The Art of War in Italy 1494-1529

First published in 1921, this book examines the changes in styles of warfare between the medieval period and the Renaissance. Frederick Lewis Taylor links the transformations in intellectual and cultural life in this period with contemporary military innovations. His discussion focuses on the Italian wars between Spain, France and the Netherlands between 1494 and 1529, both because the aggression of competing states in a small area led to frequent wars, and because the influence of the Renaissance was strongest in its birthplace, the Italian peninsula. Taylor traces the stages in the development in all aspects of military operations, and also investigates the development of a theoretical study of war. His work remains one of the most complete reviews in English of the Italian wars of this period, and explains the origins of the style of warfare which would dominate Europe in the following centuries.