Customer Reviews

Henry V: The Scourge of God

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Disappointing. If you're hoping for a balanced treatment of the life of Henry V, this is not the book for you. If you wish to read a pro-French, late-twentieth century politically correct biography, this is it.

Seward is biased in his use of sources--if it contradicts his conclusions, he does not use it. For example, there were contemporary French historians who blamed Henry's execution of many prisoners during the battle of Agincourt on the actions of the French, but Seward makes no mention of this. Seward also sins against good biography in telling us what Henry was thinking at times--not what he may have been thinking, and not what he wrote or said or others said he said, but what was actually going through his mind.

Seward also refuses to take Henry as a man of his times, instead comparing him to the ideal Politically Correct leader of the late twentieth century. Understandably, Henry is found wanting. Since Henry did not have our modern concept of religious tolerance, he was an intolerant bigot, etc. Sigh.

Not everything Seward writes is negative--he seems to have a grudging admiration for his subject at times--but his bias and use of sources are such that you cannot trust him. This book might be useful as a balance to books on Henry V written by biographers who refuse to see any warts on their subject, but it fails to be a balanced treatment by itself.

Another good effort from Desmond Seward, who provides the best prose discourse of all the Medieval history writers. Well researched and easy to follow, Seward takes pains to ensure that the narrative is lucid and informative. He hits repeatedly on his disagreement with the theme that France at this time had no national identity, and he makes that case successfully in my view. Similarly, he is very even in his treatment of Henry -- this is not the standard hagiography, but rather a nuanced vision of a brilliantly gifted soldier and administrator who nevertheless bankrupted his country and his cause through ceaseless monetary demands and constant repression.

The book is pretty short, making it an easy read. A great way to get an introduction to the period through one of the most compelling characters.

This is an essential piece of scholarship on the life of Henry V for the lay reader. Recently re-printed as "Henry V as military commander". Loved by Shakespeare fans or anglophiles, Hal is given the overdue and necessary analysis by one of the finest writers on medieval history for the lay public. (And if you like to think of Shakespeare as an accurate source, check out his vicious & bigoted portrayal of Joan of Arc in "Henry VI".) This is no character assasination however, as the diplomatic skill and administrative abilities of Henry are illuminated by research as well as his megalomania and barbarity. More comparable to a more vicious Edward I than noble prince of courtly virtue. Only faulted by it's brevity or lack of background on Plantagenet family pre-Richard II