even if it was a tad dull a couple of times. Gies shows the history of knighthood by showcasing real knights. I gleaned a lot. Great for gaining a picture of what knighthood really looked like.
Read
May 11, 2025I liked this book and learned a lot about troubadours and the Hundred Years War. It wasn't quite what I was looking for but I'm not sure what that was.
January 19, 2009
The Knight in History is a book I picked up at a library book sale. I’m glad I did. In general, Gies is an authority on the Middle Ages, so she knows her subject well. The book clocks in at just over 200 pages, but it’s jam packed with information, with chapters focusing on the beginnings of knighthood, the Crusades, troubadours and literature of knighthood (this particular chapter was a real treat), the Knights Templar, and the late Victorians (right up to the beginnings of the Boy Scouts). It’s a lot of ground to cover, but Gies handles it with ease. Some of the chapters focus on real-life examples of knights. One of these “lives” concerns Sir John Fastolf, who would later, through Shakespeare, morph into Sir John Falstaff. Fastolf, unlike Falstaff, was no coward. But there are seeds in Falstolf’s history, and England’s, that gave Shakespeare the beginnings of his character. Highly recommended.
September 8, 2025
Lisioł średniowiecznym rycerzem
.
Lisioł postanowił podnieść sobie poprzeczkę i zostać średniowiecznym rycerzem, ale takim z kopią, koniem oraz piękną damą serca. W tym celu sięgnął po książkę "Życie średniowiecznego rycerza" pióra Frances Gies. Szybko się Lisioł przekonał, że bycie rycerzem jest usiane problemami, a nie truskawkami. W dodatku trzeba się zdecydować na konkretny przedział czasowy! Dlatego Lisioł zdecydował się na kilka prób na chybił trafił. Jak to się skończyło?
.
Lisioł na początek rozejrzał się za turniejami. Wjechał na pierwszy z turniejów dumny jak paw i na dzień dobry Wilhelm Marszałek wyrwał go z siodła razem ze strzemionami. Lisioł zaliczył długi lot i przez dach wpadł do świątyni templariuszy…
.
Cóż, cienko Lisioł piszczał w szeregach templariuszy, przemieszczając się wszędzie w pełnym ekwipunku. W dodatku jakiś Starzec z Gór koszulę mu dał, czyste wariactwo! Dlatego Lisioł zakopał w piasku wzniosłe ideały obrony Ziemi Świętej i dał dyla z powrotem do Europy.
.
I dobrze zrobił! Wpadł akurat na czas rozkwitu miłości dworskiej. Lisioła nie trzeba było długo namawiać, by został trubadurem. Roztaczał wokół swoje nieziemskie wdzięki i uwodził lisice – oczywiście zamężne – piszcząc doniośle miłosne trele, aż go Bertrand Du Guesclin złapał za fraki, dał miecz do łapki i pociągnął za sobą w niekończące się szaleństwo podjazdów. To na rzecz Króla Francji, a to w Hiszpanii i jakimś cudem ciągle z tych wojen wracało się coraz biedniejszym. Czyste szaleństwo! Do tego pełna zbroja, podjazdy, nielegalne najazdy i zagrabione truskawki. Pełna rycerskość, a sam dowódca szpetny jak pusta butelka po sake!
.
Tak się Lisioł nalatał jako średniowieczny rycerz, że się odcisków dorobił pod ogonem i nie tylko! Siodło, potem siodło i zbroja, potem siodło, hełm i zbroja, potem siodło, kropierz, większy hełm i jeszcze większa zbroja. Ewolucja jest jednak nieubłagana, a nawet bolesna! Warto jednak zagłębić się w życie średniowiecznego rycerza i poznać ewolucje od człowieka do współczesnego wyobrażenia. Kim tak naprawdę był rycerz? Zanurzcie się w książkę i dajcie się porwać Wilhelmowi Marszałkowi, Bertrandowi Du Guesclin i wielu innym!
.
Lisioł postanowił podnieść sobie poprzeczkę i zostać średniowiecznym rycerzem, ale takim z kopią, koniem oraz piękną damą serca. W tym celu sięgnął po książkę "Życie średniowiecznego rycerza" pióra Frances Gies. Szybko się Lisioł przekonał, że bycie rycerzem jest usiane problemami, a nie truskawkami. W dodatku trzeba się zdecydować na konkretny przedział czasowy! Dlatego Lisioł zdecydował się na kilka prób na chybił trafił. Jak to się skończyło?
