Research
MethodsWorks Cited
Infantry
Introduction
Infantry CommandsPike
PosturesAnalysis
Conclusions
Equipment
At its heart, the School of the Renaissance Soldier (SRS) is a research organization. Our investigations are guided by our desire to represent Renaissance and early post-Renaissance military topics, including culture, strategies, weapons postures, drill methods, command structure, and camp life in a historically accurate manner. This quest to achieve the most representational depiction of period topics is central to the mission of the SRS. For us, active and ongoing research into our expressed areas of interest is the only way to realistically achieve this objective.
As discussed more completely in its own section under About Us, most researchers
and staff members of the SRS would classify themselves as historical hobbyists
or historical reenactors
.
We gain a more complete understanding of the topics
we study through experiencing their execution first hand. This is not to imply
that the content of these pages will not be of interest to a wider audience. We
fully anticipate that amateur historians, intelligent souls wishing to expand
their horizons, or even war gamers and modelers will find much to interest them
here, and even be able to contribute to the discussion. However, let there be
no confusion regarding our motivation. Our primary reason for wanting to understanding how something was done historically, is so we can go out and do it!
As reenactors we have witnessed, first-hand, the consequences that supposition, misconception, and casual research have had upon our community. The SRS endeavors to replace these imprecise sources of inspiration with a different approach: one based on a comprehensive review of many information sources. While we are not foolish enough to suggest that any amount of research, no matter how vigorous, can guarantee that historical topics have been captured, understood, and represented with one hundred percent authenticity, we do assert that an analysis based on a multi-source review can begin to form the framework of a more complete understanding of the historical topics we represent. Understanding, in turn, can lead to a much more faithful portrayal.
SRS researchers, therefore, are always on the search for modern day
scholarship and contemporary source materials which further our understanding
of period military topics. Although there are a few notable present day works
which give good coverage to our era, such as the seminal work by C.G.
Cruickshank, Elizabeth's Army (unfortunately now long out of print and
difficult to locate), very little good information is available to the modern reader.
Although books from the popular and affordable Men-at-Arms
series published
by Osprey Publishing are often an interesting read and nicely illustrated, they
generally provide only cursory coverage of the material they present, and should not be
considered authoritative historical documentation for serious researchers.
Recently, some excellent overview works have appeared (Weapons & Warfare in Renaissance Europe by Bert S. Hall, and The Renaissance at War by Thomas Arnold are two examples). Although frequently well written and useful, these seldom cover the level of detail required by reenactors in the field.
For our purposes, therefore, the SRS has found that the very best source of information can only be attained through the review of original texts published during the period. Fortunately, many instructional manuals were published in the early 17th century which provide thorough (if sometimes inconsistent) coverage of exactly the type of information we seek.
Awareness of these texts and access to their contents forms one of the principle pillars upon which SRS research is based. In this area, the SRS owes a debt of gratitude to the tireless efforts of Research Associate D. Matthew Kelty. Matthew has spent countless hours scouring document archives identifying and cataloging the most promising texts and sharing his findings with his fellows on the SRS research staff.
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