Jason Kingsley & Ghost

“Reading old books and looking at manuscript illustrations is great but what is it like to actually wear armour, use a lance from the back of a charging warhorse or stand in a shield wall? We aim to find out by trying.”

Jason Kingsley OBE

Episode 5 The Knight Part 1
  • The Knight
    Episode 1 4 Parts
  • The Knight
    Festive Special 1 Part
  • The Knight
    Episode 2 4 Parts
  • The Knight
    Episode 3 4 Parts
  • The Knight
    Episode 4 4 Parts
  • The Knight
    Episode 5 4 Parts
  • The Knight
    Episode 6 4 Parts
  • The Knight
    Episode 7 4 Parts
  • The Knight
    Episode 8 4 Parts

The Knight
Episode 5
Part 1

Where can you draw the line between a tool and a weapon? This is our introduction to the arsenal of the knight in melee combat. The archetypal knight wears shining armour and wields a sword but in reality he would have had access to a wide range of weaponry far more suitable for fighting opponents in full steel harness. How were these weapons used and what damage could they do?

Modern History is a series that aims to investigate the reality of the past. We’re familiar with re-enactments of history in film and television but often those recreations are dramatized and designed for entertainment and spectacle. Jason aims to investigate how accurate those portrayals may be, by trying them out for himself and looking at them from a modern perspective. Perhaps by drawing parallels between the past and our modern lives, we can better understand what life might have been like for our ancestors.