.
Lisioł na początek rozejrzał się za turniejami. Wjechał na pierwszy z turniejów dumny jak paw i na dzień dobry Wilhelm Marszałek wyrwał go z siodła razem ze strzemionami. Lisioł zaliczył długi lot i przez dach wpadł do świątyni templariuszy…
.
Cóż, cienko Lisioł piszczał w szeregach templariuszy, przemieszczając się wszędzie w pełnym ekwipunku. W dodatku jakiś Starzec z Gór koszulę mu dał, czyste wariactwo! Dlatego Lisioł zakopał w piasku wzniosłe ideały obrony Ziemi Świętej i dał dyla z powrotem do Europy.
.
I dobrze zrobił! Wpadł akurat na czas rozkwitu miłości dworskiej. Lisioła nie trzeba było długo namawiać, by został trubadurem. Roztaczał wokół swoje nieziemskie wdzięki i uwodził lisice – oczywiście zamężne – piszcząc doniośle miłosne trele, aż go Bertrand Du Guesclin złapał za fraki, dał miecz do łapki i pociągnął za sobą w niekończące się szaleństwo podjazdów. To na rzecz Króla Francji, a to w Hiszpanii i jakimś cudem ciągle z tych wojen wracało się coraz biedniejszym. Czyste szaleństwo! Do tego pełna zbroja, podjazdy, nielegalne najazdy i zagrabione truskawki. Pełna rycerskość, a sam dowódca szpetny jak pusta butelka po sake!
.
Tak się Lisioł nalatał jako średniowieczny rycerz, że się odcisków dorobił pod ogonem i nie tylko! Siodło, potem siodło i zbroja, potem siodło, hełm i zbroja, potem siodło, kropierz, większy hełm i jeszcze większa zbroja. Ewolucja jest jednak nieubłagana, a nawet bolesna! Warto jednak zagłębić się w życie średniowiecznego rycerza i poznać ewolucje od człowieka do współczesnego wyobrażenia. Kim tak naprawdę był rycerz? Zanurzcie się w książkę i dajcie się porwać Wilhelmowi Marszałkowi, Bertrandowi Du Guesclin i wielu innym!
December 17, 2019
This is a great introductory book about the role of the knight in English and French novels over the 1000s to the 1800s. It does a good job at grounding the knight in terms of what was socially expected of him, and places him in the economic context of the times: e.g. the troubadour was a manifestation of the relative wealth of that period.
We see the progression of the knight - from the economic prototype of "a free man, holding land, and owing feudal military service". Subsequently, Pope Gregory VII introduces the idea of religion into the knight, declaring that knights were "the vassals of St. Peter." This religious ideology in the twelfth century develops further into the thirteenth: the rise of troubadour and the itinerant knights, as well as the knightly code of honour. We also see that knights become part of the government bureaucracy.
The development of professional armies result in a change in expectation in knights - they are expected to be "loyal first to the king, next to his lord, and next to the captain" - i.e. subservient to the demands of the modern army. The knight's role is also affected by the development of gunpowder, which changes warfare, until he eventually ceases to play a part.
I liked the ending remarks, which close with a party held in 1839 by the earl of Eglinton, during Victorian England. A mock tournament is held; however, it starts raining and the pretend-knights put up their umbrellas. This becomes a derisive symbol.
This is a good introductory book if you're looking for breadth - it touches on the social and economic aspects of being a knight. There's not much depth; but that would make the book much longer.
We see the progression of the knight - from the economic prototype of "a free man, holding land, and owing feudal military service". Subsequently, Pope Gregory VII introduces the idea of religion into the knight, declaring that knights were "the vassals of St. Peter." This religious ideology in the twelfth century develops further into the thirteenth: the rise of troubadour and the itinerant knights, as well as the knightly code of honour. We also see that knights become part of the government bureaucracy.
The development of professional armies result in a change in expectation in knights - they are expected to be "loyal first to the king, next to his lord, and next to the captain" - i.e. subservient to the demands of the modern army. The knight's role is also affected by the development of gunpowder, which changes warfare, until he eventually ceases to play a part.
I liked the ending remarks, which close with a party held in 1839 by the earl of Eglinton, during Victorian England. A mock tournament is held; however, it starts raining and the pretend-knights put up their umbrellas. This becomes a derisive symbol.
