Michael Mallett's classic study of warfare in Renaissance Italy remains relevant today, just as it was when it was first published. The clear narrative of the age of the condottieri - the mercenary captains of fortune - and the soldiers who fought under their leadership is set against the broader context of Italian society of that era and the warring city-states that hired them. A fascinating picture emerges of the mercenaries, their commanders, and their campaigns, as well as how warfare was organized and conducted in the world of the Renaissance.

The book focuses on the 15th century, a turbulent and unstable period during which standing armies were formed in Italy and more modern types of military organization prevailed in Europe. However, it also looks back to the Middle Ages and the 14th century, as well as forward to the Italian Wars of the 16th century, when foreign armies challenged the European balance of power on Italian soil.

Michael Mallett's pioneering study, which includes extensive academic research on this neglected and often misunderstood subject, is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the history of warfare in the late medieval period and the Renaissance.