This book is a first attempt to study the conduct and role of inland special operations in the age of chivalry. Since at present there are neither academic studies nor popular history books on this subject, it aims to fill both gaps, and to contribute to the scholarly research of medieval and Renaissance warfare while simultaneously presenting the subject in a lively way for a general readership.

The book is divided into two parts. The first chapter, an analytical overview of special operations in the period 1100–1550, has two main aims: first, to outline the dominant characteristics of special operations during the period, and to relate the subject to several central debates in the scholarship of medieval and Renaissance war; second, to introduce some of the peculiar realities of war in the age of chivalry to non-professional readers who are interested in special operations but have little prior knowledge of medieval and Renaissance military history. The second part, comprising chapters 2–7, presents a number of special operations conducted between 1098 and 1536. This part too is aimed at a non-professional readership, and consequently forgoes analysis in favour of narrative. For similar reasons, footnotes and the discussion of sources are kept to a minimum.