This is a good introductory book if you're looking for breadth - it touches on the social and economic aspects of being a knight. There's not much depth; but that would make the book much longer.
February 9, 2022
Los caballeros no abundaban en la edad media. De hecho el estereotipo de caballero que nos enseñan de niños solo exisitó por 150 años, en solo 2 paises: Francia e Inglaterra.
Frances Gies trabaja despiadadamente para acabar con muchas ideas erroneas que tenemos sobre la institución del caballero, y vaya que no me había percatado de lo poco que sabía sobre esta clase de guerreros.
La autora comienza desde el inicio de la caballeria medieval - definitivamente NO son una evolucion de los equites romanos. Nos explica como una clase de proto-caballeros se fueron desarrollando totalmente de la mano con el sistema feudal de Carlomagno.
Y como la caballeria tal y como la conocemos fue un invento conveniente de la iglesia católica para motivar guerreros entrenados y con dinero a participar en las cruzadas.
El libro también hace mucho enfásis en las historias que se cuentan sobre caballeros - desde el Rey Arturo, hasta Ivanhoe,y como mucha de su fama fue producto de los cuentos y canciones que sobrevivieron hasta el presente. El caballero medieval autentico era muy diferente de como nos lo pintan.
¿Por que el caballero ha sido tan influyente en nuestra manera de pensar moderna?¿Por que solemos idolizar una clase de monjes guerreros peligrosos pero jurados a defender al debil?
Frances Gies hace un excelente trabajo respondiendo estas preguntas en este carismatico libro.
Frances Gies trabaja despiadadamente para acabar con muchas ideas erroneas que tenemos sobre la institución del caballero, y vaya que no me había percatado de lo poco que sabía sobre esta clase de guerreros.
La autora comienza desde el inicio de la caballeria medieval - definitivamente NO son una evolucion de los equites romanos. Nos explica como una clase de proto-caballeros se fueron desarrollando totalmente de la mano con el sistema feudal de Carlomagno.
Y como la caballeria tal y como la conocemos fue un invento conveniente de la iglesia católica para motivar guerreros entrenados y con dinero a participar en las cruzadas.
El libro también hace mucho enfásis en las historias que se cuentan sobre caballeros - desde el Rey Arturo, hasta Ivanhoe,y como mucha de su fama fue producto de los cuentos y canciones que sobrevivieron hasta el presente. El caballero medieval autentico era muy diferente de como nos lo pintan.
¿Por que el caballero ha sido tan influyente en nuestra manera de pensar moderna?¿Por que solemos idolizar una clase de monjes guerreros peligrosos pero jurados a defender al debil?
Frances Gies hace un excelente trabajo respondiendo estas preguntas en este carismatico libro.
July 1, 2019
I like all the books I've read by this author. I read them for research, but I also enjoy them. This book tells, in clear language, what knights really were in the different stages of the Middle Ages, from Crusaders to lovers to warriors to politicians. The history is woven through with how the knight was perceived by various classes of people, including the literary traditions. There are sections scattered in the history which focus on a particular area, the Templars and especially William Marshal being of particular interest to me.
This is a history, not fiction, so it could be called dry, but not by me. If you want a truthful overview of the knight, this is a book I'd highly recommend.
This is a history, not fiction, so it could be called dry, but not by me. If you want a truthful overview of the knight, this is a book I'd highly recommend.
December 8, 2022
Bought this book at Fanfare Books in Stratford, Ontario in September 2022. I found it to be an engaging survey of the development of knights over the centuries. Gies does well in covering both broad themes (e.g. Knights of the First Crusade, The Troubadours) as well as a few chapter length biographies of individual knights (including Bertrand Du Guesclin of France and Sir John Fastolf of England).
The most significant weakness to the book is the publisher's decision to print black and white illustrations. In some cases, these are clear. In many other cases, it is difficult to see the details.
The most significant weakness to the book is the publisher's decision to print black and white illustrations. In some cases, these are clear. In many other cases, it is difficult to see the details.
January 26, 2024
Overall an insightful read. Early history, fun! Templars, informative! I learned a lot! Lots of work with the highlighter!
However, the second half felt less like a book about the history of knights, and more of a very long rundown of the Hundred Years War that was too dense to really be engaging for someone reading casually but also too shallow to really offer anything lasting. At some point it just felt like Gies needed to hit a page count and decided to hit it with an extremely long and very dry summary of a textbook chapter. I probably would have had an easier time getting through the textbook.
