THE KNIGHT AND THE BLAST FURNACE 7-9

This book tells the story from its invention in 14th-century Lombardy, which depended on the production of the necessary steel plates, until its eventual decline in the 17th century, principally because of developments in another area of military technology, the gun. The metallurgy of 600 armours has been analysed, and their probable effectiveness in battle has been assessed by means of mechanical tests.