Product Description
This is a comparative study of how the societies of late-medieval England and France reacted to the long period of conflict between them commonly known as the Hundred Years War. Beginning with an outline of the events of the war, the book continues with an analysis of contemporary views regarding the war. Two chapters follow that describe the military aim of the protagonists, military and naval organization, recruitment, and the raising of taxes. The remainder of the book describes and analyzes some of the main social and economic effects of war upon society, the growth of a sense of national consciousness in time of conflict, and the social criticism that came from those who reacted to changes and development brought about by war. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Nice try, but not an astonishing one, not even for a "summary"
This is a nice book for getting into the fascinating theme, but it has its flaws.

The main problem with it is: First chapters are way better, both in data and writing, but the more you progress towards the last page, the text becomes more unsubstantial and boring, with some chapters -imho- that are not even worth reading, specially the last chapters, wich are full of void considerations and interpretations of no interest at all.

Anyway, don't hesitate to give it a try if you are not into the subject. I wish the author could write another version of this without the last 30 pages.

A lot of knowledge about more than just the battles
I was looking for a text book, as opposed to a novel, about the Hundred Years War between England and France.Allmand's book is full of information about how the war affected the transition from middle ages feudalism to nation states, more centralized government (ugh!), and values at the time.If you want detailed battle descriptions, this is not the book to read.If you want to learn a lot about the period, this is it.The book is both factual and insightful.

A Very Long War
Read this for graduate history course in medieval history.
Christopher Allmand, is an excellent historian who tells the story of the Hundred Years War in a very succinct manner.End of 14th C England emerges with a real national identity.Edward III 1327-77.An example, 1362 Edward III has official records kept in English, not French, moving away from Norman influence, this is a defining moment.This helps English literature to flourish.A political identity is being built as well.

Edward III (13 November 1312 - 21 June 1377) was one of the most successful English monarchs of the Middle Ages.He remained on the throne for 50 years; no English monarch had reigned as long since Henry III, and none would until George III.Having restored royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, he went on to transform England into the most efficient military power in Europe.To a large extent, Edward III can be credited with the birth of the English nation. He pushes idea of 100 Year's war his reign saw vital developments in legislature and government--in particular the evolution of the English parliament--as well as the ravaging of the Black Death.Where 1/3 population dies which also causes him to scale back on 100 Year's war.

Parliament as a representative institution was already well established by the time of Edward III, but the reign was nevertheless central to its development.During this period membership in the English baronage, formerly a somewhat indistinct group, became restricted to those who received a personal summons to parliament.This happened as parliament gradually developed into a bicameral institution. Yet it was not in the House of Lords, but in the House of Commons that the greatest changes took place.The widening of political power can be seen in the crisis of the Good Parliament, where the Commons for the first time--albeit with noble support--was responsible for precipitating a political crisis. In the process, both the procedure of impeachment and the office of the Speaker were created.Even though the political gains were of only temporary duration, this parliament represented a watershed in English political history.
The political influence of the Commons originally lay in its right to grant taxes.The financial demands of the Hundred Years' War were enormous, and the king and his ministers tried different methods of covering the expenses. The king had a steady income from crown lands, and could also take up substantial loans from Italian and domestic financiers.To finance warfare on Edward III's scale, however, the king had to resort to taxation of his subjects.Taxation took two primary forms: levy and customs. The levy was a grant of a proportion of all moveable property, normally a tenth for towns and a fifteenth for farmland. This could produce large sums of money, but each such levy had to be approved by parliament, and the king had to prove the necessity. The customs therefore provided a welcome supplement, as a steady and reliable source of income.An 'ancient duty' on the export of wool had existed since 1275. Edward I had tried to introduce an additional duty on wool, but this unpopular maltolt, or 'unjust exaction', was soon abandoned.Then, from 1336 onwards, a series of schemes aimed at increasing royal revenues from wool export were introduced. After some initial problems and discontent, it was agreed through the Ordinance of the Staple of 1353 that the new customs should be approved by parliament, though in reality they became permanent.Through the steady taxation of Edward III's reign, parliament--and in particular the Commons--gained political influence.A consensus emerged that in order for a tax to be just, the king had to prove its necessity, it had to be granted by the community of the realm, and it had to be to the benefit of that community.In addition to imposing taxes, parliament would also present petitions for redress of grievances to the king, most often concerning misgovernment by royal officials.This way the system was beneficial for both parties.Through this process the commons, and the community they represented, became increasingly politically aware, and the foundation was laid for the particular English brand of constitutional monarchy.