However, the second half felt less like a book about the history of knights, and more of a very long rundown of the Hundred Years War that was too dense to really be engaging for someone reading casually but also too shallow to really offer anything lasting. At some point it just felt like Gies needed to hit a page count and decided to hit it with an extremely long and very dry summary of a textbook chapter. I probably would have had an easier time getting through the textbook.
May 10, 2024
3.5 stars. Gies did a very through job of research for this book and gave you a thoughtful and mostly realistic picture of the knight throughout history from Charlemagne to Don Quixote. However, the critical eye came out. I can see the author's cynical perspective of history, European culture, and Christianity. Most knights did not live up to the standard set forth in their ideals, however, for those who understand Christianity, our sinful nature holds us back and no one can achieve goodness without God's help. Only Christ lived the perfect life. Not all who claim Christ, know Christ. The fact that the ideal was set forth and strived for by the culture was unappreciated in this book.
October 10, 2025
Chyba najsłabsza część serii, którą czytałem do tej pory. Autorka zdecydowała się niestety odejść od formuły, która świetnie sprawdziła się w przypadku "Zamku", "Miasta" i "Wsi", czyli konwencji case study. W mojej opinii tekst stracił przez to swoją spójność i konkret, które były siłą poprzednich książek. Z kolei kiedy już przechodzi się do konkretnych przykładów biografii rycerzy (np. Williama Marshalla czy Bertranda Du Guescelina), opowieści stanowią dość suche zestawienie faktów z ich życia, bez głębszego rozwinięcia
Książka nie jest oczywiście do końca zła. Dla przykładu pierwsze rozdziały mogą stanowić fajne wprowadzenie do tematu. Koniec końców, jest to jednak spore rozczarowanie.
Książka nie jest oczywiście do końca zła. Dla przykładu pierwsze rozdziały mogą stanowić fajne wprowadzenie do tematu. Koniec końców, jest to jednak spore rozczarowanie.
June 22, 2021
I was more interested in the act of becoming a knight, in the same way as "Life in a medieval village":
I was hoping that Frances would talk generally about how one would become a knight and use examples from history to illustrate this point.
What I instead got was a overlook on how knighthood has evolved during it's existence. From the ancient roman times to the Crusades to Israel, to the founding of the knightly order, to the more nationalistic approach of serving a king and the eventual downfall.
An interesting read for sure!
I was hoping that Frances would talk generally about how one would become a knight and use examples from history to illustrate this point.
What I instead got was a overlook on how knighthood has evolved during it's existence. From the ancient roman times to the Crusades to Israel, to the founding of the knightly order, to the more nationalistic approach of serving a king and the eventual downfall.
An interesting read for sure!
December 28, 2020
Occasionally interesting but mostly dry, dull, and forgettable. Full of thrilling sentences like this one:
"Where in France many knights entered royal service and so became part of the bureaucracy that grew with the growth of royal power, in England the knight's participation in government came by way of their local administrative function."
Doesn't exactly bring Europe's horse lords to life.
"Where in France many knights entered royal service and so became part of the bureaucracy that grew with the growth of royal power, in England the knight's participation in government came by way of their local administrative function."
Doesn't exactly bring Europe's horse lords to life.
April 19, 2021
Good source for research, a great overview packed in a sleek 200 pages! 🤓
skimmed the military history bits but I loved how she explained the contrast between the different mythologies of knighthood: ladykiller lovers in troubadour poetry, epic heroes in Arthurian legend, ascetics in Templar tradition. And then she concludes, “let’s be real tho, they were violent killers who fought for booty......”
skimmed the military history bits but I loved how she explained the contrast between the different mythologies of knighthood: ladykiller lovers in troubadour poetry, epic heroes in Arthurian legend, ascetics in Templar tradition. And then she concludes, “let’s be real tho, they were violent killers who fought for booty......”
April 6, 2023
A clear, engaging history of the knight that cuts through the myths without losing any of the interest or excitement. Anyone looking for a glimpse into the reality of medieval Europe should read the Gies' books, and this solo work by Frances Gies is no exception. She does a wonderful job of using specific figures from history to illustrate wider trends and ideas, personalizing the history and making it accessible while still appreciating its often bizarre twists and turns.
