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Agincourt: Henry V and the Battle That Made England

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On October 25, 1415, English King Henry V stood facing a French army that outnumbered his six thousand men by as much as five to one. The campaign that would culminate on the field in northern France in proximity to a castle known as Agincourt had started with an English invasion of France and the capture six weeks earlier of Harfleur, the highly valued strategic port in Normandy.

Henry was exercising what he deemed his god-given right to recapture the lands of northern France that were lawfully his by hereditary claim.

In Agincourt, author Juliet Baker has done yeoman's work in researching the historical record of French and English archives, and previous texts written by eyewitnesses and contemporaries of the time. The book is divided into three main parts detailing what circumstances lead the young English King to his expedition; what took place once the fleet had landed, including the siege of Harlfleur; and the confrontation at Agincourt.

Lastly Barker details the battle's aftermath and the serious impact the loss of an entire class of French nobility had on the French people and the English dominance of the region.

The account of the battle has been told many times, but with recent forensic studies and technologies available, the true impact of this disastrous loss by the French finally becomes known.

Chivalry was at its height. This dictated that the initial waves of the French attack were composed primarily of nearly every noble Prince, Duke, Baron and Knights from northern France. As is well known, the use of the deadliest of medieval weapons--the English longbow--has been given as the main deciding factor for the wholesale slaughter which the French suffered in a few hours time on the battlefield.. Those that were not slain or mortally wounded were captured and taken to England until their ransoms could be raised. Many were eventually released, but in fact many never returned home.

Juliet Barker's compilation of the facts of the English victory at Agincourt will stand as one of the truly great resources for generations to come.

Armchair Interviews says: Any military historian worth his salt should feel compelled to read Agincourt.

I've been interested in Agincourt from high-school medieval history when we were told, tho' not quite accurately, how Englishmen with their longbows, eventho' greatly outnumbered, defeated the French armored knights and changed the practice of warfare. Then forty-some years later, I saw Branagh's 1989 film of Shakespeare's Henry V and was stirred by the king's Crispin's day speech the morning of the battle. So I ordered Barker's book before it was released in the US and when it arrived, first read Chapters 14 & 15 about the battle itself, then Chapters 9 thru 18 about the whole campaign and its aftermath, and finally Part I `The Road to Agincourt'. But rather than impulsively reading about the battle first, I'd now recommend reading the book from the beginning to understand the battle's background.

It's a fascinating book which Barker has thoroughly researched in order to give a comprehensive context. But she gives more details than I wanted to know about many of the players, their names and lineages, including many of those killed in the battle. I found it confusing trying to follow who was supporting, opposing or betraying whom, since I'm not intimately familiar with the geography and aristocracy of England and France (the book was first published in England). What it illustrates was the medieval mentality regarding land and nobility which wouldn't begin to change until 260 years later when in America it was proclaimed "... that all men are created equal ..." It also portrays their unquestioned belief in God's Providence which for many today still hasn't changed.

On the other hand, she also explained many interesting details about the preparations for the campaign and contemporary technology. For example, I was pleased to learn how longbows and arrows were made and used (pages 86-9) and how an arrowhead, lodged six-inches deep into Henry's face during the battle of Shrewsbury, was extracted afterwards (pages 31-2).

A seeming inconsistency is that the battle and the book are referred to as `Agincourt', but the castle near where the battle took place is called `Azincourt'. After the battle when Henry asked the French herald the castle's name, Barker quotes Henry on page 296 as saying (in French?) "... this battle will now and for ever be known as the battle of Azincourt." That's how it's spelled in National Geographic's Atlas too, but she doesn't explain how it got Anglicized to Agincourt.

This book is a tribute to Henry V. Having read Barker's account of Agincourt, I'll have to get the DVD of Branagh's film and rewatch it with much greater understanding.

A warning: After reading this hardcover book, I loaned it to friend and when she returned it months later, the spine was cracked its full lenght seperating the pages into two booklets. She's a gentle person who doesn't abuse books, so I examined the crack carefully. Apparently to save a pittance, the printer/binder didn't use a backstrip! So be careful.

A beautiful narrative overview of Henry V and Agincourt. Highly readable and very informative. Enough detail to bring this era to life for those with little background in it, yet not overwhelming in terms of detail. The author does a wonderful job bringing many of the important personalities to life.

