The Italian Wars 1494-1559: War, State and Society in Early Modern Europe

by Christine Shaw, Michael Mallett

Overview

The Italian Wars 1494–1559 outlines the major impact that these wars had, not just on the history of Italy, but on the history of Europe as a whole. It provides the first detailed account of the entire course of the wars, covering all the campaigns and placing the military conflicts in their political, diplomatic, social and economic contexts.

Throughout the book, new developments in military tactics, the composition of armies, the balance between infantry and cavalry, and the use of firearms are described and analysed. How Italians of all sectors of society reacted to the wars and the inevitable political and social change that they brought about is also examined, offering a view of the wars from a variety of perspectives.

Fully updated and containing a range of maps as well as a brand-new chapter on propaganda and images of war, this second edition of The Italian Wars 1494–1559 is essential reading for all students of Renaissance and military history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138739048
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/06/2018
Series:	Modern Wars In Perspective
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	424
Sales rank:	923,445
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Christine Shaw is Associate Member of the Faculty of History at the University of Oxford. She has published extensively on the political and military society of Renaissance Italy and her previous books include Julius II: The Warrior Pope (1993), Italy and the European Powers: The Impact of War (as editor, 2006) and Barons and Castellans: The Military Nobility of Renaissance Italy (2015).

The late Michael Mallett was Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Warwick and a distinguished historian of fifteenth- and sixteenth century Italy. His books included Mercenaries and their Masters: Warfare in Renaissance Italy (1974), and (with J.R.Hale) The Military Organization of a Renaissance State: Venice c.1400 to 1617 (1984).

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. The genesis of the wars and the first French expedition; 2. Milan and Naples overwhelmed, 1496-1503; 3. The conflict widens; 4. New orders struggling to be born, 1512-1519; 5. The contest for supremacy in Italy, 1520-1529; 6. Testing the boundaries, 1529-47; 7. The French challenge, 1547-1559; 8. The transformation of war; 9. The resources of war; 10. Propaganda and images of war; 11. The legacies of the wars; Index

Editorial Reviews

"This revised edition of the 2012 collaboration between Dr. Shaw (Oxford) and the late Prof. Mallett (Warwick) is a masterful overview of the protracted conflict between France and Spain for control of Italy that came to involve virtually every major European power, including the Ottoman Empire, with everyone demonstrating a remarkable flexibility in their loyalties and alliances. In a clear, highly readable account, the authors managed to integrate in an almost seamless fashion complex matters of dynastic ambition, personalities, diplomatic interactions, strategic maneuvering, war finance, and military operations, including some good battle pieces."
NYMAS Review

From the Publisher