February 14, 2018
Gies provides a great deal of valuable information in this book. Not a quick read but certainly a book that allows the reader to gain experience in the academic world that is historiography and the study of the middle ages as it pertains to knights. Given the amount of painstaking research that this book presents it is no wonder that many have used it in their academic studies.
January 2, 2020
Informative and very helpful for research.
Not much to say for reading it - some chapters were better written than others, but I think that had to do more with my interest, in the real examples of knights, versus the Knights Templar and their becoming a banking industry. All interesting, but perhaps not my focus.
Not much to say for reading it - some chapters were better written than others, but I think that had to do more with my interest, in the real examples of knights, versus the Knights Templar and their becoming a banking industry. All interesting, but perhaps not my focus.
November 17, 2020
The book does a great job of describing the origin and rise of the European feudal armored and mounted military retainer, aka knight. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I would've preferred more detail on why knights were the most successful warrior class in history, and more in depth info on weapons. It's primarily sociological but easy to read for a layman such as myself.
March 4, 2024
Well written, this book tells the story of Knights in an interesting manner. Despite the lengthy academic bibliography (40% of the pages in the book), the book is written as a story, not just a list of facts. I’m currently travelling in France where many of the knights lived and fought. So it’s been particularly interesting to me.
April 29, 2025
Frances does a marvelous job of describing the role of the knight during different time periods in Europe. They weren't all good men of the Round Table type. It was very interesting to see how the knight changed through history. Three knights are studied in detail: William Marshal, Bertrand du Guesclin, and Sir John Fostolf. A great resource if you are writing about knights in your story.
April 25, 2024
This book gives a good synopsis on Knights in history. The parts on the history and how the Knights function in warfare were really good however the chapters about individual figures from history were not as interesting.
3.5/5
3.5/5
January 29, 2018
Having read this excellent and very approachable book, I've now decided to switch careers and become a medieval knight. If only my back-brace holds out.
June 11, 2019
3.5 stars
Decent history, good overview. Would like to see what the current research looks like (this book originally being published in 1984). Overall a good introduction to the knight.
Decent history, good overview. Would like to see what the current research looks like (this book originally being published in 1984). Overall a good introduction to the knight.
June 18, 2020
Expels a few of the fictional beliefs about knights.
October 11, 2024
Great myth-busting, that nevertheless pays hommage to the legend of the Round Table, and lays out clearly the rise and remnants of chivalry.
August 8, 2022
Another fascinating book by medievalist Frances Gies. Normally, Gies writes with her husband, Joseph, but this book is hers alone. There were times when I found the book a bit slow, but I attribute that to my not being as interested in this topic than in the Gies' books on daily life. However, it's not a long book, and the inclusion of pictures helps break up the monotony of text.
Gies begins the book by telling readers what the medieval knight is and what it is not, consequently both playing into and dismantling modern notions of knighthood. After this, the books is really broken down into a few distinct sections: the Crusades, romantic depiction with troubadours, William Marshal, the Templars. There are more chapters than this, but these are the main points. Additionally, Gies spends some time on the logistics of knighthood, how much it cost to maintain the title, the ebb and flow of its population, and who could become a knight. Overall, it's super interesting stuff. I just don't find military history to be the most interesting topic, personally.
Gies indicates she is going to review the different evolutions of knighthood through the lens of various famous knights in history. This is my favorite part of Gies' books because the inclusion of real people helps ground the history for me and contextualize it. However, Gies didn't really do that here. There were three people that really stood out: William Marshal, Robert du Guesclin, and Sir John Fastolf. Unfortunately, they didn't make an appearance until the latter half of the book, and I think this is why I struggled with this book. There are a lot of dates and battles and city names to remember that, eventually, it all gets muddled.
If military history is your thing, then you will love this book. Medievalists will also really enjoy this. I'm still glad I read this, even if it didn't grip me as much as other books by the Gies.
Gies begins the book by telling readers what the medieval knight is and what it is not, consequently both playing into and dismantling modern notions of knighthood. After this, the books is really broken down into a few distinct sections: the Crusades, romantic depiction with troubadours, William Marshal, the Templars. There are more chapters than this, but these are the main points. Additionally, Gies spends some time on the logistics of knighthood, how much it cost to maintain the title, the ebb and flow of its population, and who could become a knight. Overall, it's super interesting stuff. I just don't find military history to be the most interesting topic, personally.
