A Brief History of the Hundred Years War: The English in France, 1337-1453 (Brief Histories) - Softcover

Mr Desmond Seward

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1841196789 ISBN 13: 9781841196787

Publisher: Robinson, 2003

Synopsis

For over a hundred years England repeatedly invaded France on the pretext that her kings had a right to the French throne. France was a large, unwieldy kingdom, England was small and poor, but for the most part she dominated the war, sacking towns and castles and winning battles - including such glorious victories as Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt, but then the English run of success began to fail, and in four short years she lost Normandy and finally her last stronghold in Guyenne. The protagonists of the Hundred Year War are among the most colourful in European history: for the English, Edward III, the Black Prince and Henry V, later immortalized by Shakespeare; for the French, the splendid but inept John II, who died a prisoner in London, Charles V, who very nearly overcame England and the enigmatic Charles VII, who did at last drive the English out., Desmond Seward's account traces the changes that led to France's final victory and brings to life all the intrigue and colour of the last chivalric combats as they gave way to a more brutal modern warfare

About this title

Review:

Shows us all the famous sights of those roaring times ... and illuminates them with an easy scholarship, a nice sense of detail. (New Yorker)

A well-written narrative, beautifully illustrated, and which takes into account most recent scholarship. It is also a good read. (Richard Cobb, New Statesman)

Book Description:

A Brief History of the Hundred Years War traces the changes that led to France's final victory and brings to life all the intrigue and colour of the last chivalric combats as they gave way to a more brutal modern warfare.

About this edition

• Publisher: Robinson
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1841196789
• ISBN 13: 9781841196787
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304