First comprehensive study of English artillery in the late Middle Ages, bringing out its full impact on areas beyond the military. One of the most important technological developments of the Middle Ages was the adoption of gunpowder weapons in medieval Europe. From the fourteenth century onwards, this new technology was to eventually transform the conduct ofwarfare beyond all recognition with important implications for European and global history. Guns came to be used in all aspects of military operations, with kings, nobles and burgesses all spending large sums of money on these prestigious weapons. The growing effectiveness of gunpowder artillery prompted major changes in the design of fortifications, the composition of armies, the management of logistics and administrative systems. This book is the first full-length study of the unique English experience of gunpowder weapons, tracing their development from their introduction in the reign of Edward III to the end of the fifteenth century. The rich records of the English Exchequer and urban accounts are used to explore their role in campaigns, in sieges, on the battlefield, at sea and their role in the defence of towns, royal castles and the fortifications of the Pale of Calais. It provides a comprehensive framework for the speed of technological advances and the factors responsible for these changes, as well as an in-depth discussion of individual gun types. DAN SPENCER obtained his PhD from the University of Southampton.

Highlights "the range and richness of scholarship on medieval warfare, military institutions, and cultures of conflict that characterize the field". History 95 (2010) Warfare on the periphery of Europe and across cultural boundaries is a particular focus of this volume. One article, on Castilian seapower, treats the melding of northern and southern naval traditions; another clarifies the military roles of the Ayyubid and Mamluk miners and stoneworkers in siege warfare; a third emphasizes cultural considerations in an Icelandic conflict; a fourth looks at how an Iberian prelate navigated the line between ecclesiastical and military responsibilities; and a fifth analyzes the different roles of early gunpowder weapons in Europe and China, linking technological history with the significance of human geography. Further contributions also consider technology, two dealing with fifteenth-century English artillery and the third with prefabricated mechanical artillery during the Crusades. Another theme of the volume is source criticism, with re-examinations of the sources for Owain Glyndwr's (possible) victory at Hyddgen in 1401, a (possible) Danish attack on England in 1128, and the role of non-milites in Salian warfare. Contributors: Nicolas Agrait, Tonio Andrade, David Bachrach, Oren Falk, Devin Fields, Michael S. Fulton, Thomas K. Heeboll-Holm, Rabei G. Khamisy, Michael Livingstone, Dan Spencer, L.J. Andrew Villalon

The Wars of the Roses is one of the most dramatic and fascinating periods in medieval history. Much has been written about the leading personalities, bitter dynastic rivalries, political intrigues, and the rapid change of fortune on the battlefields of England and Wales. However, there is one aspect that has been often overlooked, the role of castles in the conflict. Dan Spencer's original study traces their use from the outbreak of civil war in the reign of Henry VI in the 1450s to the triumph of Henry VII some thirty years later. Using a wide range of narrative, architectural, financial and administrative sources, he sheds new light on the place of castles within the conflict, demonstrating their importance as strategic and logistical centres, bases for marshalling troops, and as fortresses Dan Spencer's book provides a fascinating contribution to the literature on the Wars of the Roses and to the study of siege warfare in the Middle Ages.

The Wars of the Roses is one of the most dramatic and fascinating periods in medieval history. Much has been written about the leading personalities, bitter dynastic rivalries, political intrigues, and the rapid change of fortune on the battlefields of England and Wales. However, there is one aspect that has been often overlooked, the role of castles in the conflict. Dan Spencer's original study traces their use from the outbreak of civil war in the reign of Henry VI in the 1450s to the triumph of Henry VII some thirty years later. Using a wide range of narrative, architectural, financial and administrative sources, he sheds new light on the place of castles within the conflict, demonstrating their importance as strategic and logistical centres, bases for marshalling troops, and as fortresses Dan Spencer's book provides a fascinating contribution to the literature on the Wars of the Roses and to the study of siege warfare in the Middle Ages.

"I am a god in ruins." In a mix of fantasy, adventure, and humor, Dan Spencer's rollicking novel - the first in a series - introduces an eccentric hero on an epic journey through American history. His name is Vern Johnson. And he's immortal. He spends his life on the run. From the Pinkertons and the FBI. From the Shawnee and the Shakers. From wives and clergy and death and war. From the past to the present. To many, Vern appears to be an ordinary man. But he can survive lethal wounds, and he never ages. He is neither devil nor angel. At least he doesn't think so. He doesn't really know what he is. He just wants to be left alone.

A naked man survives a meteoric plunge from a cloudless sky, and a small-town TV reporter rushes to get the story. The fallen man claims amnesia and, despite widespread efforts, no one can identify him. The press dubs him Buddy What. When no clues surface about his identity and as details about the mystery man are examined, Internet devotees start worshipping him as a celestial being. With trepidation, he accepts the call to become a spiritual guru. But as Buddy What grows into a worldwide phenomenon, controversies follow. Be Now, Buddy What is a satire about fame, the news media, organized religion, the Internet, and people who let strangers into their homes.

San Francisco, 1967: It's autumn, and the Summer of Love is over. The hippies have fled to rural communes while a rash of bad drugs and runaways taints the Haight Ashbury neighborhood. Then comes the grisly murder of a drug dealer. A swift arrest and conviction follow. Few notice. Except for Evan Dunne. His brother's drug-related murder in the Haight comes as a shock. His brother didn't fit the mold of a dealer. He was a husband, a father, a straight arrow. The killer can't even recall the crime. Nothing adds up. Then Evan discovers his late brother's diary. The journal describes a grand conspiracy against the counter culture that might have precipitated the bizarre murder. With Haight Street decaying around him and the Vietnam War looming in his future and shadowy men seeking the diary, Evan risks his life to expose the alarming conspiracy. In this fast-paced historical thriller, Dan Spencer delves into the celebrated Summer of Love to show how the Sixties blurred the line between hallucination and reality.

Listen up, parents! Your children may not be telling you all the amazing things going on in their lives. Or maybe you're just not listening! But Michael Pritchard has listened. And this PBS series host and award-winning youth counselor has some wondrous stories about your kids that you need to read.

A tale of love, danger, and deception set during the Berlin Airlift.