In the 1356 Battle of Poitiers against Edward, the Black Prince (son of King Edward III of England), John II suffered a humiliating defeat and was taken as captive back to England.As a prisoner of the English, John was granted royal privileges, permitted to travel about, and to enjoy a regal lifestyle.At a time when law and order was breaking down in France and the government was having a hard time raising money for the defense of the realm, his account books during his captivity show that he was purchasing horses, pets and clothes while maintaining an astrologer and a court band.

The 1360 Treaty of Brétigny set his ransom at 650,000pounds and 1/3 French territory.In keeping with the honor between himself and King Edward III, and leaving his son Louis of Anjou in English-held Calais as a replacement hostage, John was allowed to return to France to raise his ransom funds.While King John tried to raise the money, his son Louis, accorded the same royal dignity, easily escaped from the English. An angry King John surrendered himself again to the English, claiming an inability to pay the ransom as the reason.The true motive of John's decision remains murky today, with many pointing to the devastation in France caused by war with England and the Jacquerie peasant uprising as likely candidates.His councilors and nearly the whole nation was critical of the decision, since they had raised the ransom through painstaking sacrifice.However Jean arrived in England in early 1364, looked upon by ordinary citizens and English royalty alike with great admiration.Accordingly, he was held as an honored prisoner in the Savoy Palace but died in London a few months later.His body was returned to France, where he was interred in the royal chambers at Saint Denis Basilica.

Richard II (6 January 1367 - 14 February 1400) was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan "The Fair Maid of Kent".He was born in Bordeaux and became his father's successor when his elder brother died in infancy. He was deposed in 1399 and died the next year.He was arrogant and had problems with Barons; he wanted to be more of an autocrat.As Richard began to take over the business of government himself, he sidelined many of the established nobles, Instead he turned to his inner circle of favorites for his council, men such as Michael de la Pole, whom Richard created Earl of Suffolk and made chancellor of England. The nobles he had snubbed formed the head of a group of the disaffected who called themselves the Lords Appellant.The central tenet of their appeal was continued war with France against Richard's policy of peace, an aim that many of them pursued in the interests of personal gain since it is the best way for them to make money by looting France.Rather than the interests of the nation.

In 1387, the English Parliament, under pressure from the Lords Appellant, demanded that Richard remove his unpopular councilors.When he refused, he was told that since he was still a minor, a Council of Government would rule in his place.Richard had the Earl of Arundel, leader of the Lords Appellant, arrested; but Richard's small army led by de Vere was overpowered by the forces of the Lords Appellant outside Oxford, and Richard was imprisoned in the Tower of London.Subsequently Richard agreed to hold a parliament in order to resolve the Appellants' grievances; the unpopular councilors were forcibly disposed of (eight being executed for treason and the others exiled) in the Merciless Parliament of 1388.Richard was forced to accept new councilors and was temporarily stripped of almost all his authority.By 1398, some of them are repealed.

