Product Description

Agincourt took place on 25 October 1415 and was a turning-point not only in the Hundred Years War between England and France but also in the history of weaponry. Azincourt (as it is now) is in the Pas-de-Calais, and the French were famously defeated by an army led by Henry V. Henry V's stunning victory revived England's military prestige and greatly strengthened his territorial claims in France. The exhausted English army of about 9,000 men was engaged by 20,000 Frenchmen, but the limited space of battle favoured the more compact English forces. The undisciplined charges of the French combined with the exceptional skill of the English archers contributed to a pivotal moment in European warfare. Not more than 1,600 English soldiers died; the French probably lost more than 6,000 men. Juliet Barker's shimmeringly brilliant narrative commemorates and analyses a canonical battle in British history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3298 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Review
'... a lively, stimulating account of this bloody day of battle. It is full of both serious research and entertaining gems. Barker makes the politics of the Hundred Years' War lucidly comprehensible.' Erica Wagner, The Times 'She brings vividly to life scenes such as the ceremonial surrender of Harfleur at the outset of the campaign, or the extraordinary pageant mounted by the city of London to celebrate the victorious king's return.' Richard Barber, Literary Review 'Juliet Barker is a talented and versatile historian ... [Her] deep understanding of the late Middle Ages shows in many fascinating asides about contemporary life. Biographical vignettes of the participants, great and small, liven up the pages ... This book is a model of how to write scholarly history for a wide audience' Jonathan Sumption, Evening Standard 'History writ fine, overflowing with extraordinary details ... a milestone in Agincourt studies' Independent

INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY
'A gripping story'

GLASGOW HERALD
'This is so much more than a narrow military work and manages to evoke a portrait of the entire age'

Customer Reviews

One of the Most Famous Battles of All
I found this book extremely readable and very entertaining. Not something you can say about a lot of historical tomes.

The author gives a compelling account of the actual battle. So much so that the smell of the horses, the blood and gore and all the other noxious smells that are part and parcel of a battlefield seem to pervade the readers nostrils.

However the book is not just about the battle itself but also about the participants particularly the English King, scheming churchmen and murderous Dukes. The knightly heroes, cowards, surgeons and spies. The book has them all.

The author has made it possible for history to be enjoyed by a wider audience, rather than the academic. History has always been interesting. Books written like this one will make many more readers aware of that fact.

Agincourt!
I've read this book three times within the last six months......I can't recall ever doing so, beyond the age of reading the Beano annual! Juliet Barker has a unique but easy style. It is so rare to find a truly scholarly work that reads like the best of novels. A superb book deserving all possible praise!

History as Thriller
This book is an extraordinary combination of solid scholarship and great writing! Barker presents a compelling biography of a king who established his integrity and competence as an adolescent Prince of Wales and who became a King who enjoyed the respect, confidence and devotion of his entire kingdom. She sets this within a rich tapestry of detail on the historical context and politics of the day and the rugged details of a well-planned and executed campaign. A brilliant read, without question. And when Sir Thomas Erpingham throws his baton into the air and shouts the command, "Now Strike!" - you're there too!