Renaissance Military Memoirs: War, History and Identity, 1450-1600 (Warfare in History) Book

The book analyzes autobiographical writings of Renaissance soldiers, comparing them with similar texts from the Middle Ages and the twentieth century. The book not only outlines the characteristics of this literary genre, but also examines how Renaissance military memoirs reflect Renaissance social, political and historical consciousness, and Renaissance conceptions of war, selfhood, and identity. From this examination emerges a vivid picture of military life in the Renaissance, as well as of the men and the worldview that fueled Renaissance wars. The book elucidates the attitude of Renaissance soldiers both towards great historical movements such as the rise of the modern state, and towards such issues as comradeship, women, honor, violence, and death. The comparison with twentieth-century military memoirs is utilized in order to highlight how Renaissance soldiers differed from their twentieth-century successors in their understanding of war and of human experience.