Professor of history, William Caferro, received the 2008 Otto Grundler Prize for his book "John Hawkwood: an English mercenary in 14th century Italy."

This award is offered annually from Western Michigan University to distinguish the best book or monograph on medieval studies.

Caferro's work details the life and times of Hawkwood, who was a highly feared mercenary from 14th century Italy. The book is not only a biography of Hawkwood, but is also revered as an in-depth study of the Italian military and mercenary system during the 1300s.

To fully portray the story of such a prominent historical figure, Caferro researched in more than 20 archives in England and Italy.

To learn more about Caferro and the award, read the full story here.