Product Description

The wild and headstrong prince of William Shakespeare's "Henry IV", blossoms in "Henry V", into a veritable hero-king: an epic embodiment of military valour, serious-minded, and, above all, an archetypal man of action. Such a portrayal reflected not only Shakespeare's Tudor sources but contemporary estimates of "Henry V". For his earliest English biographer, a royal chaplain and well-informed insider, he was a model Christian prince, clearly carrying out God's wishes both at home and abroad; the chronicler Thomas Walsingham, writing soon after the king's death in 1422, judged him a pious, prudent, distinguished and warlike ruler; and, for the humanist Tito Livio in about 1437, he was an energetic, just and shrewd military commander who, at Agincourt, fought 'like an unvanquished lion'. Modern historians have perpetuated the flattery of chroniclers but should they? Was the real Henry V a national hero, a jingoistic bigot, or neither?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #139800 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 249 pages

About the Author
Keith Dockray was formerly Senior Lecturer in Medieval and Early Modern History at the University of Huddersfield. His other books include William Shakespeare, the Wars of the Roses & the Historians (also published by Tempus) and Richard III. He lives in Bristol.

Customer Reviews

Good book, a little lacking though
This a good book, with several subsections on various aspects of Henry V, his adult life and reign. I was left a little disappointed after reading it though.

The author mainly presents the book as a character reference of Henry through the ages. How he has been portrayed by history, and in the populace by such influential works as the plays of Shakespeare. He also looks at what previous historians have written about Henry, and the feelings of both contempory English and French writers, and historians through the ages, on some of Henry's actions during peace and war.

It IS a very interesting book from that point of view, with the main part of the book focused on Agincourt and Henry's campaigns in France and his regency period of the French throne.
However I would have liked a bit more information on Henry's upbringing, and the political and economic changes of his childhood into adulthood. There is brief reference to the Battle of Shrewsbury, but not really enough for the reader wanting a more in depth biography.
This book is still worth 4 stars, but it will leave you thinking it lacks depth.

Henry V by K.Dockray
Henry V, by Keith Dockray, adds to a growing list of excellent titles by Tempus on the Hundred Years War. The book is split up into three sections: in History, Life and Reign and in retrospect.

The first section takes a look at historical writings on the king, and describes works from the 15th century to the modern day. Numerous sources are discussed and the section seems to have been research in some depth. Anybody wanting accurate historical information and sources will find this a must

The middle section looks at the chronological events of the king life; it starts with his birth in 1387 at Monmouth and ends with his burial in November 1422. It discusses all the import events of this life: The battle of Shrewsbury, The Lollards, The Southampton Plot, The Agincourt Campaign, The Conquest of Normandy and the Treaty of Troyes. The section is over 100 pages long, but leaves you wanting more.

The final section is small and reviews his personality, achievements and failure and his legacy. This is covered in thirty-four pages and again leaves the reader wanting more.

Dockray has clearly researched this topic in depth and anybody interested in this subject will find this an enjoyable read. Tempus are becoming the first choice for the period

Investigating the debate
Henry V is best remembered for his sweeping military successes in France where such victories as Agincourt lead to him being named as the heir to the French throne at Troyes. However he is not universally applauded. Dockray analyses what people felt of Henry at the time and the changing histography of later periods. Dockray clearly researched the topic in depth and provides some material not widely used elsewhere. He certainly adds valuable insight into the debate surrounding Henry. Its a enjoyable read and suitable for both student and someone generally interested in history. On the downside it can feel repetitive at times because many sources are used to express the same point. It is highly recommended nevertheless.