Books for those of you honorably defending the Queen's realm:

Orders of lay knights - the most famous of which are those of the Garter and the Golden Fleece, modelled directly or indirectly on the fictional society of the Round Table - were founded in almost every kingdom of Western Christendom; they functioned as a supplement to the feudo-vsssalic ties binding nobility and monarch, and as an institutional embodiment of the ideals of chivalry at the heart of court culture of the age.

The Order of the Knights Templar, whose original purpose was to protect pilgrims to the Holy Land, was first given its own Rule in 1129, formalising the exceptional combination of soldier and monk. Both monastic rule and military manual, the Rulepresented here derives from three extant medieval manuscripts, and is a translation of Henry de Curzon's French Rule of 1886.

'An important source for the history of the military orders'. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW

A history and typology of the European knightly sword. Oakeshott draws on his extensive research to trace its development from the knightly successors of the Viking weapon to the emergence of the Renaissance sword - c.1050 to c.1550 -using evidence from literature and art as well as from archaeology.

'A definitive study for anyone interested in the subject to have in their library.' CLASSIC ARMS AND MILITARIA

In this engaging and highly-illustrated volume, Dirk Meier brings to life the world of the medieval seaman, based on evidence from ship excavations and contemporary accounts of voyages. A vivid and highly-illustrated history of seafaring in the Middle Ages based on archaeological evidence and contemporary accounts.

Intelligent and able, William Dampier spent years as a pirate before sailing with the Royal Navy. This is his own account of his remarkable voyages and groundbreaking scientific observations.

This volume explores the role and characteristics of armed force at sea in western Europe and the Mediterranean prior to 1650. The examination of naval militias in the Baltic, permanent galley fleets in the Mediterranean, contract fleets and the use of reprisal for political ends all illustrate the variety and complexity of naval power and domination of the sea in theyears from 1000 to 1650. The detailed and closely coordinated studies by scholars from Europe, North America, and Australia show patterns in war at sea and discuss the influence of the development of ships, guns, and the language of public policy on maritime conflict.