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.

We at Boydell & Brewer are excited to finally be a part of the Renspace.com network! As a scholarly book publisher specializing in books on Medieval and Renaissance history and culture, we are eager to share our wealth of knowledge about this fascinating era with a group of people that are just as passionate about it as we are.

The Renaissance fair season is already well underway -- and Boydell & Brewer might have just the thing to help you get into character. Check out these titles:

The dictionary contains some 3,400 terms as headwords, ranging from the legal and ecclesiastic to the more prosaic words of daily life. In addition to definition, etymologies of many words are given, in the belief that knowing the origin and evolution of a word gives a better understanding. There are also examples of medieval terms and phrases still in use today.

An edition of Caxton's delightful Book of Curtesye, originally "printed at Westminster about 1477-8 A.D." As well as the usual instructions on good manners and behaviour [Lose not your gyrdel / sittyng at your mete - Don't undo your girdle at the table], this guide includes a charming and clearly heartfelt section advising which poets should be read, with Chaucer, Lydgate, Gower and Occleve being judged the finest and most important.