John France works on the history of warfare and crusading. His work has been funded by the British Academy, the Leverhulme Trust, and the Lawrence of Arabia Trust. He has undertaken field work in Italy, France, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon. He is author of numerous books including Perilous Glory: The Rise of Western Military Power (2011); The Crusades and the Expansion of Catholic Christendom 1000–1714 (2005); Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades 1000–1300 (1999); Victory in the East: A Military History of the First Crusade (1994).

As with so much of his work, France is keen to demonstrate how closely the armies of this era reflect – in their composition, competence, objectives, etc. – the societies from which they were raised. He also comments on the impact of crusading upon French monarchical warfare, observing strikingly that it had very little effect. Overall, this is a fascinating and very readable book which demonstrates a very strong command of the primary sources for this era.

• IntroductionChapter 1. Technology and WarfareChapter 2. The Emergence of FranceChapter 3. French Monarchical Power in ContextChapter 4. Warfare in France to 1066Chapter 5. A Clash of Dynasties, 1066–1180Chapter 6. Philip II and the Rise of FranceChapter 7. The Expansion of FranceChapter 8. St. Louis and the Apogee of French PowerChapter 9. The Problems of PowerChapter 10. Perspectives on the Army of the Kings of FranceBibliographyAppendix: A Note on SourcesIndex