Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Back Bay Books (2007), Paperback, 464 pages
Description
"Two armies face off across a sodden plateau in northeastern France, each waiting for the other to make the first move. On one side are the English, suffering from dysentery and starvation, their numbers devastated. Arrayed against them is a rested and well-fed French army, a sea of burnished armor and menacing weaponry primed to slaughter the foolish invaders. Nevertheless, the charismatic and brilliant English king, twenty-eight-year-old Henry V, defies conventional military wisdom and leads his "band of brothers" forward. His troops are outnumbered six to one." "What follows is one of the most remarkable battles in history, celebrated for almost six centuries as the classic triumph of the underdog in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Immortalized by Shakespeare and by contemporary historians, the battle of Agincourt has been embellished and edited by the quill of unbridled nationalism. Now, drawing on a wide range of primary sources and original research, medievalist Juliet Barker casts aside the myth and shows us the truth behind Henry's invasion of France and the showdown at Agincourt. She paints a narrative of the entire campaign, from the preparations to the reaping of the spoils. We are there in the English camps as common men struggle to secure buckles and laces with numb fingers; in the French front lines as petulant noblemen squabble over positions in the vanguard; and in the deep mud as heavily armed knights stumble and struggle under a barrage of arrows so thick and fast that it darkens the skies." "Barker also takes us beyond the battlefield to bring into focus the dynamics of medieval life in peace and war. We meet ordinary and extraordinary people such as Margaret Merssh, a female blacksmith who forges arms in the Tower of London; Lord Grey of Codnor, who pawns his own armor to pay his soldiers' wages; and Raoul de Gaucourt, the gallant French knight who surrenders himself into English custody simply because the code of chivalry compels him to do so."--BOOK JACKET. Also includes information on archers, armour, chivalry, coats of arms, gunpowder, heralds, horses, knights, men at arms, prisoners, ships, tournaments, Tower of London, wine, women, etc.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member jcbrunner
Crécy, Poitiers, Agincourt. The English triple victories of the Hundred Years War certainly have received plenty of attention over the years. Not only Shakespeare has discovered the appeal of the (assumed) underdog. In fact, it was a question of technology vs social customs: The sophisticated
Juliet Barker has written a splendid, if non-traditional campaign study. If you like Barbara Tuchman's writing, you will be immediately familiar with Barker's approach. In fact, the battle per se is covered only in a single chapter of twenty pages (out of 400), given the scarce and conflicting sources available. The book features neither a map of the battlefield proper nor a order of battle (whatever merit they have in medieval times). These I found in the epynomous Osprey campaign booklet, along with a couple of excellent illustrations, a recommended complement to this book.
I enjoyed reading Barker's book for its details on raising and financing a late medieval army by indentures, her vignettes on medieval life and especially her observations on chivalry (the focus of her previous books). I look forward to the follow-up work which will deal with the English occupation of Northern France. It will be interesting to see the story of Joan of Arc covered from an English point of view. The anglo-centric approach of this volume is the only negative point I could mention. A couple of doomed French knights are no match for the pivotal character Henry V.
Agincourt is a case study for military prudence. A Fabian strategy would have worked far better for the French. Letting Henry V escape to Calais would have given him a fruitless victory (and a possible bankruptcy). Tactically, simply blocking Henry's forces would also have been a winner. Doing nothing, however, was not an option. On they marched through the mud to their doom. The decapitation of the French nobility (like Stalin's massacre of the Polish officers at Katyn) crippled their resistance to the oncoming occupation. On the English side, Agincourt was a lucky affair. At several points, a slight change in fortune might have resulted in disaster. Henry V was truly blessed with incompetent opponents. Recommended.
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French armoured mounted knights were outclassed by the more flexible (stake-protected) English archers (or, in the Swiss case, pikemen). The Hundred Years War is a testament to the slow learning curve of military castes.Juliet Barker has written a splendid, if non-traditional campaign study. If you like Barbara Tuchman's writing, you will be immediately familiar with Barker's approach. In fact, the battle per se is covered only in a single chapter of twenty pages (out of 400), given the scarce and conflicting sources available. The book features neither a map of the battlefield proper nor a order of battle (whatever merit they have in medieval times). These I found in the epynomous Osprey campaign booklet, along with a couple of excellent illustrations, a recommended complement to this book.
I enjoyed reading Barker's book for its details on raising and financing a late medieval army by indentures, her vignettes on medieval life and especially her observations on chivalry (the focus of her previous books). I look forward to the follow-up work which will deal with the English occupation of Northern France. It will be interesting to see the story of Joan of Arc covered from an English point of view. The anglo-centric approach of this volume is the only negative point I could mention. A couple of doomed French knights are no match for the pivotal character Henry V.
