Medieval Mercenaries: The Great Companies

Rating:
Summary: Great reading on a topic that gets little attention
Review: This book does an excellent job of detailing the history of the great mercenary bands that roamed Europe selling their swords to the highest bidder. It covers such famous mercs as Sir John Hawkwood, who fought numerous wars in Italy under the nom de guerre Giovanni Acuto and who receives a name check in Machiavelli's the Prince. The author also examines the effects of these companies, and how the mercenaries' influence gradually lessened with the advent of nationalism and levee en masse.