Just Finished Reading: A Brief History of The Hundred Years War – The English in France, 1337-1453 by Desmond Seward (FP: 1978) [265pp] 

Any war that lasts 100 years, or in this case 116, is going to be complex. Over that people, and especially during that age, leaders change – from Kings to warband captains – alliances shift, marriages and deaths change political dynamics, technologies change and mature (here the introduction and early use of gunpowder firearms) and outside events such as Crusades and Plague have impacts on who is available to fight. In fact, the use of ‘complex’ in reference to this was barely covers it. 

Of course, one of the (many) things that stick out in a jarring sort of way is that this wasn’t really a conflict between England and France at all. Although England was, by and large, a unified state at the point when the war started (essentially over who would sit on the French throne) the nation of France was nothing of the sort. ‘France’ was more of an idea than a reality, more of an aspiration – at least for some. ‘France’ was actually a loose confederation of regional powers with different histories and even different languages. Parts of what we now call ‘France’ had been owned and managed by the English for several hundred years and had no intention of changing that. So, when war broke out, the regions picked sides – or stayed neutral (or at least tried to). If that wasn’t complex enough, we have other actors involved. We have Holland and the Low Countries fighting for their independence offering their allegiance to anyone who could help them. We have the Holy Roman Emperor attempting to influence things and we had, for at least part of the war, the issue of rival Popes in Avignon and Rome excommunicating each other's followers.  

One thing that raised an eyebrow (or at least mine) was the authors ‘take’ on Joan d’Arc. I guess that I’ve grown up with the more Hollywood version of Joan that we know and admire [side note: I actually lit a candle for her in, I think, Sacré-Cœur, Paris during my brief visit there] so, naturally, though of her as a ‘big deal’ during the war. Although not completely dismissive the author, despite dedicating an entire chapter to the events surrounding her, put her impact at close to zero. Although the Dauphin was more than willing to use Joan (or indeed anything or anyone he could get) he made no effort to recover her injured from the battlefield and made no attempt to rescue her after she was captured by the Burgundians (French allies of England – complicated indeed) and handed over to the English for trial and execution. Apparently, it was only MUCH later that Joan became a patron saint of France. I have a few books on Joan (3 I think) so more RESEARCH to be done here, I think! 

Going into this book I thought that I had a reasonable, if rather top-level, knowledge of this pivotal conflict. I was wrong. My ‘knowledge’ it turns out was, if anything, rather superficial. So, I’ll see what I can do about rectifying that rather large gap in my knowledge. There’s certainly MUCH to explore here about both countries and the larger European context. The whole TWO POPES thing, which I was aware of previously, would be interesting to dig into further as would the whole shifting alliances that played such a large part in the process. One last thing that amused me somewhat was that Normandy was occupied by the English for around 30 years and was taxed heavily to pay for the war. I couldn’t help but wonder what it felt like with the shoe being on the other foot... 

As you can probably tell, I really enjoyed this brief history. I learnt a lot, I was pointed in other directions to learn more, and it (at least temporarily) changed my opinions on a few things. At the very least it’ll prompt me to finally read at least ONE of my Joan d’Arc books before too long. More to come from the author and the period. Definitely recommended.  

Just Finished Reading: A Brief History of the Battle of Agincourt by Christopher Hibbert (FP: 1964) [141pp] 

