The Golden Spurs of Kortrijk: How the Knights of France Fell to the Foot Soldiers of Flanders in 1302 / Edition 1

by Randall Fegley

Overview

The Franco-Flemish region of medieval Flanders was a locus of important trade routes in the 13th and 14th centuries. Located in a prime position between the Holy Roman Empire and the North Sea (present-day northern Belgium), the urban centers of the region were surpassed in population only by the city-states of central and northern Italy. This positioning afforded the Flemish citizens of the region great prosperity and they formed guilds to protect their rights, regulate their working hours and standardize their wages. These guilds produced a cohesive unit of people eager to retain the rights they had gained.

In 1302, French cavalry faced the determined Flemish soldiers on foot at Kortrijk (Courtrai). This book analyzes the battle that ensued, its origins, consequences and legacy. It also examines the everyday lives of the inhabitants of Flanders; urban dwellers, knights, nobles, women and others. This is the first major English-language study of the historic 14th century battle between the French and the Flemish, a conflict whose repercussions linger in modern Belgium.

Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786413102
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	04/03/2002
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	252
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Randall Fegley, Ph.D., is an associate professor of history and politics at Pennsylvania State University’s Penn State Berks College in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
A Note on Language
List of Maps
Introduction
Chapter 1—Metropolis in the North
Chapter 2—The Overlords
Chapter 3—The Deadly Politics of Medieval Flanders
Chapter 4—The Matins
Chapter 5—The Battle
Chapter 6—The Aftermath
Chapter 7—The Legacy
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

informative...valuable reading”—Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies; “worthwhile”—The NYMAS Review.

From the Publisher

"worthwhile"

The NYMAS Review

In the year 1302, a Flemish army composed of commoners on foot defeated a force of French knights on horseback and proceeded to nail the knights' golden spurs to the walls of their church, marking the emergence of infantries as an integral part of modern warfare. Fegley (academic affairs, Pennsylvania State U.) examines the origins of the battle and the battle itself, focusing on the how the development and politics of the craft guilds provided the motivation and organization for the commoners to defeat the French. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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