All About History

All About History is the stunningly realised new magazine from the makers of How It Works and All About Space. Featuring beautiful illustrations, photos and graphics depicting everything from ancient civilisations to the Cold War, All About History is accessible and entertaining to all and makes history fun for the whole family.

Welcome

Everything You Need to Know About Knights

Evolution of the knight • A knight was the ultimate Medieval warrior, the sharpest weapon a lord could thrust at his foes and one of the most highly distinguished men in the king’s court

THE EVOLUTION OF ARMOUR • What exactly makes the infamous armour that has been attributed to the knight throughout history

MORE THAN A SWORD • Did the knight’s weapon of choice make them what they were, or was the sword just an accessory?

THE CODE OF CHIVALRY

How to train as a knight • Becoming an elite cavalry warrior took more than a decade of training

Medieval arms and armour • Knights were respected and capable of delivering death with an array of devastating weapons

The weaponry revolution • Technology has always found advancement in the crucible of war, and the Hundred Years’ War would see the birth of a revolution in early modern weaponry

THE BRITISH LONGBOW • King Henry’s fearsome archers were nothing without their expertly crafted weapons

ARROWHEADS OF THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD • Take a closer look at Medieval arrowheads and find out how each was made and used

William the Conqueror • Discover how incredible battlefield courage and brutal treatment of his enemies led the bastard of Normandy to become king of England

CONTENDERS FOR THE THRONE

SIX WAYS WILLIAM CHANGED EUROPE

INSIDE A NORMAN CASTLE • The castles William introduced were designed to be impenetrable

Warwick the Kingmaker • During an era crowded with dynamic personalities, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, stood out as one of England’s most influential figures

ANARCHY AT ST ALBANS • The Second Battle of St Albans saw Warwick completely outfoxed

Richard the Lionheart • Born to royalty but educated in the charnel gutter of war, King Richard brought the religious fanaticism of the Christian West to the Muslim East in a quest to claim the fabled Holy Land

CRUSADERS • TROOPS 20,000

Battle of Arsuf • A major battle in the Third Crusade, Arsuf saw Richard and Saladin face off

MUSLIMS • TROOPS 25,000

LIONHEART’S CRUSADE • The Third Crusade faced challenges even before reaching the Holy Land

Anatomy of a Templar knight • The key kit and weapons carried by the most elite of Christian warriors

Know thy enemy: Saladin • The main features and kit of the most respected Muslim warrior of all

WHY WAS JERUSALEM SO SOUGHT AFTER?

William Wallace • Braveheart’s Scottish rebellion against the English and their repressive king Edward I had its finest hour in a bloody battle on the outskirts of Stirling

WEAPONS USED TO INFLICT DEATH AND DESTRUCTION

A NATION DIVIDED • A selection of Scotland’s most important clans

English • TROOPS 13,000

Scottish • TROOPS 8,000

Timeline • Scotland’s long journey to Stirling Bridge

Essential Wallace figures

Edward the Black Prince • Known to history as ‘The Black Prince’, the eldest son of Edward III was a renowned military commander with a reputation for chivalry, as well as a penchant for mass destruction and calculated violence

THE GARTER • The Prince of Wales helped to found one of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious honours

The Battle of Najera • On 3 April 1367, the Prince of Wales used the famous English longbowmen to win a brilliant victory...