So this is my review of the new (for me, it just arrived) Medieval Warfare Magazine issue.

(In the interests of full disclosure, I have contacted them about writing an article, however that is in the future, and I am not affiliated with this magazine in any other way).

Overall I really liked the magazine. I enjoy the news section, as well as the articles and the scholarly way the theme is covered. While I would prefer if the magazine used footnotes, I am well aware how annoying that could be for non-scholarly readers, and how much more room that would require.

Though I am not an expert on early medieval history/warfare, I feel like that article on the Catalan company was far too glowing. It simply seemed to be trying to show how 'awesome' they were, and I felt that a more balanced treatment, perhaps with some of their military failings.

Another issue I had with it was in the Scottish swords section. They were listing weights and they listed two one-handers as being .6 and .72kg. To me this sounds way too lite, but I have not seen the weapons in question so maybe I am wrong.

Typos: In the section on the Varangian Guard, they mixed up Harold Sigurdson with Harold Hardrada. Harold Sigurdson was never a member of the Varangian guard.

Overall these are some really minor complaints (one of which is surely a typo) with what was a very impressive level of scholarship for a magazine. I really enjoyed it and hope that others will subscribe as well.

Regarding the Scottish swords, some surviving antiques will have lost a substantial amount of their mass from corrosion or other ravages of time. Thus the weights given for the Scottish swords may be accurate for the surviving weapons, based upon the state they are in. You can see a similar example of this with the Higgins Museum Late Viking Sword: http://www.myArmoury.com/feature_higgins_vik.html

Mr Curl,
You mentioned that the magazine mixed up Harold Sigurdson and Harold Hardrada. Actually they are one and the same. Harold Sigurdson was his given name and Hardrada meaning "hard ruler" was added later after he became the Norwegian King.

To Timothy W.

You are correct, I was thinking of Godwinson, my mistake.

Also, for those who do not know, the magazine is primarily focused on medieval mercenaries. I really enjoyed most of the articles, but I am not sure anyone wants a point by point review.

Great magazine! Read some awesome stuff! Also the article about the Catalan Company. I never heard of them before. To bad the mercenarys of the low countys and the flemish wernt discriped. They were also very high praized those days.

A shame that the magazine only comes out every two months.