Juliet Barker has written an excellent account of Henry V's campaign against Charles VI of France to recover Henry's French dominions. This campaign, part of the Hundred Years War, had most of the elements of previous battles in that conflict: French knights arrayed in mail and armor plate along with supporting crossbowmen versus English knights, similarly equipped, but supported by archers using the English yew longbow. As in previous English victories, it was the longbow, with its rapid rate of fire that proved the margin of victory. A really surprising element is the similarity between Agincourt and Crecy, fought many years earlier. It seems the French had learned little in the intervening years.

Barker describes the arms and tactics used in detail. She explains why the longbow was so formidable, as well as why only the English, among all the countries of medieval Europe, mastered and deployed it.

Although I have read many books on medieval history and battles, I had little idea of the logistics required to field an army in a foreign campaign. Barker lays out the details of the provision of food, weapons, and the all-important arrows. She also covers the contracting process whereby groups of men-at-arms and archers were supplied by independent leaders. Those who are unfamiliar with this process, as I was, will be very impressed by the sophistication of the methods used.

If you want enlightening history that reads almost like a page-turner novel, then this is the book for you.

If you can set aside the Hollywood and Shakespearean versions of Henry V for a few hours and immerse yourself in the details of the complete campaign in France in 1415, starting with the ascension of the young king and running through to hints of the eventual outcomes of the war (think Joan of Arc and some rare French victories in revenge), you will find an exhaustive, at times exhausting account of piety, intrigue, treachery, treason, courage, leadership and good, old-fashioned battlefield management.

The complex, seemingly comic (at least to most Americans who never had to experience the lineage of kings, dukes, earls and knights) geneaology that first brings Henry to the throne and then to claim his rightful place as king of France provides the first third of the book. To the uninitiated, that is, other than English historians, the people, the claims, the terms, e.g. "senesechal" can be bewildering. But stick with it. The big picture is what really matters, and Barker provides ample details of the skill and leadership of Henry V in first convincing others of his claims, and then in convincing his parliament to fund his huge undertaking. Like a pious Bill Clinton, he wins the hearts and pocketbooks of his people, forms an army, and sails for France.

First he must take the French port of Harfleur. He overwhelms the locals but his own army is wracked by dysentary. After a more protracted siege than he expected, Henry must then set off overland for Calais. Calais is not that far, just up the coast, but there is the Somme River, a mile wide at the sea, and a pestering French force stopping his river crossing. So Henry detours, even cuts away from the river, than takes advantage of an opportunity to cross. With the crossing, he sets the stage for Agincourt (or "Azincourt"), as the French have taken Henry's delays as a chance to form up between Henry and Calais.

Bad fortune, stupidity, hubris, and rain do in the French almost as much as does Henry's wise use of archers, topography, and spikes. On this second point, Henry takes the bold move to narrow the gap in the field he must cover, providing him with one final edge on this cold, muddy day. Estimates of the French strength run as high as 150,000 men, but 18,000 to 30,000 is more realistic. The English have 6,000 to 9,000. Most important, the English have firm, clear leadership and few knights planning to charge through the muddy field. For the French the battle is brief and disastrous. By day's end, the heralds can see clearly the carnage. The finest of French nobility lies dead or captive by the English.

Henry returns in somewhat modest triumph. Credit for the victory goes to God; he sees the French as having been punished for their sins. Agincourt takes its place as one of the most memorable battles in western history.

Barker is a thorough journalist. She captures human elements that transcend time and tradition. Endnotes are detailed, descriptive, and numerous. A few more maps would have helped. And expect to be confused unless you understand claims to royalty.

Juliet Barker managed to write one of the more entertaining books on the campaign and battle of Agincourt. The book proves to be well written, well research and very readable. Its also a fun book read, and that applied to anyone, novice or veteran reader of this subject.

Although the book centered around the campaign and battle of Agincourt, the main thrust of the book lies with Henry V. From the beginning to the end, it was his efforts, his abilities and his will that determined the outcome. Henry V comes alive in this book and it pretty easy to understand why he is held in such high regards. The book could be considered as a side biography of Henry V and from what lies within this book, the author will be well equipped to write a full biography.

