AllMovie

The history of warfare is brought to life in this five-part series from the History Channel. Experts from the Royal Armories in London share their knowledge on the construction and use of the weapons that were used in battle from ancient times in Rome, Greece, and Northern Europe, through the development of modern warfare. This episode examines the development of the use of mail and plate armor in battle. Knights in armor are one of the most romantic images in history. But there was nothing romantic about being inside a suit of armor, as this program shows, with reenactments and stories from military scholars. The sheer weight and cumbersome nature offset the advantage of protection that armor provided, ultimately leading to the obsolescence of this colorful device in the history of warfare.