The Hundred Years war between England and France was on ‘pause’. But England’s new King, Henry V, had other ideas and was determined to end the conflict once and for all – and in England’s favour. Opening negotiations with Paris after securing war financing from Parliament and securing loans from banks and wealthy individuals (who actually had little choice in the matter) Henry was playing a double game. He knew that eventually the French would tire of his demands and war would be ‘forced’ upon him. So it was, late in 1415, that an invasion fleet sailed across the English Channel to land near the town of Harfleur. This is when things started to go wrong. Not only did the inhabitants of that town (supposedly already Henry’s property) decide to fight they did so very ably. Unprepared for a long siege, indeed for any siege, the English forces struggled to make headway. Only after many weeks, many deaths and much disease in both the town and the encircling English camp did the town finally fall – in no small part due to the failure of superior French forces in the rest of the country to co-ordinate any action in its defence. With a significant proportion of his army dead or dying, Henry decided to march to the nearest English strongpoint – Calais. In order to do that they needed to cross the river Seine – but the French knew that too and ensured that no fording place was available or uncontested. The resulting march East – away from Calais – to find a suitable ford to cross both exhausted and demoralised the English force. Finally, after much trial and error and a few notable skirmishes the Seine was crossed, and the march West could begin. By this time the French had finally agreed on a plan, and they sat across the only road that they knew the English needed to approach their objective. Only after the subsequent battle was over did the victorious Henry ask for the name of the nearest castle. He was told – Agincourt. 

Along with the Battle of Crecy (1346), the Battle of Agincourt (25th October 1415) is a defining encounter with the French during the Hundred Years war. It’s certainly one of those dates – along with 1066, 1805 and 1815 – that any English school kid of my generation could rattle off when asked for such things. What is surprising though is just how almost irrelevant it was, except for the fact that it destroyed a goodly chunk of that period's French aristocracy. The numbers, actually the disparity in numbers, is staggering. It’s impossible now to establish the exact figures but somewhere around 8,000 French died during or shortly after the three-hour battle. The highest estimate for English casualties is 500 and is probably more likely to be around 100 of which most were injured, not killed. It was far less of a battle and much more of a slaughter. But what, in the end did it achieve? The victorious English army and its King left France and less that 40 years later the war was over with the French holding all of the disputed territory except for the enclave at Calais which finally fell in 1558 during the Italian War of 1551–1559. 

As you might expect from such a short book – it was a brief history after all – this narrative rattled along at pace. Despite this it was full of interesting observations and contained a detailed review of the battle itself (as well as the Siege of Harfleur). Although rather dated now (I think I’ll look out for more up to date histories of the conflict) this is still worth reading. Recommended to anyone interested in the Hundred Years war or the Medieval Period in general.  

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Just Finished Reading: 1356 by Bernard Cornwell (FP: 2012)

France, 1356. It’s the start of the new campaign season and Edward, the Black Prince, is marching across the country destroying everything in his path in the hope of forcing the French King to give battle. But memories of Crecy are still raw and the French army refuses to appear. Meanwhile Sir Thomas Hookton is given a special mission by his liege lord – to find a religious relic believed to give its owner power on the battlefield enough to make them invincible. The relic is a sword reputed to have been drawn by St Paul to defend the Messiah himself against the Romans who came for him on that fateful night so long ago. But the sword is also reputed to be cursed by God and a mortal danger to whoever wields it. No matter which story is true the English are determined to have it in their possession if only to deny it from the French. But the French authorities are hot on its trail led by a priest who plans to rise to the greatest of ranks – Pope. As the hunt continues the French King is convinced that now is the time to strike back at the hated English forces destroying the land – a Scottish lord has given him the secret of defeating them in battle and a fatal weakness in their massed archery has been discovered. If the relic can be obtained all three together might be enough to turn the tables and completely negate the feared longbow once and for all. The fate of two nations will be decided outside the walls of Poitiers.

I think it’s becoming redundant to say that a Cornwell book is a cracking read. I’ve now read more than enough of them to know exactly what I’m going to get: a great story, marvellous characters – both male and female, a strong side kick, a kickass female (or two), crackling dialogue, completely evil baddies, and wonderfully recounted (and often chaotic and bloody) battles. This novel had all of those in spades and then some. It even had (albeit briefly) an Irish side-kick for Thomas (read Richard Sharpe with a bow rather than a musket) which made me chuckle quite a lot.

