Knights at Tournament

Description

Like all warrior classes throughout history medieval knights engaged in military games, partly in preparation for war and partly for pure sport. From their often brutal origins in the 10th century to the gaudy pageantry and eventual decline of the 15th and 16th centuries, tournaments were the centre of the knightly life. The image of the armoured and surcoated knight on his caparisoned charger remains the epitome of the chivalric ideal. Christopher Gravett explores the history of the tournament from its chaotic beginnings to its more formal, 'civilised' incarnation, describing the various 'events' and equipment which came into use.

Sam Katz was born in 1963, and joined the Israeli Defence Forces in 1981. He served in a dual capacity in the HEYL HAYAM during the conflict in Lebanon in 1982, his particular assignments allowing him to gather first-hand impressions of two different major aspects of IDF operations. He is the co-author of several books on the IDF and related Middle Eastern topics. His particular interest lies in the development of IDF elite and counter-terrorist units. He is married and lives in New York. RONALD VOLSTAD was born in 1949 in Alberta, Canada, where he still lives and works. Like several of Osprey's leading military illustrators he had no formal art training, though he did work in a TV company's art department - before spending 15 years operating heavy machinery in the oil industry. His first illustrations were published in 1970; since then he has become widely known for his work in Squadron and Osprey publications and for Dragon Models.