The Battle of Agincourt: Sources and Interpretations (Warfare in History) [Hardcover]

Anne Curry (Author)

Book Description

Series: Warfare in History | Publication Date: November 9, 2000

Accessible collections of primary sources covering the Hundred Years War are still remarkably few and far between, and teachers of the subject will find Curry's volume a valuable addition to their bibliographies and teaching aids. FRENCH HISTORY `Agincourt! Agincourt! Know ye not Agincourt?' So began a ballad of around 1600. Since the event itself (25 October 1415), the great military engagement has occupied a special place in both English and French consciousness, respectively as either one of the greatest military successes ever, or as the `accursed day'. Much ink has been spilt on the battle but do we really know Agincourt? Not since Harris Nicolas's History of the Battle of Agincourt (1827-33) has there been a full attempt to survey the sources until now: this book brings together, in translation and with commentary, English and French narrative accounts and literary works of the fifteenth century. It also traces the treatment of the battle in sixteenth-century English histories and in the literary representations of, amongst others, Shakespeare and Drayton. After examining how later historians interpreted the battle, it concludes with the first full assessment of the extremely rich administrative records which survive for the armies which fought 'upon Saint Crispin's day'.ANNE CURRY is Senior Lecturer in History and Head of Department, University of Reading.CONTENTS Twenty-six chronicle sources, English and French Accounts from six sixteenth-century English historians Twenty-one records of contemporary reception of the battle, and the development of the literary tradition, in England and France Summaries of interpretations from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries Excerpts from eighteen administrative records relating to the English and French armies

Editorial Reviews

Review

Will not only meet the needs of medieval warfare scholars but could be used as a great teaching tool for every aspect of medieval history... a remarkable book. JOURNAL OF MILITARY HISTORY * An outstanding addition to Boydell's valuable Warfare in History series.. Provides a masterclass in the handling of chronicles and government records. WAR IN HISTORY --Journal of Military History

Accessible collections of primary sources covering the Hundred Years War are still remarkably few and far between, and teachers of the subject will find Curry's volume a valuable addition to their bibliographies and teaching aids. --French History

Curry has performed a valuable service to scholars, teachers and general readers by compiling this comprehensive source-book for Henry 's Agincourt campaign. --English Historical Review

About the Author

Anne Curry is Professor at Southampton - moving from Reading over summer 2005.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 490 pages
• Publisher: Boydell Press (November 9, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0851158021
• ISBN-13: 978-0851158020
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,180,294 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent compilation of the original sources, February 6, 2008

By 

Merlin Douglas Larsen "Merlin the Mad" (West Jordan, Utah United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Battle of Agincourt: Sources and Interpretations (Warfare in History) (Hardcover)

I have Boydell Press's book, The Battle of Hastings: Sources and Interpretations (Warfare in History) , which is of great value to my study of my favorite historical subject and period. After the Crusades, I hold my interest in the Hundred Year's War higher than any other period or subject. And the battle of Agincourt is second, after Hastings, as my "favorite" battle. It is very heavily documented, for a medieval battle. The details of it remain controversial. The best any student can do is to read the original sources, then what scholars have to say about them, and form your own conclusions (your own picture). Anne Curry makes this as easy as possible with her superb editing job and her observations on each of the original sources. The sources are examined in chronological order. Each one has strengths and weaknesses. And Curry makes them clear. She includes the most viable historical maps that have appeared in earlier published accounts of the battle, as well as modern maps to compare them to.

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING, October 21, 2011

By 

Stephen Cooper (South Yorkshire, England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Battle of Agincourt: Sources and Interpretations (Warfare in History) (Paperback)

In addition to her many other accomplishments (see my review of 'Agincourt, A New History' (2005)), Anne Curry is a most generous scholar. She and her colleagues at Southampton have now set up a database devoted to the medieval soldier, which will enable Englishmen and women to trace ancestors who fought at Agincourt and in other medieval conflicts.

Ten years before that, she published this book, which serves several valuable functions. It brings together all the chroniclers, English, French and Burgundian, and many of the historians, who wrote about Agincourt in the fifteenth century and sixteenth centuries. It contains a fascinating discussion of the historiography between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries. You may ask what happened in the seventeenth, when the history books were largely silent. Answer, the Stuart dynasty was Scottish, and Agincourt was an English victory; and in any event, historical attention was diverted by two civil wars and at least one revolution.

The book is very interesting on the origin of various myths surrounding Agincourt; but it does not deal in any detail with fiction or film, or the dozens of productions there have been of Shakespeare's play, 'Henry V'. For that, I would recommend Emma Smith's book in the series 'Shakespeare in Production.' But Anne Curry is a great facilitator. In this book, she provides the reader with a readable and accessible version of the main literary (and some archival) sources; and allows us to draw our own conclusions. What a feast it is!

Stephen Cooper