Deception in Medieval Warfare: Trickery and Cunning in the Central Middle Ages

Medieval warfare was not won by strength alone. Feigned retreats, ambushes, disguise, misinformation and surprise all had a place on campaign, and James Titterton asks how such tactics were used and, just as importantly, how medieval writers judged them.

Chronicle accounts provide much of the evidence, allowing Titterton to examine the language of cunning as well as the actions themselves. That moral dimension matters: deception could be admired as clever strategy or condemned as dishonourable trickery depending on the circumstances and the writer. A substantial catalogue of recorded examples supports the discussion, making the book both an analytical study of military culture and a useful guide to deception in medieval war.