The Battle of Agincourt - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0300214308 ISBN 13: 9780300214307

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2015

Synopsis

Published in partnership with the Royal Armouries, this comprehensive, sumptuously illustrated volume provides a defining reassessment of England’s legendary victory on the fields of Agincourt on October 25, 1415. Dramatized by William Shakespeare in Henry V, the Battle of Agincourt changed the course of the Hundred Years War and Britain’s relationship with her longtime enemy, France. In a remarkable work commemorating the 600th anniversary of arguably the most iconic military engagement of the medieval era, a wide range of experts examine the battle in its political, cultural, and geographical contexts, detailing strategies, tactics, armor, weapons, and fighting techniques while exploring the battlefield experiences of commanders and ordinary soldiers alike. In addition, this all-encompassing study offers deep analyses of many artifacts and aspects of the battle and its aftermath that have rarely been covered in other histories, including medicine and hygiene, the roles of faith and chivalry, the music of the times, and the experiences of women.

About this title

Book Description:

Commemorating the 600th anniversary of England’s legendary victory at the Battle of Agincourt, this sumptuously illustrated volume provides a defining reassessment of arguably the most iconic military engagement of the medieval era, immortalized in William Shakespeare’s classic history Henry V.

From the Inside Flap:

'Agincourt! Agincourt! Know ye not Agincourt?'

So began a ballad of around 1600. Since the event itself (25 October 1415), Agincourt has occupied a special place in both English and French consciousness. Some early French writers could not bring themselves to mention it by name, using instead descriptions such as 'the accursed day'. For the English, it was one of the greatest military successes ever, and thus was celebrated and commemorated in many forms over the centuries which followed. In the First World War, there were stories of angelic Agincourt bowmen giving support and inspiration to the British army.

Much ink has been spilt on the battle but do we really know Agincourt? Many historical works have relied on one or two well known sources or even on Shakespeare. Not since Harris Nicolas's History of the Battle of Agincourt was published (1827-33) has there been a full attempt to survey the sources. 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 output 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'.

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0300214308
• ISBN 13: 9780300214307
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 344
• Editor: Curry Anne, Mercer Malcolm