This is a comprehensive social and military history of siege warfare and its development and affects throughout Medieval times. It deals in detail with the various 'ages' of Siege warfare and eleoquently demonstrates that sieges and counter sieges were the predominant form of warfare which shaped the social, military and political landscape in Europe and the Middle East for almost a millenia in the period from 450 CE to 1565 CE. The pages are crammed with historical detail and the work finishes with two fascinating chapters on the Weapons of Siege Warfare and the Conventions and Laws of Siege Warfare. A real must for those interested in the serious study of military and social history in Medieval times when sieges affected almost all aspects of daily life for those from peasants and soldiers to princes and popes.