Agincourt‚ fought on October 25th 1415‚ on St Crispin's Day‚ is one of the best known battles‚ in part through the brilliant depiction of it in Shakespeare's Henry V‚ in part because it was a brilliant and unexpected English victory and in part because it was the first battle won by the use of the longbow. This was a weapon developed in this form only by the English - parishes were forced to train boys from as young as eight daily - and enabled them to dominate the European battlefields for the rest of the century.
Lively historical characters abound on all sides but in Bernard Cornwell's hands the fictional characters‚ horsemen‚ archers‚ nobles‚ peasants are authentic and vivid‚ and the hour by hour view of the battle is dramatic and gripping.
Azincourt
A great novel based on the real battle of Azincourt between the English and the French. This was a momentous and pivotal event between the two nations and Cornwell does an amazing job at portraying the events through the eyes of one soldier giving a far more personal and intimate view of the battle and the repercussions of the war. I love the style of Cornwell's writing, he is a master of historical fiction and in Azincourt he really captures the feel and atmosphere of the time as well as providing just enough fiction to provide a more personal touch and entice the read onwards. For those new to historical fiction this provides a riveting yet easy read and would be a great introduction at a bargain price, and for Cornwell fans this is a must read as a part of his collection. - Axel
Browns Plains, 10/05/2016