However, Richard was more concerned with Gaunt's son and heir Henry Bolingbroke, (Lancaster his cousin) whom he banished for ten years on a spurious pretext in 1399.After Gaunt's death, Richard also confiscated Bolingbroke's lands, this is seen as a violation of Baron's rights. Bolingbroke's inheritance was huge, large enough to be seen as a small state within the greater state of England and thus an obvious obstacle on the path of a unified and peaceful England.At this point Richard left for a campaign in Ireland, allowing Bolingbroke the opportunity to land in Yorkshire with an army provided by the King of France to reclaim his father's lands.Richard's autocratic ways, deeply unpopular with many nobles, facilitated Bolingbroke's gaining control quickly of most of southern and eastern England.Bolingbroke had originally just wanted his inheritance and a reimposition of the power of the Lords Appellant, accepting Richard's right to be king and March's right to succeed him.However, by the time Richard finally arrived back on the mainland in Wales, a tide of discontent had swept England.In the King's absence, Bolingbroke, who was generally well-liked, was being urged to take the crown himself.Richard was captured at Flint Castle in Wales and taken to London, where crowds pelted him with rubbish.He was held in the Tower of London and eventually forced to abdicate.He was brought, on his request, before parliament, where he officially renounced his crown and thirty-three official charges (including `vengeful sentences given against lords') were made against him.He was not permitted to answer the charges.Parliament then accepted Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV) as the new king.

Richard was placed in Pontefract Castle, and died there in 1400.He is believed to have been killed by starvation (perhaps he refused to take nourishment and starved himself) or otherwise murdered.Richard was dead by 17 February.By 1400, England has a stable government.You see the tensions play out between King, Barons, and Parliament, Edward III did well at this.

France- Lots of problems.It has a much larger population 10-12 million as opposed to England's 3-4 million.This makes the country unwieldy to deal with.It also suffers from bad politics from a slew of bad kings.Philip IV the Fair (French: Philippe IV le Bel) (1268 - November 29, 1314) was King of France from 1285 until his death in 1314.The Valois Dynasty succeeded the Capetian Dynasty as rulers of France from 1328-1589.They were descendants of Charles of Valois, the third son of King Philip III and based their claim to be ahead of Edward III of England and Jeanne de Navarre on a reintroduction of the Salic law.

Philip VI of Valois (French: Philippe VI de Valois; 1293 - August 22, 1350) was the King of France from 1328 to his death, and Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois 1325-1328.He was the son of Charles of Valois and founded the Valois Dynasty.

John II of France (French: Jean II de France; April 16, 1319-April 8, 1364),
Charles V the Wise (French: Charles V le Sage) (January 31, 1338 - September 16, 1380) was king of France from 1364 to 1380 and a member of the Valois Dynasty.His reign marked a high point for France during the Hundred Years' War, with his armies recovering much of the territory ceded to England at the Treaty of Bretigny.

Charles VI the Well-Beloved, later known as the Mad (French: Charles VI le Bien-Aimé, later known as le Fol) (December 3, 1368 - October 21, 1422) was a King of France (1380 - 1422) and a member of the Valois Dynasty.The king would suffer from periods of mental illness 1/2 his life.This is disastrous for France.

France doesn't have Parliament or any central control due to fact the King was never able to interfere with the autonomy Baron's had in the lands.Also political problems because many French baron's side with the English.In addition, the English are used to having assemblies under Anglo-Saxon rule, French have no such tradition.French king has great councils like English Privy but it's not well defined.No exchequer, but 2 men in control of money, income and expenditure, thus both become corrupt, spendthrifts, bankruptcy.French kings have habit of devaluing money.The 100 Year's war goes bad for them which causes them trouble.He has no money to pay his professional army, so they become organized bands of highwaymen and robbers even laying siege to towns for ransom money.The French country is scarred by war thus harder to get tax revenue from people.

Lavish living among nobility.Systematic taxation becomes harsh by 1356 because they are having to raise ransom money.Bureaucracy has to use non nobles so they will be loyal to the king and not their family interests.Court is 500 people who are a drain on money, don't do much.Only 200 bureaucrats do the real governing of the country.Flanders is a constant problem for them.Textile manufacture using English wool makes them close allies against French interests.Gascony in France is an English possession.1347-50, low point for taxes because of devastation of plague.1330's 210K hearth tax, 1378 30K this is a big drop.

Recommended reading for those interested in medieval history.

