About gunpowder weapons in western Europe from their origins to about AD 1600, and how their development affected, and were affected by, trends in general military and political history.

If a good book is one that provokes thought, this is a good one. I'm not in a position to critique his treatment of the technical aspects of early guns and gunpowder (apparently it took upwards of 200 years to arrive at the optimal blackpowder composition), but when it comes to more general history Hall makes many claims I would regard as debatable. For a random example, noting the proportional decline in cavalry in the 16C, he describes this as a trend towards "modern" conditions. It is of course true that present-day armies have a proportion of cavalry more like that of 1600 than that of 1500, but he fails to remark that cavalry proportions rose again in the 17C. Cavalry proportions have oscillated many times in European history, and Hall doesn't present an argument that the 16C decline in particular was related to cavalry's present eclipse, nor explain why if so 17C armies reverted to more "medieval" proportions.

I was, accordingly, repeatedly frustrated when reading the book, but it's a relatively productive sort of frustration, prompting examination of just why one didn't agree with the author.

Hall's book is an invaluable and rare analysis of the role of gunpowder in transforming warfare from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Somewhat academic and dry in spots, it nevertheless contains a wealth of information and is a rewarding read. ( )