The Age of Tamerlane (Men-at-Arms Series)

Rating:
Summary: An interesting study of Medieval Warfare
Review: An enjoyable book which covers a little-known subject. It is mainly a study of the Timurid rulers who controlled an area which today comprises of Afghanistan and Central Asia.. These rulers were continually at war with their neighbours who like them were the heirs of the earlier Mongol Empire founded by Genghis Khan. I found it interesting because of its insight of the personality of Timur (Tamerlane) who was on the one hand a cruel despot and on the other a clever ruler. The text itself is full of information on the Timurid armies and those of their enemies, the Turcomans and Uzbeks. The colour plates are particulrly beautiful as they show warriors in armour inspired both by the Islamic and Chinese traditions. Of particular interest are drawings of Timurid horsemen and their mounts in intricate lamellar armour.Most of these are inspired from miniatures drawn from various sources such as Persian and Ottoman Turkey.Timur's Empire stood between the The Islamic world and the Chinese Empire and therefore was inspired by both in the area of warfare and equipment.

Rating:
Summary: another worthwhile Osprey title
Review: I've been reading reviews of Osprey titles and nodding my head in agreement. Basically, Osprey's readers want the quality of a 30 dollar title in a twelve dollar title. I think the answer may be found in the larger trade paperbacks Osprey is now printing. That being said, there is still good introductory information in the Men-at-Arms series. Off my soapbox now...This volume deals with the Timurid state that thrived and wilted in Aisa from the late 14th to late 15th centuries. Basically a combination of Mongol cavalry and Turkic infantry, Chinese siege techniques and...medieval War elephants! with good discipline and a penchant for plunder. They faced Byzantines, Mamluks, Ottoman Turks, Armenians, Georgians, Mongols, etc. Dr. Nicolle once again tackles an obscure subject, relying on archeological and textual support for his theses. As he admits in this book and others, there's still a lot open to interpretation. He even questions some of Angus McBride's illustrations. Osprey titles are a good starting point to do deeper research. My nitpicking: photos are often too small to see what Dr. Nicolle is trying to demonstrate, and the time period covered is great ( less so in this title than in others ).The reader is referred to the title dealing with the Ottoman empire from 1300 to 1774 for information on the Timurids' main enemy. Highpoints: Angus McBride's paintings, the illustration of Turco-Mongol bows and their usage. Too bad there is no war elephant plate...