Henry V : The Rebirth of Chivalry

Henry V is one of England's greatest national figures. His striking victory against the French at Agincourt in 1415 has been celebrated down the centuries. His exploits were seized upon by Shakespeare and, in more recent history, by Laurence Olivier in his dramatic interpretation of the Bard's play for Hollywood. Featuring a mix of significant letters and official documents from the National Archives, written in the words of the monarch and his contemporaries, this book aims to uncover Henry the man, Henry the soldier and Henry the king. It looks at his relationship with the nobility, commons and clergy; the nature of his piety, vividly demonstrated in his suppression of the Lollards; and at how, through military success, he restored a sense of national pride after the troubled reign of his father, Henry IV. Henry's series of campaigns against the French, including the great English victory at Agincourt, won him the kingdom of France and a French bride, but were ultimately to cost his life.

Malcolm Mercer is Assistant Manager of the Medieval and Early Modern Records Information Service at the National Archives. He has written widely on the late medieval period, and has contributed to two BBC Radio 4 history programmes, 'What If' and 'Making History'. He lives in Croydon, Surrey.