Books : "Armour of the English knight, 1400-1450"

Reviews "Armour of the English knight, 1400-1450," by Tobias Capwell (Thomas Del Mar Ltd, 2015). In this substantial and richly illustrated book, Capwell overturns the time-honored notion that English medieval armor was considerably less desirable than, and probably much inferior to, the works that could be obtained from the Continent. With singular dedication and devastating effect, the author champions instead the view that English knights were superior, feared, and envied throughout Europe, and that their armor was just as good, if not better, than foreign work. Since very little actual armor from the period has survived, Capwell's ambitious rehabilitation of English armor chiefly rests on his extensive survey and minute examination of English military funeral effigies. [Revised Publication Abstract]