Flemish townspeople defeat the cream of French nobility, and explode the myth of knightly invincibility for ever. Discussion of bias in sources and difficulties of interpretation preface careful account of what actually happened during the three-hour battle. On 11 July 1302, below the town walls of Courtrai, the most splendid army of knights in Christendom, the flower of the French nobility, was utterly defeated by Flemish rebels, common workers and peasants. The French knights, products of a lifetime's training, were ably led; but so too were the Courtrai townspeople, in addition to being well-armed, and their victory, despite their lack of military skills (and golden spurs), put an end to the enduring myth of the invincibility of the knight. A French explanation of the terrible defeat was immediately given, intended to save the honour and pride of the French nobility; in Flanders the victory was glorified as a just reward for the bravery of the townsmen and the competence of their commanders. Unfortunately there were no impartial witnesses. Any account of the battle must therefore pay careful attention to the personalities of the chroniclers, their nationality, and their political and social leanings, as well as their personal sympathies. Verbruggen's study is prefaced by discussion of the problems of reconstruction and extensive consideration of the sources, showing the difficultiesfaced by medieval military historians in attempts to interpret them. He then offers his own account of the events of that dramatic day, a case study in the reconstruction of events in one of the greatest battles of the middle ages.J.F. VERBRUGGEN lectured at the Royal Military School in Brussels, and then taught in Africa, retiring as Professor of History, University of Congo, and University of Bujumbura (Burundi). He is also the author of The Art ofWarfare in Western Europe. Originally published in Dutch in 1954, translated and updated.

This is a very enlightening book that breaks new ground for those who wish to stretch their spiritual wings based on real life spiritual experiences. This book describes the real life, learning and experiences of those who are born on this earth. Part I is "The Journey." It describes the stages of spiritual, psychological, faith and challenges we all go through from childhood to old age. Real life stories from the author's life are used to illustrate how we grow closer to God. At times this book is gritty showing real pain and anguish of certain people that we all know life can be. Part II is "The Learning." This part goes way beyond religious doctrine. Here topics such as suffering, real life roadblocks to spirituality, the worlds major religions and how close they really to each other. At their core, science and God show an amazing unity between them. We find that the reality that we perceive is not actually there. Again real life current scientific information is used and real life stories are used to bring life to the concepts. Part III is "The Hope." Here is described the hope of mankind through prayer and the different paths to God. It also tells of real life passing away stories. It centers on the people who survive their loved one's now in Heaven. It also describes real life mystical events that happen to those who are left behind. The book starts with souls before they are born and completes the human experience cycle with souls back home in Heaven and how they communicate to their loved ones still on earth. Throughout the book the emphasis is on real life stories with all its pain and joys using actual scientific information recently discovered to bring light to the human experience.