Leverhulme Emeritus Fellowships assist senior, established researchers in completing projects that have already begun and prepare the results for publication. 

Professor France is a world expert on medieval warfare and the history of the crusades; he is currently working on a study entitled “Perilous Glory: Understanding the History of Western Warfare.”  

The book is a history of the Western way of war. It attempts to understand the military development of Europe in the context of world military history from early Mesopotamia to the invasion of Iraq.

With the funding awarded by the Leverhulme Trust, Professor France can carry out vital field research in remote regions of Iran and Mongolia that are otherwise very little visited by westerners.

Professor France plans to travel to some of the areas covered in his book later this year. 

He said: “I am delighted and grateful to the Leverhulme Trust for the generous grant, which will help make a fascinating subject even more interesting.”

Professor France formally retires from Swansea University’s History Department this autumn but his research and teaching will continue unabated. 

After completing his current research project, he will be spending the year 2009-10 at the United States Military Academy, West Point, where he will hold the Charles Boal Ewing Chair in Military History. 

For further information on Swansea University’s History Department visit the department's website and for further information on the Leverhulme Emeritus Fellowship visit the Trust's website.