Henry V (English Monarchs) [Hardcover]

Christopher Allmand (Author)

Book Description

Series: English Monarchs | Publication Date: February 24, 1993

Thanks to Shakespeare, Henry V is one of England's best-known monarchs. Or is he? The image of the young king leading his army against the French and his stunning victory at Agincourt are part of English historical tradition. Yet to understand Henry V we need to look at far more than his military prowess. While Henry was indeed a soldier of exceptional skills, his historical reputation as a king deserves to be set against a broader background of achievement, for he was a leader and a diplomat, an administrator, a keeper of the peace and protector of the Church, a man who worked with and for his people. This new study, the first full scholarly biography of Henry V, based on the primary sources of both English and French archives and taking into account a great deal of recent scholarship, shows his reign in the broad European context of his day. It concludes that, through his personality and "professional" approach, Henry not only united the country in war but also provided England with a sense of pride and the kind of domestic rule it was so in need of at the time. Allmand offers far more than a biography of a king. His book is also a rich work of cultural history, with fascinating material on, for example, royal funerals, the reburial of Richard II in Westminster Abbey, the rise of Lollardy in England, and how one governed in the late Middle Ages.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In this volume, we are presented with an in-depth and generally balanced portrait of the monarch who is best remembered for his success at the Battle of Agincourt (1415). However, as Allmand (Univ. of Liverpool) shows, Henry V was a versatile, capable ruler whose achievements in many areas were of lasting significance. Like most of its predecessors in the "English Monarchs" series, this work is written in a style designed to appeal not only to scholars but to general readers. Undergraduate students of British history, in particular, will be beneficiaries of this work. Deeply researched and well written, this is now the standard biography of Henry V.
- James A. Casada, Winthrop Univ., Rock Hill, S.C.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Christopher Allmand is Professor of History at the University of Liverpool. His previous books include Lancastrian Normandy, 1415-1450 and The Hundred Years War.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (February 24, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520082931
• ISBN-13: 978-0520082939
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,269,972 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars *The* biography on Henry V, July 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Henry V (English Monarchs) (Hardcover)

Prof. Allmand's biography of Henry V is the first coherent work on the subject for our generation. It is also the best bio on Henry V in the past 60-70 years. Allmand gives a fairly bare-bones analysis of King Henry V's brilliant but short life, and then expands in later chapters on several themes such as the royal family, law + order, and the like. Allmand's work is scholarly but does not drown the reader in details. Is a good read and moves along in a coherent manner. If you are looking to learn more about the man Shakespeare called "the Mirror of all Christian Kings" Allmand's deft work is a good place to start and a valuable resource.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Medieval CEO, January 10, 2001

By 

Alex Lukic "cool_book_man" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Henry V (English Monarchs) (Hardcover)

As brilliantly portrayed by Mr. Allmand, Henry V personifies not only the fearsome and powerful character of a dark ages monarch, but also that one of a business-sound and strategy-aware leader. Whereas Shakespeare stresses Henry's prowess as a soldier and a hero, Allmand throws in unbeknownst traits: goal-oriented business planner, egalitarian political strategist, tireless academician, merciless warrior and fearing christian. Even though Mr. Allmand's prose teems with passive verbs and endless sentences, sometimes puzzling and even confusing the reader, his book is one of its kind.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Historically complete but a dull read, June 19, 2009

By 

D. Burns "dburns105" (Los Gatos, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Henry V (Yale English Monarchs) (Paperback)

I had some trouble rating this book. As a historical, factual, and detailed record of Henry V's reign, it is excellent. It is an outstanding reference text. However, as an enjoyable read, it's painfully boring. It's obvious from the text, that the author poured over many 15th century documents and he lists many of the facts from those documents in excrutiating detail. For example, listing dozens of the more prominent citizens of the realm, how much each of them contributed in taxes, etc. The author follows the same course on many other topics in order to paint a complete picture of Henry's reign and to describe certain historical trends. The book is complete and informative, but it's not an enjoyable read. The author is an excellent historian but not a great writer. He brings no life or excitement to the narrative. So four/five stars as a reference text, 2 stars as a history book that I'd actually like to read.