Publisher's description:
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire there was a decline in 'professional' cavalry forces, and infantry dominated in the Germanic successor 'barbarian' kingdoms. In the Carolingian and Norman periods from the 9th to the 11th centuries, the cavalry arm gradually expanded from the small remaining aristocratic elite. Even so, the supposedly complete dominance of the 'knight' in the 12th and 13th centuries is grossly exaggerated, as integrated cavalry and infantry tactics were nearly always the key to success. This is a two-part treatment of medieval tactics. Throughout the period there was a steady evolution of training in both individual and unit skills, of armour and weapons, and thus of tactics on the battlefield. This book covers Hastings in 1066 to Legnano in 1176. It also details the two key set piece battles of Bouvines in 1214 and Pelagonia in 1259, the former an example of abject failure of cavalry tactics and the latter a stunning success.

From the back cover:
This book explains the varied developments in early medieval European battle tactics, which were far from being the undisciplined chaos that is popularly imagined. It traces the decline of cavalry as a battle-winning weapon in the 'barbarian' kingdoms that replaced the western Roman Empire, and its survival in the mixed armies of the Byzantine Empire. It then follows the revival of cavalry and mounted infantry under the Carolingians in the 9th-10th centuries, when they were threatened by seaborne and mounted invaders, up to the development of the armoured Norman knight. The author explains how other military traditions, from the Eurasian steppes and the Islamic world, influenced European tactics, and emphasizes the importance of balanced forces of horse and foot in almost every instance. His text is illustrated with rare sculptural and manuscript evidence, explanatory battle-plans of important clashes, and full-colour tactical scenarios that bring the battles to life.

Contents:
page 4 INTRODUCTION
5 THE LATE ROMAN BACKGROUND
The 4th to mid 5th centuries - The Notitia Dignitatum - The aftermath of collapse in the West
10 THE AGE OF MIGRATIONS
Cavalry in the later 5th to 7th centuries: Romano-Byzantine armies - The steppe peoples - Germanic armies - Post-Roman Britain - Fighting on horseback
lnfantry in the later 5th to 9th centuries: Romano-Byzantine manuals - Wagons as field fortifications - Styles of combat - the shield - The crossbow enigma
24 EARLY MEDIEVAL CAVALRY & INFANTRY
The 7th to early 10th centuries: Horse-harness and armour - Motivation and tactics - Equipment - archery
33 CAVALRY & CASTLES
The mid 10th to 11th centuries: Carolingian and ottonian armies - Italy - Eastern and Central Europe - Northern Europe - The Iberian peninsula - Normans and French - The crossbow
42 THE SUPPOSED DOMINANCE OF CAVALRY
The 12th to mid 13th centuries: The Franco-Norman heartland - The border regions
Cavalry/infantry combinations: Light and heavy infantry - Italian militias - Archery - Anglo-Norman armies - Northern and Eastern Europe - The celtic fringes
55 WARFARE AGAINST EXTERNAL ENEMIES
The Iberian peninsula - Crusader armies
62 BIBLIOGRAPHY
64 INDEX