Description
Book SynopsisThe Hundred Years War was fought between 1337 and 1453 over English claims to both the throne of France by right of inheritance and large parts of the country that had been at one time Norman or, later, English. The fighting ebbed and flowed, but despite their superior tactics and great victories at Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt, the English could never hope to secure their claims in perpetuity: France was wealthier and far more populous, and while the English won the battles, they could not hope to hold forever the lands they conquered.
The real and abiding significance of the war lies in the fact that, at its end, the English had become English, as opposed to Anglo-French, and France too had set out on the road to nationhood. (Both countries would subsequently become the very best of enemies.) The war also sparked a real revolution in the English way of waging war, with increasing professionalism and the use of technology to make up for lack of numbers - factors which remain relevant throughout the subsequent history of the English, and then the British, army and which are still critical to it today.
Military historian Gordon Corrigan's new history of these epochal events is brisk, combative and refreshingly straightforward, and the great kings, men and battles of the period receive the full attention and reassessment they deserve.
Trade ReviewFull of the fascinating might-have-beens of history * BBC History Magazine *
Corrigan writes with knowledge and humor, especially in his footnotes, as he analyzes the battles of Crécy, Poitiers, and Agincourt while correcting myths often derived from Shakespeare. * Publishers Weekly *
Bloodshed makes for entertaining history, and military historian Corrigan takes full advantage... Matches fascinating battle descriptions with accounts of how wars were financed and fought, as well as the Byzantine politics and mostly unpleasant personalities that conducted them. * Kirkus Reviews *
The perfect book for those who know something of Poitiers, Crécy and Agincourt, but cannot recall their relevance, or who cannot quite put into context the role played by Joan of Arc. It is an unashamedly straightforward retelling of the history of one of the most famous wars in English history. * Good Book Guide *
