Baptiste, Nicolas P. Armes et Armures. Volume 2: XIIIe - XVIe siècle

This complete work, comprising two volumes, presents arms and armour from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. The first volume deals with the period from the 6th to the 12th century; the second volume then covers the periods from the 13th to the 16th century. These two volumes are the result of an intensive collaboration between the author and the "Heimdal" publishing house, in which certain theories on the material culture of arms and armour have been renewed and the archaeological and historical research of recent years has been put to the best possible use.

The book also benefits from the high-quality photographs taken during the study of arms and armour and/or collaboration with institutions that preserve them, some of which illustrate rarely published objects. With the expertise of colleagues, the author has compiled the results from recent research activities. The work is thus also the reflection of a collaboration between historians and researchers on the subject of medieval and early modern arms and armour. In addition to photographs of the weapons and armour, the book also contains drawings and sketches as well as actual photographs of re-enactment groups dressed in historically accurate clothing. The work of the craftsmen involved in the production of the weapons and armour is also explained in the light of the latest findings, which also include research results from experimental archaeology. Many of the working methods and techniques of the blacksmiths and platers of that time still puzzle us today.