Category Archives: Primary Sources

Boncompagno da Signa, The History of the Siege of Ancona (1173)

Boncompagno da Signa (1168?-1240?) was an important Italian scholar who wrote several treatises and other works as he moved around between cities such as Ancona, Bologna and Venice.  His account of the siege of Ancona, which he wrote around 1201, … Continue reading

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Jumi’u’t-Tawarikh, The Conquest of Aleppo and the surrender of Damascus in 1259-1260

The conquest of Baghdad was not the end of the Mongol invasion of the Middle East.  The following section relates Hulagu’s invasion of modern-day Syria, where he captured the city of Aleppo and gained the surrender of Damascus. Hulagu Khan … Continue reading

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Chronicle of James the Conqueror, Siege of Burriana (1233)

James I, King of Aragon (1208-76), king of Aragón and count of Barcelona (1213-76), was nicknamed the Conquerer because of his many wars and conquests, which included the capture of the Balearic Islands (1229-35) and Valencia (1238) form the Moors, … Continue reading

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Chronicle of Ahimaaz, The Arab invasions of Southern Italy

The Chronicle of Ahimaaz is an epic genealogical work composed in Southern Italy in 1054 by Ahimaaz ben Paltiel.  Although it  intended merely to glorify his own immediate ancestors, this work gives much important information in regard to the history … Continue reading

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Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum, Battle of Stiklastaðir (1030) and Campaign of King Magnus Barelegs against the British Isles (1102-3)

Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum wrote his account of the history of the Norwegian kings around 1190.  Along with Theodoricus Monachus’ Historia de Antiquitate Regum Norwagiensium and the anonymous Historia Norvegiae, this work represents one of the earliest surving accounts of the history of Norway and … Continue reading

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Chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet, Battle of Agincourt, 1415

This account of the famous battle of Agincourt comes from Enguerrand de Monstrelet (d.1453), governor of Cambrai and supporter of the French crown. CHAPTER CXLIII – THE KING OF FRANCE COLLECTS A GREAT BODY OF MEN-AT-ARMS FROM ALL PARTS OF … Continue reading

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George Akropolites, Warfare in 13th century Byzantium

The History of George Akropolites is one of main sources for the Byzantine world in the 13th century.  George Akropolites (c.1217-1282) was an important civil servant of the Byzantine emperors of Nicaea, and was involved in many of the important political … Continue reading

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New facsimile of Royal Armouries I.33 for the Jubilee!

Those of you who attended the Kalamazoo Conference no doubt were drooling over the leaflet in the registration packet advertising the facsimiles of Royal Armories MS I.33 fight book.  They are producing only 750 copies of this, in three different … Continue reading

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