Agincourt is a case study for military prudence. A Fabian strategy would have worked far better for the French. Letting Henry V escape to Calais would have given him a fruitless victory (and a possible bankruptcy). Tactically, simply blocking Henry's forces would also have been a winner. Doing nothing, however, was not an option. On they marched through the mud to their doom. The decapitation of the French nobility (like Stalin's massacre of the Polish officers at Katyn) crippled their resistance to the oncoming occupation. On the English side, Agincourt was a lucky affair. At several points, a slight change in fortune might have resulted in disaster. Henry V was truly blessed with incompetent opponents. Recommended.
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LibraryThing member motortmech
After reading historical fiction novel of the same name by Bernard Cornwell, I felt it prudent to learn the true story and events of the amazing battle that took place in 1415. This answered every question I had, and all of the ones I never thought to ask. I was absolutely amazed by the detail and
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intricacies of medieval life, chivalry, and combat. It is filled with astounding anecdotes of the lives of the men who were prominent and immortalized and those whose names have been lost to time. I highly recommend this to anyone for a great read on medieval military and combat! Show Less
LibraryThing member ksmyth
Barker's Agincourt lacks the fresh reappraisal of the battle that Anne Curry offered in her most recent work.
However she certainly fleshes out the story with greater insight into the challenges Henry V faced as the son of a usurper, forced early into the role of a military leader. This very
Barker's books is a great companion to Curry's Agincourt: A New History. Read them both and you decide who is correct.
However she certainly fleshes out the story with greater insight into the challenges Henry V faced as the son of a usurper, forced early into the role of a military leader. This very
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readable book offers a deeper view into the conflict between the rival French nobles, and the impact of the battle. Barker's books is a great companion to Curry's Agincourt: A New History. Read them both and you decide who is correct.
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LibraryThing member Miro
Henry V was lucky, with a more disciplined application of sound tactics the French could easily have routed his small English force but in the event their disorganized cavalry was shredded by efficient archery as their armoured knights on foot slithered around in a muddy field where the English
However, the book goes beyond the battle using original resources for an illuminating account of middle ages chivalry and it's ranks, rights, obligations and persistent money problems.
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slaughtered them by the thousand.However, the book goes beyond the battle using original resources for an illuminating account of middle ages chivalry and it's ranks, rights, obligations and persistent money problems.
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LibraryThing member jlbrownn23
I am interested in the subject matter, but this book just didn't grab me. I didn't make it through - it belabored the details too much. It makes what to me is a cardinal error - making the same point several times from different directions. I am not reading a book to see if the thesis is iron clad,
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I am reading a book to hear someone else's ideas. To me this is trapped between a scholarly work & a history for non-experts. Show Less
LibraryThing member sarahwriter
Hugely readable history of the Battle of Agincourt, which Barker persuasively argues made modern England. Barker puts you right in the middle of the action, every splash of rain and every sword cut. Like historical fiction? You'll like this one.
LibraryThing member ddonahue
Excellent narrative. Especially interesting was the description of archers, arrows, and their importance in warfare at the time.
LibraryThing member sloopjonb
I read more history than fiction these days; perhaps because the stories are better. This book is an excellent example of that. Barker gives a detailed and very readable account of the Agincourt campaign, shows how and why Shakespeare got Henry V both wrong (no carouser with the Falstaffs, he) and
I had high hopes of this book from the beginning (and was not disappointed); Juliet Barker had already won my admiration, first for comprehensively overturning the Gaskellian myths about The Brontes, and then for turning Haworth Parsonage Museum into a much livelier and more interesting place. One of the things she did there was cajole the Briitish Library into lending the original manuscript of Jane Eyre. I saw it at Haworth, and so did one Jasper Fforde, which gave him an idea ....
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right (yes, he did make an inspiring speech before the battle) and illustrates it all with many delightful asides and illustrations of medieval life. Such as the story of King Henry II's favourite court jester. Henry was so taken with this jester's act that he settled an estate on him and his heirs, provided he or his heir turned up at court and performed the turn each Easter. The family soon lost the estate ... which is quite understandable when you learn the jester was called Roger the Farter, and his trick was a simultaneous leap, whistle and fart.I had high hopes of this book from the beginning (and was not disappointed); Juliet Barker had already won my admiration, first for comprehensively overturning the Gaskellian myths about The Brontes, and then for turning Haworth Parsonage Museum into a much livelier and more interesting place. One of the things she did there was cajole the Briitish Library into lending the original manuscript of Jane Eyre. I saw it at Haworth, and so did one Jasper Fforde, which gave him an idea ....