An excellent analysis of English/French medieval rivalry
Christopher Allmand has taken a very long timeframe of medieval rivalry between the two great powers of the time, England and France and has done an excellent job of describing the begining, preperation and culmination of a very Bloody and Nasty war between England and France.These two great nations were always antagonistic with each other and had finally reached a "boiling point" around 1300, thus declaring official and unofficial war with each other that did not end until the beginning of the 19th century. Allmand doesn't use schollarly details to confuse the reader, he writes in a good prose and is easy to understand the background of the French and English Kings who honestly did not like each other, even though in most circumstances they were related to each other by blood or marriage. This book also gives analysis of how the war between these two nations affected the innocent victims such as the villiagers, serfs and even nobility. This was a war of gaining territory, sacking villiages in the name of the King, very nasty and terrible battles and political status in Medieval Europe. I highly recommend this book to all who want to know about how the rivalry between England and France developed and how the rivalry led to war that made it not just a hundred year war, but a war that lasted well over 400 years. ... Read more

Product Description
The Hundred Years' War was, in effect, four wars. This volume presents a military history of the war from 1337 to the Peace of Bretigny in 1360. The companion volume, "The Agincourt War" covers the later part of the War to 1453. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not fully accurate.
Burne's writing is clear, but his 1940s English attitude makes for some odd turns of phrase. More troublesome, his penchant for creative interpretation of primary sources leads him to some unfounded conclusions. For example, his novel assertion that English archers were deployed in "wedges" within the overall battle line has been repudiated by professional historians including David Nicolle and Matthew Bennett.As one of the many amateur soldier-historians of the post-WWII era, Burne's conclusions are interesting military opinions but not quite academic-level scholarship.

A superb story of the personalities, strategies & tactics
The Fourteenth Century is "my" century, and in my career I've been a professional military officer, Medieval historian and author.Perhaps that's why I admire Lt-Col Alfred H. Burne, D.S.O. and Fellow, Royal Historical Society, who wrote this valuable history book back in the 1950s using his own combination of skills as historian, professional military tactician in the British Army, and story-teller. After nearly 50 years THE CRECY WAR remains the best retelling I've read of the English military campaigns in France during the first half of the Fourteenth Century.No other book written in English approaches it for insight as well as information.

Like certain other Medievalists who served in World War II, Burne was assigned to the Allied staff developing the strategy of "Operation Overlord" -- the Normandy Invasion -- since the landings were planned for the La Manche coast near Cotentin, a few miles from the 1346 landfall of the English army.The entire 1944 buildup to D-Day, not only the landing site but the earlier diversions, intelligence gathering and disinformation campaign, were deliberately patterned after Edward III's successful Normandy invasion of 1346. Unfortunately the WWII forward thrust through France was a great deal more difficult and costly than the 1346 chevauchee that led to England's overwhelming victory at Crecy, then to the capture of Calais in 1347.

I share Burne's dubious, occasionally hostile, opinion of King Edward III of England. Edward's obsession with the throne of France caused social, economic and political upheavals throughout Europe and the unnecessary loss of tens of thousands of lives, with the suffering falling most heavily upon the poor of France. Burne even compares the English king to Hitler.Edward's motives were primarily those of self-aggrandizement, and he was not a particularly talented battle leader, commanding the Reserve division at Crecy, which meant that he stayed out of the fight and watched it from a tall windmill (rebuilt in our time as an observation tower for tourists).The king had the good luck to possess brilliant and loyal kinsmen and noblemen, and from them he chose as his field commanders some of the finest Britain has ever known.

One of Edward's leading generals was his first cousin, William Bohun, Earl of Northampton (1312?-1360), 29 or 30 years old when he led the English to a stunning victory at Morlaix in Brittany in 1342.Morlaix was the first English victory in France, other than in English-held Gascony, since Richard the Lion-Heart's campaigns.At Crecy, William Bohun was still only 34 years old when Edward chose him as co-commander of the Second "Battle" (or division) during the battle.He was in fact the lead commander of the Second, since his colleague was the Earl of Arundel, a mediocre soldier whose personal scandals had made him unpopular with other magnates, but who had to be placated since his vast wealth helped to finance the invasion and the king was deeply indebted to him.(Northampton also owed Arundel.Primary sources indicate that he was almost always heavily in debt.)

