Fresh insights into the development of the tournament as an opportunity for social display.

This book is a historical study of the tournament, the iconic medieval spectacle of knights jousting in combat. It covers the origins, development, and decline of the tournament, and offers insights into the social and cultural history of the Middle Ages. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

"First published hardback 1989"--T.p. verso.

Explores the medieval institution of the tournament, from its origins as a form of training for knights to its development as an aristocratic spectacle.

Based on close reading of original sources, Fallows (Spanish, U. of Georgia) offers a detailed reconstruction of the history and practice of jousting, detailing techniques and injuries, styles of fighting, and all the parts of the arms and armor used, with frequent citing of original descriptions. As is typical for this publisher, the volume is beautifully produced, printed on good stock and well-illustrated with color and b&w plates. Notable is the inclusion of three 15th- and 16th-century jousting manuals, presented in full in side-by-side English and Spanish translation. A glossary and bibliography are provided. The Boydell Press is an imprint of Boydell & Brewer. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

DIVA superb history of English and European tournaments. Topics include Arthurian and other round tables, body armor, chain mail, plate armor, royal jousts, the tilt, trial by combat, much more. 24 illustrations. Bibliography. Index. /div

The spectacle of the wounded body figured prominently in the Middle Ages, from images of Christ’s wounds on the cross, to the ripped and torn bodies of tortured saints who miraculously heal through divine intervention, to graphic accounts of battlefield and tournament wounds—evidence of which survives in the archaeological record—and literary episodes of fatal (or not so fatal) wounds. This volume offers a comprehensive look at the complexity of wounding and wound repair in medieval literature and culture, bringing together essays from a wide range of sources and disciplines including arms and armaments, military history, medical history, literature, art history, hagiography, and archaeology across medieval and early modern Europe. Contributors are Stephen Atkinson, Debby Banham, Albrecht Classen, Joshua Easterling, Charlene M. Eska, Carmel Ferragud, M.R. Geldof, Elina Gertsman, Barbara A. Goodman, Máire Johnson, Rachel E. Kellett, Ilana Krug, Virginia Langum, Michael Livingston, Iain A. MacInnes, Timothy May, Vibeke Olson, Salvador Ryan, William Sayers, Patricia Skinner, Alicia Spencer-Hall, Wendy J. Turner, Christine Voth, and Robert C. Woosnam-Savage.