War and Society in Renaissance Europe 1450-1620 (Volume 1) (War and European Society Series)

By J.R. Hale

Book Overview

Covering the years between the end of the Hundred Years War and the beginning of the Thirty Years War, War and Society in Renaissance Europe explains the part war played in the lives of individuals in early modern Europe. Beginning with a survey of conflicts and an analysis of the "military reformation" in the ways in which wars were fought, it goes on to investigate the problems of recruitment in an age when those taking part in wars formed a society of their own. The book concludes with a study of the impact of war on civilians and the more pervasive but indirect impact of war-induced shifts in the economy, the incidence of taxation, and the nature of government.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0773517650
• ISBN13: 9780773517653
• Release Date: March 1998
• Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.7" x 1.0" x 5.0"

Customer Reviews

Good survey of critical period in early modern history

War and Society attempts to explore the extent to which warfare affected social conventions and vice versa. The author explores a multitide of avenues: weaponry, politics, technological innovation, army composition, state finances, and impact on civilians. His conclusions are somewhat surprising at times, as he does not conclude that war had as great an impact on society as many believe. In fact, society had the greater impact on the conduct of warfare than strictly military factors. A good amount of detail is provided on recruitment, both of leaders and soldiers, mercenaries, early modern taxation, and effects of warfare on the formation of governments (or lack thereof). The weakness is that it is a very difficult book to read, with lots of words that will send you to the dictionary and sentences that last eight lines or so with 3 semicolons, 1 colon, and 7 commas. Despite that, if you are interested in getting a somewhat different view and style about the military-social relationships in early modern Europe, this is a good choice.