William Caferro, the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt professor of history at Vanderbilt University, is the author of Mercenary Companies and the Decline of Siena and Contesting the Renaissance and the coauthor of The Spinelli of Florence: Fortunes of a Renaissance Merchant Family.

• List of Figures and MapsPrefaceHawkwood ChronologyIntroduction1. John Hawkwood in PerspectivePart I2. Essex Lad, King's Soldier, and Member of the White Company, 1323–13633. Italy and the Profession of ArmsPart II4. The Fox and the Lion5. John Hawkwood of Pisa and Milan, 1365–13726. In the Service of God and Mammon, 1372–1375Part III7. John Hawkwood and the War of Eight Saints, 1375–13778. Love and Diplomacy, 1377–13799. At Home in the Romagna, 1379–138110. Neapolitan Soldier and Tuscan Lord, 1381–1384Part IV11. The Deal with the Devil, the Birth of a Son, and a Victory at Castagnaro, 1385–138712. At the Center of the Storm13. The War against Milan, 1390–139214. Two Weddings, a Funeral, and a Disputed Legacy, 1392–1394–1412ConclusionAppendixesNotesReferencesIndex

This is much more than a biography in the ordinary sense of the word... An excellent contribution to our understanding of both the mercenary phenomenon and the history of Italy in the late fourteenth century. Speculum Engaging book... Caferro has made sense of the life of a mercenary captain, who during his career influenced diplomacy, altered finances, and changed lives in fourteenth-century Italy. -- Duane Osheim Renaissance Quarterly A model of clear writing and an authoritative treatment of the military and political situation in Italy from the 1360s. -- John E. Law History It is... so well written and provides such a gripping account of John Hawkwood and his milieu that it will surely gain a wide audience among general readers as well. -- David S. Bachrach Historian The depth of Caferro's archival research has established him as Hawkwood's preeminent biographer. -- Dane Swango Comitatus Meets a real need... well researched and clearly presented, an important work for everyone interested in fourteenth-century Italy and medieval war. -- John Larner English Historical Review Superb biography... Sterling piece of work. -- Niccolo Capponi Journal of Military History A useful read for anyone interested in Renaissance Italy, the evolution of the practice of war, and even the interrelationship of art and society. NYMAS Review