A few historians like T.F. Tout have recognized Northampton's prowess as both strategist and leader of troops.He never lost a battle.Oddly, he was the quiet one of a pair of twins -- the other died very young in the wars in Scotland -- who might never have been noticed for command if his affable twin had lived. Burne's contribution is to give us valuable glimpses into the warrior career of this unobtrusive "unknown soldier." These include crossing a broken bridge over the Seine on a 1-foot-wide plank, taking the French by surprise and assuring the English command of the right bank.Northampton's genius lay not in swashbuckling, however, but in strategic planning.Early on he recognized the excellence of his grandfather Edward I's tactic of massed Welsh and English archers, unused between Edward I's death in 1307 and the early 1330s, during the border wars with Scotland. During these campaigns, while still only a youthful knight in his early 20s, Tout believed that William Bohun began drilling his men in combined formations: massed archers working alongside unmounted knights whose swords protected the archers and "hedges" of pikemen similar to the schiltrons of Robert Bruce.His armies became expert at planting hidden "booby-traps." These combinations proved formidable against armored cavalry and resulted in English victories not only at Crecy but earlier at Halidon and Morlaix, and (resuscitated by Northampton's great-grandson Henry V) at Agincourt.Of the major English land victories in this period, only the Black Prince's generalship at Poitiers and Najera made use of old-fashioned cavalry, and Poitiers was won more by luck than skill.

Burne was the first to give us details of Northampton's swift march over the mountains of Brittany to catch the French by surprise, the archery-dominated battle of Morlaix, the battle and aftermath of Crecy, his leadership during the siege of Calais, and his service as a diplomat, up to the invasion of France in 1359-60 when he suddenly drops out of history, either ill or wounded.Perhaps because he died so young, under the age of 50, Northampton is forgotten.Even in his own day he was so retiring that he was passed over as one of the Founder knights of the Order of the Garter (ca. 1348), and had to wait in line for his nomination despite overwhelming qualifications.One historian (not Burne) has speculated that King Edward preferred amusing courtiers and that William Bohun may have inherited his father's melancholy personality.Even so, this Fourteenth Century Earl of Northampton might be ranked the greatest general, next to Wellington, that England has ever produced.

I've owned a hardback copy of THE CRECY WAR for years and am delighted that this fine book has been reprinted.My old copy is dogeared, yellowed, underlined to death, and otherwise difficult to read straight through -- so here's our chance to buy an inexpensive paperback of a valuable resource.Anyone with the slightest interest in Medieval warfare should do the same. ... Read more

Product Description
War's impact on two societies, England and France, in the late middle ages is fully explored through the evidence and commentary presented here, showing how they reacted to the conflict between them. The Hundred Years War forms the framework for the chosen documents, all from the fourteenth and fifteenth century; extracts show how men thought about war and how they faced up to these ideas in practice; the problems of manpower; and the effects of the military needs of the day on society. The importance of economic motives for going to war is considered, together with the changing methods used in fighting the war. Finally, the attempts at peace-making are illustrated, showing how war did not necessarily end suddenly since its effects -social, economic and political - were felt for many years after it was officially over.New introduction, updated bibliography; originally published 1973. ... Read more

Product Description
The Hundred Years War embraced warfare in all aspects, from the grand set pieces of Crecy and Agincourt to the pillaged lands of the dispossessed population. What makes this book different from previous studies emphasising the great battles is its use of less familiar evidence, such as administrative records and landscape archaeology, to gain a truer picture of the realities of medieval warfare. From a general review of battle tactics, the book turns to examine (at points enlisting computer analysis) a number of issues: the composition of the English army, the management of affairs in Aquitaine, the response in England at large to the war and the consequent propaganda and hardship, and the impact of warfare on local communities. Close study of surviving artefacts - weapons, fortifications - also allows realistic assessments of military and naval experiences.Contributors: ANDREW AYTON, MATTHEW BENNETT, ANNE CURRY, IAN FRIEL, ROBERT HARDY, MICHAEL HUGHES, MICHAEL JONES, BRIAN KEMP, JOHN KENYON, MARK ORMROD, ROBERT SMITH, MALCOLM VALE. ... Read more

