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Books - Middle Ages - Hundred Years War

Hundred Years War

Crecy, Battle of Five Kings, Michael Livingston. A fascinating reconstruction of the Crecy campaign and battle, using a very wide range of contemporary sources to reconsider every aspect of the campaign, from the original invasion of Normandy to the attempt to reach Edward’s allies in Flanders, the location of the battle, and the course of the fighting itself. Very well researched and makes good use of a wide range of sources, to successfully argue that the traditional location is wrong, convincing argue in favour of a new location and to provide good evidence that some aspects of the battle went rather differently to the standard account (Read Full Review)
Siege Warfare during the Hundred Years War – Once More into the Breach, Peter Hoskins. Looks at the vast array of sieges of castles and towns during the Hundred Years War, a war most famous for a handful of English battlefield victories, but that was dominated by the siege, from Calais to Orleans. Looks at the nature of fortifications, how sieges were conducted (and how that changed during this period), and the rise of gunpowder artillery, and in particular the impressive French royal siege train, which helped blast away the English positions in Normandy and Aquitaine in surprisingly short period at the end of the war. (Read Full Review)
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel, 1290-1360, trans. Nigel Bryant. The first English translation of the True Chronicles of Jean le Bel, one of the most important primary sources for the reign of Edward III and the early part of the Hundred Years War, written at the time by someone who actually participated in Edward’s early campaigns in Scotland, and who talked to participants in the events that he described. A remarkable and surprisingly readable source that gives us a rare insight into how the participants in these events saw them(Read Full Review)
War Cruel and Sharp: English Strategy under Edward III, Clifford J. Rogers. Looks at the first phase of the Wars of the Roses, to the Peace of Bretigny of 1360, and argues that Edward III's victory was due to a deliberate strategy of seeking battle. Makes a very well argued case, supported by a detailed knowledge of the primary sources, built around a narrative account of Edward's campaigns in Scotland, where he learnt his craft, and in France. [read full review]
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Agincourt: Myth and Reality 1415-2015, Stephen Cooper. Looks at a series of the most important issues that surround the battle of Agincourt and attempts to unravel the truth behind them. Aimed at reader with prior knowledge of the battle, this focused approach provides some convincing answers to key questions about the battle. A useful addition to the literature on this well-studied battle. [read full review]
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In the Steps of the Black Prince - The Road to Poitiers, 1355-1356, Peter Hoskins. A fascinating attempt to trace the exact route of the Black Prince's raids through France in 1355 and 1356, based on a detailed exploration of the ground and the possible routes, and the linguistic changes in local names. This route evidence is then used to interpret the Prince's motives in both of these raids. [read full review]
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The Hundred Years War - An Alternative History of Britain, Timothy Venning. Interesting if rather scattergun look at possible alternative courses of English history during the period of the Hundred Years War, mainly focusing on that war, but also with some attention paid to domestic politics, especially during the weak reign of Richard II and the troubled reign of Henry IV. [read full review]
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The Great Chevauchée, John of Gaunt's Raid on France, 1373, David Nicolle. An account of an unsuccessful English raid that crossed France from Calais to Bordeaux, lost one third of its strength and was probably lucky to survive. This is a good account of an important but often neglected incident that played a part in the decline of the English position in France. [read full review]
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The Real Falstaff: Sir John Fastolf and the Hundred Years War, Stephen Cooper. Both a biography and a history of the times of Sir John Fastolf, a senior English commander in the later part of the Hundred Years War, and a major landowner in England and France. Made possible by Fastolf's extensive archives and by the Paston letters, this book gives us a fascinating glimpse into Fastolf and his times, from the high-point of Lancastrian France to the loss of everything but Calais. [read full review]
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Henry V, Marcus Cowper. A military biography of Henry V, looking at his main campaigns and battles, his opponents, his reputation at the time and since and the primary sources for the events of his reign. Packs a lot of information into its 64 pages, and with the normal high quality selection of pictures and maps. [read full review]
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Victory at Poitiers: The Black Prince and the Medieval Art of War, Christian Teutsch. A look at the military career of the Black Prince, focusing on the lessons he could have learnt from his early experiences, especially at Crecy, and how he may have used them to win his great victory at Poitiers. [read full review]
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Agincourt 1415 , (campaign series) Matthew Bennett. A good introduction to the battle with several colour plates and some speculative orders of battle. The book contains some example shield designs from both sides which are sadly only in black and white and would have been much better in colour. A detailed section on wargamming the battle is at the end of the book with a novel idea on how to wargame the campaign.
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cover Crecy 1346 : Triumph of the Longbow, Dr David Nicolle, a recent and very good book on the battle
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The Battle of Hastings, 1066 , M.K. Lawson, Tempus, 2002. A comprehensive study of the battle and the buildup, with a good section on the surviving sources. The account of the battle itself gives a good summary of the different interpretations of the battle that have appeared over the years.
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