The Franks

· Grub Street Publishers
Ebook
216
Pages
Eligible
Ratings and reviews aren’t verified  Learn More

About this ebook

How a relatively small group of Germans came to be overlords of all of the former Roman province of Gaul—giving their name to France in the process.
 
Simon MacDowall studies the Frankish way of warfare and assesses its effectiveness, from their earliest incursions into the Empire, down to the Battle of Casilinum (554), their last battle against Romans, The size and composition of their armies, their weapons (including the characteristic Francisca axe), equipment, and tactics are discussed.
 
In this tumultuous period, the Franks had a complex relationship with the Romans, being by turns invaders, recruits to the legions, and independent allies. Accordingly, this book also covers the Franks’ role in defending the Rhine frontier against subsequent invasions by the Vandals, Alans, Suebi, and the Huns. Their success in defending their new homeland against all comers allowed them, under the leadership of the Merovingian dynasty of Clovis, to establish the Frankish kingdom as one of the most enduring of the “barbarian” successors to the power of Rome.
 

About the author

Simon MacDowall was born in England but from the age of 10 grew up in Canada. He joined the Canadian army, was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Dragoons and saw active service with the UN in Honduras and Nicuragua and with NATO in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo. In 1994 he was the UN spokesman in Sarajevo. He later worked for NATO as a civilian before joining the UK civil service, where he was the Communications Director for several departments, including the Ministry of Defence and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. In his spare time he is a keen wargamer and military historian, with eight previous books to his name, including two previous volumes in this series: The Vandals and The Goths.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.