Germanic Warrior 236-568 AD

Book excerpt: The 3rd to 6th centuries AD saw the collapse of the classical Mediterranean civilisation and the emergence of new states in Western Europe based on the Germanic warrior society. This book focuses particularly on the men that made up the retinues of the Germanic warlords who carved kingdoms out of the carcass of the West Roman Empire. Although sources for this early period are scarce, Simon MacDowall manages to construct a convincing picture of the Germanic warrior. Using evidence from Roman historians, German archaeology and Anglo-Saxon poetry, MacDowall examines first the warriors' society and hierarchy before dealing with their training, equipment, appearance, tactics and style of fighting.