Short description
Stunning chronicle of Agincourt 1415 -- with Hastings, Waterloo and Trafalgar, one of the four great battles in Anglo-French history.
Long description
When Henry V and his 'band of brothers' defeated the assembled might of French chivalry on a rainy October day in 1415 it was a defining moment in English history. Against all the odds, 9,000 exhausted English men claimed victory from an army of 20,000 and for six centuries the battle of Agincourt has informed the nation's self-image and been celebrated as a triumph of the underdog. But what is the truth behind the battle upon which so many legends have been built? In this landmark study of Agincourt, prize-winning author Juliet Barker draws upon a huge range of sources to give a compelling account of the battle. But she also looks behind the action on the field to paint a portrait of the age, moving from the ambition of kings to the dynamics of daily life in peace and war. A mad king, murderous dukes, scheming bishops, knightly heroes, surgeons, heralds, spies and pirates; the story of Agincourt has them all.
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 'History writ fine, overflowing with extraordinary details...a milestone in Agincourt studies' Independent '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 tells this story beautifully. If you buy just one book of history this year, choose this one. It will make a wonderful Christmas present for it is a handsome book, well illustrated, but above all, it is a great story and Juliet Barker has w