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LibraryThing member yeremenko
A fine book. It does a wondereful job in introducing the people involved and the way they thought. Barker patiently sets the scene for the famous battle. She strikes a perfect balance between personal stories of protagonists and the broad view of history.
LibraryThing member john257hopper
Detailed and well written account of the whole campaign around this most famous battle and its aftermath. The battle itself is only one 25 page chapter out of a nearly 400 page book, but the narrative sequence of the part of the book of which it forms part is exciting and examines all the key
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issues about battle tactics, the broader political and military background, numbers of participants killed or captured, etc. without digressing seriously from that narrative flow. The personalities on both sides and their motivations are also examined in some depth, allowing the reader to understand fully that these people operated 600 years ago with a very different set of assumptions about morality and justice than we have and that we cannot simply transfer our understanding of these issues onto them to judge their conduct. A very good book with some excellent photos and useful family trees, but strangely no map of the battlefield, an odd omission for which I must dock it half a point. Show Less
LibraryThing member Medievalgirl
This was another of my 'essay reads' which has sat on my shelf for years but only started when needed for an assignment. I have not yet read the book in its entirety , but I am already engrossed. What I like best about this book is the way the author devotes as much attention to the background and
The view of Henry presented here is a decidedly sympathetic (and sometimes apologetic) one, but considering how Henry has been vilified by some recent historians, this does not seem entirely unjustified-and Barker is not entirely uncritical King Henry. Perhaps the analysis of Henry's actions in the context of his situation, environment and time period is necessary to a more objective appreciation of his actions and reign.
As much as Medieval notions of just war, or wars of conquest may be unpalatable or unappealing to modern sensibilities, it does seem important to appreciate such things as common or normative for this time period, as well as understanding the different way in which Medieval people might have viewed them. If the author of Agincourt can go some way towards doing this, I have no issue with it.
Alongside 'Good King Harry' many other figures come to play , great and small, peasants and nobles, French and English. Whilst mentioning or exploring some aspect of their roles or important actions these figures are 'fleshed out' to gave some fascinating insights into the workings of 15th century politics and society as well as glimpses of the wider Medieval world in which those who went to Agincourt lived.
One of the most fascinating biographies was that of Henry V's surgeon, Thomas Bradmore, which provided some intriguing insights into his profession during this period, and the account of an operation performed on the young Prince Henry appears to cast doubt on notions about the ineffectiveness and inadequacy of Medieval medicine.
So readers of 'Agincourt' will learn about nobles, princes and Kings, about the intrigue, posturing and the workings of Medieval power politics, but coloring the narrative are surgeons, archers, and clergymen- the more humble and ordinary folk who played some part in the famous campaign and battle.
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planning stages of the campaign, as the battle and campaign in France itself. Chapters entitled 'The Diplomatic Effort' and 'Scots and Plots' reveal the broader political situation in Britain and France during Henry's reign and role of diplomacy and sometimes simple scheming in the years before the battle. One chapter in particular 'A King's apprenticeship' explores the early career of King Henry as well as some of the events and figures which influenced, formed and shaped his character, views, attitudes and motivations.The view of Henry presented here is a decidedly sympathetic (and sometimes apologetic) one, but considering how Henry has been vilified by some recent historians, this does not seem entirely unjustified-and Barker is not entirely uncritical King Henry. Perhaps the analysis of Henry's actions in the context of his situation, environment and time period is necessary to a more objective appreciation of his actions and reign.
As much as Medieval notions of just war, or wars of conquest may be unpalatable or unappealing to modern sensibilities, it does seem important to appreciate such things as common or normative for this time period, as well as understanding the different way in which Medieval people might have viewed them. If the author of Agincourt can go some way towards doing this, I have no issue with it.
Alongside 'Good King Harry' many other figures come to play , great and small, peasants and nobles, French and English. Whilst mentioning or exploring some aspect of their roles or important actions these figures are 'fleshed out' to gave some fascinating insights into the workings of 15th century politics and society as well as glimpses of the wider Medieval world in which those who went to Agincourt lived.
One of the most fascinating biographies was that of Henry V's surgeon, Thomas Bradmore, which provided some intriguing insights into his profession during this period, and the account of an operation performed on the young Prince Henry appears to cast doubt on notions about the ineffectiveness and inadequacy of Medieval medicine.
So readers of 'Agincourt' will learn about nobles, princes and Kings, about the intrigue, posturing and the workings of Medieval power politics, but coloring the narrative are surgeons, archers, and clergymen- the more humble and ordinary folk who played some part in the famous campaign and battle.
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Subjects
Awards
The Economist Best Books (2005.23)
Original publication date
2005
Physical description
464 p.; 5.5 inches
ISBN
0316015040 / 9780316015042