I can see why Cornwell keeps returning to this era in English history. The 100 Years War is a large enough canvas with enough known about it but with enough detail missing that it’s like having a ready-made world minus the finishing touches. Plus the fact that the victories at Crecy, Agincourt and (to a much lesser extent) Poitiers are – or at least used to be – taught in every English classroom in the country as historic examples of our martial prowess (and it doesn’t do any hard at all that they were at the expense of the French who – somewhat surprisingly – a significant number of people in this country have a real dislike for. Needless to say that I enjoyed this a great deal I don’t believe that Cornwell has ever let me down in the entertaining read department and I should think, from experience, that he never will. I’ve probably got at least 5-6 more of his books buried in various piles and I need to dig them out. Definitely more Cornwell, in all his guises, to come. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the period or who just want a cracking tale well told.

Coming Next in Fiction: 10 Books made into Movies – which extra special guests 10 Non-Fiction Books also made into Movies.      

Just Finished Reading: Conquest – The English Kingdom of France in the Hundred Years War by Juliet Barker (FP: 2009)

Of course we knew all about the defeat of the French in the battles of Crecy (1346) and especially the great victory at Agincourt (1415) from our school days. I wonder if they still teach that stuff. But what happened after the massacre of the French nobility? What happened to the English kingdom of France between then and when the last English troops left with the town of Calais alone remaining in English hands until it too fell in 1558. This page-turner of a book explains exactly that.

It all started well. The victorious Henry V landed his forces in 1417 and surely, steadily conquered all before him. Within a few short years the whole of Normandy was secure in English hands and the expansion continued. The French were divided and fighting amongst themselves. Some allied with the English against their own countrymen, others intrigued in the court of the young Dauphin and vied for position. For the French it looked increasingly like they would lose their country chunk by chunk until nothing was left. Then in 1422 the unexpected happened and Henry V died leaving his infant son as King in waiting. Then it all, slowly, started to go wrong. With English lords vying for the regency of both France and England while they waiting for young Henry VI to gain his majority the double-dealing, betrayal and power plays went into overdrive. With factions fighting for dominance within the English court they took their eyes off the very ball still in play in France which allowed the French to gather themselves and their forces and to begin the fight back. Of course they still had a hill to climb but the English began to make serious errors of judgement compounded by a falsely but deeply held belief that they had become unassailable. As the tide began to turn something else, something strange and inexplicable was thrown into the mix. Out of nowhere a young girl arose who said that she had been chosen by God to lead the French to victory and to place the uncrowned Dauphin on the throne of France. Known to the English as Joan of Arc she put heart into the French forces and managed to deliver several impressive victories before her all too short campaign fell apart. But that was not the end of things. After long years of war and occupation the English war chest was empty. Loans had to be asked for, pay for the soldiers was late or never arrived, men deserted or went ‘free-lance’ even signing on with forces they had been fighting weeks earlier. Defences, much in need of repair, had no work done to them. All in all it was, in the final years of the 100 Years War, a disaster waiting to happen – as a disaster it was. With alliances broken, a young King who wanted peace at all costs and a resurgent French nationalism it didn’t take much for town after town and city after city to fall to the victorious French armies. All, except for the fortress of Calais was lost.

It was good to fill in this 30 year gap in my historical knowledge – especially with a quality work such as this. History isn’t often as gripping as this narrative where I found myself reading late into the evening and, rather ironically, losing track of time. But this is not history for the faint hearted. There’s a lot going on here. I’ve only very much skimmed the surface of all the convolutions and complexities of the military and political situation at the heart of this book. Honestly it makes Game of Thrones look like a simple children’s book – except that this was for real. But if you like that sort of thing – the conspiracy, back-biting, double-crossing and other unsavoury goings on – and can keep multiple and shifting relationships in your head then this is definitely the book for you. Recommended.

Just Finished Reading: Azincourt by Bernard Cornwell (FP: 2008)

England in the Year 1413 and Nicholas Hook has just failed to commit murder. Luckily for him his skill as an archer is more in demand than his body hanging from the end of a rope. But when he tries to save a heretics life he goes too far and is forced to run to France to join a company of archers who are unaware of his past. Stationed in the French city of Soissons he becomes one of the few who survive the fall of the city. Fleeing with a French nun he manages to return to the English lines only to be inducted into the great army of Henry V who is the rightful King of England and France – not that a great number of the French would agree with him. When the siege of Harfleur takes much longer than expected and dysentery thins the armies ranks the King decides to make for safe ground in Calais. Checked every step of the way by superior French forces the river Somme is finally crossed and Calais only days away. But the French have blocked the road and offer battle near a small settlement known as Azincourt, soon to become known across all Christendom as a place where arrows flew and the nobility of France fell.

