Book of Chivalry member of the nobility to one of the most respected knights in France, especially under the kingship of Jean II of France. Jean created the Company of the Star in 1352, intending the chivalric order to outshine that of his rival, Edward III of England, who had shortly before created the Order of the Garter. Charny was promptly made a member of the Company of the Star, and it is believed that he wrote his "Book of Chivalry" in this context. However, the Company began to lose members immediately due to losses on the battlefield, both in civil wars and
Book of Chivalry against the English. In 1356, Jean II was captured during the Battle of Poitiers, leading to the complete breakdown of the order. It was in this same battle that Charny, along with many other French knights, died exemplifying the chivalric ethos that he described in his treatise. Charny’s book is unique in its focus. Unlike earlier works such as Vegetius' "De Re Militari", or later ones such as Christine de Pizan's "The Book of Deeds of Arms and of Chivalry", Charny’s "Book of Chivalry" is not intended as a manual for how to conduct military operations. He approaches his subject