Customer Reviews

The Agincourt War (Wordsworth Military Library)

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Anyone interested in the Battle of Agincourt or the final stages of the hundred years war should avail themselves of this excellent and accurate work. Having served in France during WWII and given his personal review of the Agincourt battlefield some years later, Burne is equipped to draw well founded conclusions about conditions leading to the devastating defeat of the French forces. From the most efficient placement of archers and men at arms to the over-done excuse of mud as a primary contributing factor to the battle's outcome, Burne will increase your knowledge and enjoyment of this extraordinary event in 15th century warfare.

The description of the actual Agincourt battle is fairly short and rather opinionated, but the overall book is excellent. It's good coverage of the latter parts of the Hundred Year War, including Agincourt, Joan of Arc's campaigns, and the overall failure of the British war in France. There are some aspects of the war, and the battle of Agincourt, that are controversial, so don't take each and every statement to be gospel. Good book though.

Burne's writing is clear, but his 1940s English attitude makes for some odd turns of phrase. More troublesome, his penchant for creative interpretation of primary sources leads to some unfounded conclusions. For example, his assertion that English archers were deployed in "wedges" within the overall battle line has been repudiated by historians including David Nicolle and Matthew Bennett. Regardless, Burne ofters an entertaining if not fully accurate read.