Many of my readers will know that I am a serious fan of Bernard Cornwell. Indeed I think that this is the 25^th novel of his I’ve read. Richard Sharpe, the hero of the Sharpe series of books based in the Napoleonic wars of the 19^th century, is one of my all-time favourite characters. Likewise I have greatly enjoyed Cornwell’s Grail series (which takes place at the beginning of the Hundred Years war) and the Warlord Chronicles series based around the legend of King Arthur. I was rather surprised therefore that I didn’t enjoy Azincourt anywhere as much as I’d expected. Part of it was the main character Nick Hook was more than a little formulaic in my opinion. The way he picked up the French nun Melisande had too many echoes of both the experience of Thomas Hookton and Sharpe himself. The threat from both external and internal enemies I found more than a little predictable and it did feel at times that the author was going through a checklist of literary devices to produce what felt like a modular novel. I don’t know, maybe reading 10 books based in the same period (even if that lasted 1000 years) was just too much and I had become bored by the whole thing. Maybe I was just in a phase of my reading when I was a bit too critical rather than simply relaxing into the story and let it carry me along. Maybe I’m just getting old and cranky. Maybe I’ve just read too much. But whatever it was this novel felt like it had been phoned in and lacked the usual Cornwell sparkle I have come to know and trust. It is certainly the first Cornwell book that, when I closed the covers, I didn’t have a smile on my face. Not that this has put me off reading more of his work in the future. One reasonable book after 24 excellent ones certainly won’t stop me being a huge fan of his work.

This was the last book in the group of Medieval novels I had challenged myself to read. Next up, after my usual random interlude, will be 10 books with a Vampire theme. That’ll definitely be a bit different! 

Just Finished Reading: Heretic by Bernard Cornwell

France in the year 1347.With the fall of the port of Calais the English now have a secure base of operations to prosecute their war. As the city is fortified against predicted attempts to retake it Thomas of Hookton is tasked by his liege lord to travel to Gascony to look for the Holy Grail. Taking a group of archers and men-at-arms with him he begins a process of raiding in the hope of bringing his cousin Guy Vexille out of hiding and within striking distance of his longbow. Needing a secure base of operations Thomas and his men take a small fortified town as their own. In its jail, awaiting execution by burning in the morning is a heretic woman accused of many things including witchcraft. Dismissing the charges and smitten by her ethereal beauty Thomas lets her free much to the annoyance of the townsfolk and several of his own men. But dissent within his troops are the least of Thomas’s problems. News of his actions in Gascony have reached the ears of the authorities – both temporal and ecclesiastical – and their forces are gathering against his small band. Meanwhile in the East and in the ports of the Mediterranean a strange sickness that kills without note of rank, age or sex is growing and could be the end of everything than man has built in his hubris.

Until the publication of his latest novel this was the last book in Cornwell’s Grail Quest trilogy which followed Thomas of Hookton’s journey from obscurity, through the Battle of Crecy and deeper still into the opening conflict that would become known as the Hundred Years War. Heretic would have been a fitting end to the series but now, I’m guessing, we’ll find out more about Thomas and his adventures against the French. As with all of Cornwell’s heroes Thomas is a misfit everywhere he goes. Although his family – or at least part of it – is highborn Thomas is far happier with the common men of his command. At the same time, because of his education, he can hold his own with the knights and lords he, through necessity, must serve with or serve under. Cynical of both church and state he is his own man with his own sense of personal honour and his own code of ethics he lives by. A consummate warrior he leads by example though constantly worries that he isn’t good enough to complete his mission or keep the men in his charge alive. Obviously Thomas can be compared to Cornwell’s great hero character Richard Sharpe and at first I thought that Thomas was just Sharpe transported 500 years into his past. Not so. Both Sharpe and Thomas are products of their time. Although they have much in common they are still very much their own men. After being gripped by Thomas’s tale in France I look forward to following him wherever he goes next. Recommended.  

