"Medieval Armies and Weapons in Western Europe" by Jean-Denis G. G. Lepage

[13 Spider Bloody Chain]

Has anyone read this book yet? And if so, is it legitimate (as in, historically accurate)?

I just got it and so far, it looks pretty good- no references to chainmail, scale mail, etc. Plus they have some wonderful illustrations on just about every army including the Byzantines and early Germainic tribesmen.

 

[Ezias]

I'll have to look into that book -- seems like it'd be pretty good.

 

[13 Spider Bloody Chain]

Bump + critique:

Well, I'm not sure what to think about this book. It states things like a regular, 1 handed sword can cleave right through helmets and deep into the shoulder, and it has some incorrect terms (the one that comes to mind is "chain mail"), but it's also accurate by saying that plate-armored knights were practically invulnerable to missles,  along with the general background information for the time periods.

Hmm...

 

[Ezias]

I'd guess that it'd have to be an extremely sharp, high quality sword with an extremely inferior, even rusty helm for it to cleave that deeply -- with a very, very strong arm and positioning. Even then I don't know how well it'd get through the skull, i imagine not well at all.

 

[Archonsod]

You just need something heavy to get through the skull. It's possible to shatter it with a trip in the bathtub, and that's not even trying.

 

[13 Spider Bloody Chain]

You just need something heavy to get through the skull. It's possible to shatter it with a trip in the bathtub, and that's not even trying.

But through a helmet?

 

[Ezias]

theres a difference between shattering and cleaving though -- you want to smash someones skull use a mace or sldgehammer, not a sword.

 

[Invisinerd]

I'd guess that it'd have to be an extremely sharp, high quality sword with an extremely inferior, even rusty helm for it to cleave that deeply -- with a very, very strong arm and positioning. Even then I don't know how well it'd get through the skull, i imagine not well at all.

Well... a good helmet is really only so much protection when a hardy man who's been training since childhood bashes you in the head with a sword. Even if the sword doesn't penetrate the helmet, you're definitely going to feel it. One reason why helmets where so effective at saving lives was, I expect, that it was very difficult, in a heavy, close quarters combat situation, for someone to get "very strong... positioning".