"...the Law of War, in common with the rest of International Law, has been disentangled from theology, ethics, the legislation of Justinian, the precepts of the canonists, and feudalism..." -Thomas Erskine Holland, Introduction, Tractatus De Bello, De Represaliis et De Duello (1917) Tractatus De Bello, De Represaliis et De Duello (1917) by Giovanni da Legnano was originally published in Latin in AD 1360. This edition in English and Latin was originally translated by J. L. Brierly and edited by Thomas Erskine Holland. The text is thought to be one of the earliest to outline international law with a specific focus on war. Also included in this volume is a biography of Legnano written by Holland, a collotype of the Bologna manuscript, and a reproduction of the first (imperfect) edition of the work. Any reader with an interest in the basis for international law will want to explore this book in depth.

Craig Taylor examines French debates on the martial ideals of chivalry and knighthood during the Hundred Years War.

This is the first large-scale study of conduct in warfare and the nature of chivalry in the Anglo-Norman period. The extent to which the knighthood consciously sought to limit the extent of fatalities among its members is explored through a study of notions of a 'brotherhood in arms', the actualities of combat and the effectiveness of armour, the treatment of prisoners, and the workings of ransom. Were there 'laws of war' in operation in the eleventh and twelfth centuries and, if so, were they binding? How far did notions of honour affect knights' actions in war itself? Conduct in war against an opposing suzerain such as the Capetian king is contrasted to behaviour in situations of rebellion and of civil war. An overall context is provided by an examination of the behaviour in war of the Scots and the mercenary routiers, both accused of perpetrating 'atrocities'.

In Jus Post Bellum, Jens Iverson provides for the first time the Just War foundations of the concept, reveals the function of jus post bellum, and integrates the law that governs the transition from armed conflict to peace.

‘Communication’ has become one of the most vibrant areas of current research on medieval and early modern Europe, almost paralleling the heightened popularity of conflict study since the 1980s. However, the nature of this concept seems to be ambiguous and has been defined with multiple nuances. Needless to say, communication in the Middle Ages was usually accomplished by personal presence, contact, and interaction, including conflict and its settlement. In this sense, the process of communication often comprised symbolic and ritual action. In response to concerns about the study of political communication, it should be emphasised that communication may confirm and spread certain fundamental ideas, social values and norms, bringing about certain patterns of behaviour and mentality that can be shared by members of the political body and community. The authors of these essays discuss the characteristics of political communication in medieval and early modern Europe by highlighting two aspects: ‘ritual and symbolic communication’, and ‘conflict, feuds and communication’.