While there are many books on Agincourt out there, few can matched the readability and detail facts that emerged from these pages. I won't say that this is the best book on the subject but I would say that its one of the most readable books. I am not sure exactly where that subtitled "the Battle That Made England" came from. I think the only major weakness of this book lies in the fact that there is no map of the battle, no map of deployment for the English and French armies as they faced off against each other. And if the author really did her research well, she would have provided a very complete order of the battle as well.

The book come highly recommended for anyone who have any interest in this subject matter. Its easy to read, informative and it doesn't read like a military history book. That may be good or bad depending on the reader.

I cannot begin to imagine the difficulty in writing history that can be read easily. Authors who are able to do this have a special gift. I have bought many books over the years that are dry as dust and hard to chew. The author of this book does an excellent job in making the nitty gritty details stay alive and the pages easy to turn.

This is an outstanding book that manages to do the seemingly impossible: It's a scholarly, heavily annotated study that is also fast-paced and exciting. It's literally a stay-up-late page-turner.

The book does require some "unlearning." That is, what most people know about the Battle of Agincourt is based on vague memories of Shakespeare's play or film versions. The real story is actually better and more exciting than those. The battle was not fought in isolation; Barker's book allows us to see and feel the complexities of the social, political, and military situation in Europe at the time of the battle, and these complexities require some unlearning of what most of us think we know about that time.

The political situation at the time was hellishly complex, and at the time of the battle, Henry V knew for a fact that he was not only King of England, but King of France, too. Of course, since his father had deposed Rickard II to become King, his claim rested on shaky ground. In addition, the King of France knew for a fact that he was King, though France was plunging into civil war at the time over that claim. In addition, everyone involved was convinced that God was on his side. In short, the pot was boiling when Henry V decided to invade France to assert his claim. The Battle of Agincourt was the culmination of the struggle.

The book is divided into thirds. The first third details-- and I mean DETAILS-- the background, describing the lines of succession, the political and economic institutions of the day, and the basis of chivalry. The second third details the battle, both in military terms and in human ones. This is one of the most vivid accounts of what it must have been like to be in combat then that I have ever read. The final third details the aftermath and the long-term effects of the battle.

Barker is an academic historian, and she is very careful to offer sources for her conclusions, particularly when they differ from popular thinking. But she doesn't let this get in the way of keeping her story moving. It's actually easy to forget that this is serious history, but the annotations are always there for the checking.

The one thing that would have improved the book for me would be more and better maps. The two that are included just don't have sufficient detail. The genealogy charts for the British and French royal families could have been more detailed, too. It can be a challenge to keep track of the various dukes, barons, etc.

This is an outstanding book. It will reward someone engaged in serious historical studies and someone who just wants to read more about the battle after seeing Kevin Branagh's Henry V. I recommend it very highly.

Agincourt is the lastest book by noted Bronte biographer Juliet Barker. Barker received her Ph.D. from Oxford in Medieval History; needless to say she is an expert on Agincourt!
Henry V (reigned 1413-1422) was the greatest warrior king in British history. His victory over his French enemies at Agincourt on Oct. 25, 1415
led to an overwhelming victory. High ransom paid for French hostages added to Henry's coffers; the fame of England's victory was celebrated
in minstrely, poems, songs and most famously in Shakespeare's history play Henry V. (Later made into a famous film by Laurence Olivier in 1944 as the British along with their allies were planning for the D-Day landings in France.
Barker is excellent in limning the characters of such renowned figures as Rauol de Gaucourt the gallant French soldier who defended the town of Harfleur until it was forced to surrender. He was later imprisoned in England. Henry V comes across as a pious, good king who could exert cruelty and diplomacy in equal measures in the governing of his kingdom (he considered himself to be king of both England and France),
The book details how a medieval army was paid, fed, quartered; taught the arts of war and chilvary and what weapons were utilized (the English archers won the battle as they slaughtered the French attacking them in a rainy, misty dawn across muddy fields). The English had about 6,000 troops but triumphed over the vast French forces facing them.
The French were divided by hatreds and factions being poorly led. The English troops were led by Henry a military genius and charismatic leader.
Juliet Barker has done a fine job making this 600 year battle come alive for the reader.

Well written history that is written as a story and not 'dry' history. If you're looking for a historical narrative that provides both the relevance of Agincourt and does so in an engaging way - this is your tickets.