Another great book just published is Tournaments: Chivalry and Pageants in the Middle Ages by Richard Barber and Juliet Barker, from Weidenfeld and Nicolson Publishing 841 Broadway New York, N.Y. 10003-4793 ($29.95) 225 pages.

This books big oversize format is what first caught my eye. It covers virtually all aspects of tournaments and tournament life. From origins and development, to specialized armor, to spiritual (church) condemnation, to the problems and public disorder caused by tournaments and jousts. This book is also full of many, many color and black and white illustrations. There are also numerous photographs of armor, period woodblocks, and engraving prints--a great many I have not seen in other books.

The text is a good and descriptive read, full of interesting biographical accounts. It is the only book I have sen devoted exclusively to the subject and does an excellent job illuminating an important facet of medieval life.