[This is the first book in a series of 10 based in the Middle Ages. As with most of these things that period is fairly arbitrary and can vary from country to country. For the sake of convenience I’ve picked the English definition which is AD476 – 1485. Having basically a thousand years to work with should give me plenty of latitude. I’ll see what I can do with that!]  

Just Finished Reading: Vagabond by Bernard Cornwell

England: 1346. On returning to his native soil after surviving the victory over the French at Crecy, Thomas of Hookton travels to Durham in search of a monk who lives there. Thomas needs to quiz him about the object of a quest the King has sent him on. Like many of the day Thomas seeks the Holy Grail as a guarantor of God’s peace on Earth. In a time of international strife nothing could be more precious. But Thomas is not alone in his search. As well as trusted companions there are darker forces dogging his every step. Amongst them are Thomas’s brother and a French priest under clear instructions to claim the Grail at any cost. Forced against his will to return to France, Thomas finds himself in a town besieged by forces loyal to the French king. Massively outnumbered their only hope is in the killing power of English bowmen but unknown to the few defenders the French lords have an answer to this deadly weapon – an answer that could turn the tide of the whole war.

This is the second part of Cornwell’s Grail trilogy and despite the first book being very good I actually found myself enjoying this much more. The storyline, characterisation and wonderfully descriptive prose drew me into a world very different from our modern experience. It was a world of few certainties except death and the power struggles of the rich and powerful. It was a world where men where expected to fight and die at the order of their lord and one where few questioned the rightness of it. It was a world where power and money are the only arbiters and where the only way a commoner can rise above his station in life is through the skill in arms he possesses. It was also a world on the cusp of change where Medieval Feudalism was starting to unravel and where opportunities for self-made men began to appear. All of this, and more, is conveyed in this superb piece of historical fiction. I have enjoyed just about every book Cornwell has written and this is no exception. It hums along at an enjoyable pace and is peppered with tough and brutal action. I am far from being familiar with the period but this novel has the feeling of reality about it. I am looking forward to volume three which, I imagine, will be read sooner rather than later. Recommended.   

Just Finished Reading: Harlequin by Bernard Cornwell

In the Year 1342 Thomas of Hookton’s life changed forever. Out of an early morning mist French raiders arrived to sack his village. But they are after more important things than the meagre pickings provided by a poor settlement. They are after a religious relic – the lance used by St George himself to kill the fabled dragon. As he holds his dying farther in his arms Thomas learns of his true heritage in France and of the significance of the lance. Leaving his old life behind he joins a band of archers who are retained to fight the French on their own soil. So begins a quest that will bring Thomas face to face with the man who destroyed his life and place him on the battlefield of Crecy where the might of French chivalry are determined to end the English threat once and for all.

I have made no secret of the fact that I am a huge fan of Bernard Cornwell and have enjoyed many of his Sharpe books based during the Napoleonic Wars. I did catch a brief glimpse of Sharpe in this novel and, just for a moment, wondered if the author had merely transported his most famous creation back over 400 years but it was not to be. This book, the first part in the Grail Quest trilogy, though similar in some senses is very different in others. Cornwell has the real gift of creating characters that are fully formed and either lovable or hateable in equal measure. He also has the skill, which is fairly rare amongst male authors, of breathing real life into his female characters as much as his male. I managed to positively power through the nearly 500 pages of this book in a matter of days which says much for both his writing style and his ability to produce a real page turner. Yet again I have greatly enjoyed a historical novel much more than many of my recent excursions into SF. I also, at least in a superficial manner, gained an appreciation of a period in European history that I know very little about – apart from the battles of Crecy and Agincourt which bookend the 100 Years War between England and France. I think that I will be reading the next two books in this series fairly soon.