Barbarians, Marauders, and Infidels

The best thing about this book is the way the author is able to tell a story in an entertaining and easy to read manner. While the book is lacking in depth and completeness of the topic, it makes up for it with vignettes that keep the text from getting stale. For a history book, it was a fun read. Better as an intro book or light historical reading than as a scholarly text. I'll probably pick up his other books when I get the chance.

Barbarians, Marauders, and Infidels: The Wasy of Medieval Warfare is an excellent novel about the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and the chaos that it created. From the Germanic trips surging across the Rhine to the Muslim Armies that stormed out of Arabia to conquer the entire Middle East, this novel is a must for anybody who has a thirst for knowldge about what happened when Rome fell.

Santosuo has given us a wonderfully researched history of medieval warfare. The book covers from the Barbarian tribes of the 6th century to the Mongol and Turk empires of the 15th century. Most of the major military engagements are covered along with the notable leaders of the respective periods. I found the general discussions of the political and military situations very interesting. But I got bogged down in the details concerning the make up of various armies. This work is a highly detailed account of tactics, formations and arms and equipment. Anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of medieval warfare will enjoy this book.

In Barbarians, Marauders, And Infidels: The Ways Of Medieval Warfare, historian Antonio Santosuosso (Professor Emeritus of History, University of Western Ontario, Canada) draws upon his many years of research and expertise to provide readers with an inherently fascinating survey of medieval warfare ranging from the fifth through the fifteenth century. More than just a catalog of conflicts, Professor Santosuosso examines the changes and the motivations of these conflicts with respect to their political, cultural, and social contexts. Of special interest is the understanding of medieval warfare as a means of carrying out religious imperatives, securing wealth, and enhancing personal reputations. This wonderfully written history expands beyond Europe to careful consider Muslim warfare from a Muslim perspective before the advent of the Crusades. Of seminal value to academia, Barbarians, Marauders, And Infidels is also very highly recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in Medieval History.