Gies indicates she is going to review the different evolutions of knighthood through the lens of various famous knights in history. This is my favorite part of Gies' books because the inclusion of real people helps ground the history for me and contextualize it. However, Gies didn't really do that here. There were three people that really stood out: William Marshal, Robert du Guesclin, and Sir John Fastolf. Unfortunately, they didn't make an appearance until the latter half of the book, and I think this is why I struggled with this book. There are a lot of dates and battles and city names to remember that, eventually, it all gets muddled.
If military history is your thing, then you will love this book. Medievalists will also really enjoy this. I'm still glad I read this, even if it didn't grip me as much as other books by the Gies.
September 6, 2013
JUN 3, 2013
The Knight in History Reflection
Most every little boy knows the legend of Arthur. Fathers (or uncles, or grandpas) pass on the code of chivalry, or at least some modernized, stripped down form of the ancient gentleman's code. In America, where never a knight did stride, knighthood is little more than a romanticized dalliance with fantasy and history that pervades our cultural literature, both genre and otherwise. Heck, even our ideal future is governed by (Jedi) Knights. But how often do we stop to ask, what is it to be chivalrous? Why did chivalry need to be codified? And who were these men that needed to be kept under control with such a strict code? The answers lie in Frances Gies' readable, fact-filled, and terrific exploration of the essence of knighthood, The Knight in History.
Now, with a last name like mine, fascination with the ancient martial art of knighting is inescapable. At least, I hope. I haven't polled my brothers, but I've always been a bit fixated with those fantastic iron-clad men who made it their business to defend a king, protect a lady, and halt the robbery and raping of the peasantry. Little did I know, back then, that it was most likely my ancestors, who were doing all of those things.
Gies' book doesn't shy from the brutal facts. Knights, dissociated from our modern assumption of their relation to Roman equines, or horsed soldiers, arose not as an order but as a ragtag bunch of brigands whose principal use was in their vassal service to lords in post-Roman, pre-feudal Europe. Lacking any concept of chivalry, the knight, or cniht, was the middle class of the times, living often among peasants (though in better lodgings) and possessing expensive armor, horse, and training, but whose revenue and status in society was distinctly lower than that of what qualified as upper class.
I was fascinated to read about the knight's bizarre annual schedule. For someone who grew up a knight, if in name only, I had never given two thoughts to what a knight-errant does in his or her (there were historic she-knights! Brienne of Tarth is vindicated) spare time. The answer is, first, there weren't really knight-errands until much later, post-crusades, but more to the point, they do a lot. Gies is fluid in her explanation of vassal service and expectations; the feudal system, so often reduced to dingy castle and rapist barons, was surprisingly nuanced. I'm not so certain it's a better alternative to democracy, but after reading through the first portion of the book, I have a newfound respect for those feudal lords. They held knights to rotating service lasting roughly forty days, to occasional exchanges of mounted escort, and to court duties, including to just doting, but actually advising on policy and law. Knights often served as the jury at court. Such civil duties evolved with the development of the papal recognition of knights, and Gies takes a long, dry, but fundamental look into the effect the crusades had on feudal Europe, but more importantly on the newly-emerging social caste of knighthood, and the intense solidarity among their fraternity.
As it turns out, the Knights Templar were essential in the establishment of a chivalric code. Gies does an excellent job of conveying the emerging identity of the knight-errant through these turbulent years, often returning to Europe just long enough to remind us that there were yet no true nation states, and that every new advancement of hte military orders of the brother-knights appeared, by contrast to the feudal gangland a they represented, several hundred years more advanced in behavior and politics.
With the end of the crusades, though, comes a whole new chapter for the knightly class. What follows, in the absence of a demand for armored warriors, and in the wake of the development of standing armies, is pretty awesome. But I'll leave that to Gies, and instead recommend that you pick the book up if you're a history buff or fantasy fan. With the prevalence of chivalrous romance and iconography in our culture, it's a shame we don't learn more about such things in school, or in culture.
Gies can help, though. Her book is short, but packed with readily accessible details that will broaden and deepen your appreciation for the best medieval fantasies and many of the classics of western canon. And maybe, just maybe, you'll have hold the door open for a pretty lady, you filthy barbarian.
February 12, 2024
I got this book for Christmas because I love history and especially knights. I absolutely loved reading this book, I’ve never read a book that fast actually. I learned SO MANY things
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