‘…the volume succeeds admirably in presenting an alternative to the somewhat caricatured ‘noble savages’ view of medieval Welsh military forces, and in doing so makes a major contribution to the subject.’ History
‘…the volume succeeds admirably in presenting an alternative to the somewhat caricatured ‘noble savages’ view of medieval Welsh military forces, and in doing so makes a major contribution to the subject.’ History
‘Sean Davies has produced a well-crafted and thoroughly researched book. He has brought together in one place a wealth of information demonstrating that Welsh military organization was more cohesive than has previously been appreciated.’ The Monmouthshire Antiquary
Dominant perceptions of warfare in medieval Wales still rely on Gerald of Wales’s description of a unique country in which ‘not only the leaders but the entire nation are trained for war’. In Welsh Military Institutions, Sean Davies offers a new approach to the military history of Wales, arguing that, in fact, military developments in Wales prior to the conquest of Gwynedd in 1283 generally corresponded with those seen in the rest of western Europe.
Welsh Military Institutions is the first book to attempt a serious study of medieval Welsh military organization, strategy, tactics and conduct in war. It looks at warfare in Wales in terms of organization through the institutions of the military household (teulu) and the extended levy (llu), as well as the conduct of those forces in the field. This ground-breaking reassessment of Welsh society and military conduct questions many traditional assumptions regarding the relationship of ‘fringe’ cultures to dominant civilizations, particularly the relationship of Wales to other areas of post-Roman Europe.
Sean Davies completed his Ph.D. at Cardiff University and currently works as an editor in the Sports Department at BBC Wales.