Product Description
1381: The Peel Affinity builds a portrait of a world long lost, using gorgeous photographs filled with carefully researched and reconstructed clothing, tools, armor, furnishings, and other items, all based closely on surviving artefacts, manuscript illustrations, and paintings. The text draws extensive details from historical accounts, records, chronicles, and literature, as well as modern historical and archaeological research. All this potentially dull and dusty detail is brought to vibrant life with a narrative that follows an English knight and family, his servants, officials and tenants, associates and soldiers through a year in their lives.

The Peel Affinity represents the culmination of years of work by La Belle Compagnie. Founded in 1992, La Belle is a group of independent scholars and history enthusiasts committed to the presentation of history through the medium of "living history." La Belle Compagnie has worked with schools, civic groups, museums, and other organizations to bring a bit of the past to life and has won numerous awards for its presentations. Contains 163 color photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Excellent Living History Resource for the 14th Century
This is similar in concept to Embleton & Howe's "The Medieval Soldier," though "The Peel Affinity" focuses on the 14th century (specifically the year 1381) while the former is focused on the 15th century. Also, "The Peel Affinity" does not focus strictly on soldiers and warfare (though that is a significant chunk of the book) but rather covers more broadly civil and religious aspects of mediaeval life in this particular time.

The book takes you through each season of 1381, and then concludes with an extensive section on arms, armour, and warfare of the period, with some comparison and contrasts with slightly earlier and later periods.

The photographs are very good, but just a shade under the quality of those in "The Medieval Soldier," IMHO. That, however, should not be construed as a disincentive towards purchasing this by any means.

Anybody who is desirous of taking part in late 14th century re-enactment should consider this book a necessity, especially since it covers so many different aspects of life in this time, as opposed to just military. And even though not the focus per se, military affairs are very well covered. Overall very well done, and well worth the purchase.

one year in the life of ...
One of the best books about the 14th century I have had the pleasure to hold in my hands. The only thing I don't like about this book is ... you see where your own kit is lacking ;-)

Living History as a resource
I myself have been involved in the area which has many names - Living History, Re-enactment, Interpretive History or Archeology, just to name a few.
I have also had the good fortune to be able to take living history to young people as an educational tool which has brought me great satisfaction because there is something special about this field that makes it perfect for `communicating' the past into the present.

This book is exactly what most re-enactors/living historian's sometimes only dream about doing themselves and the volunteers and participants of this book have most certainly done a good job. I would most certainly recommend it as an educational resource.

Great Book!
Well written. Great photography. A great book for anyone interested in daily life in late medieval England.

The Peel Affinity is an Amazing Book!
This book is a wonderful addition to the bookshelf of any reenactor. It accurately portrays life in the late 14th century. The clothing, equipment and armour are extremely authentic and the images often are recreations of medieval art staged with living reenactors. I could not ask for more than this book has to offer! It is simply amazing. ... Read more

Product Description
The Hundred Years War was the longest war in European history, a quarrel that embroiled England and France in decades of blood and violence in the struggle for the French throne and control of French territory. It was also a war that ushered in the Renaissance, bringing tremendous change to two medieval societies.
Robin Neillands has written the first full-length study of this period in over a decade. Now in paperback, this even-handed examination of both sides of the struggle goes beyond the misconceptions of history to explain the causes of the conflict, from the early campaigns to the final French victory at Castillion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

nice introductory work
A very vivid, well written account of the Hundred Years' War. The writer is a reporter, so the "lively" style in descriptions of facts and situations is not new to him. You will probably read the book only in a few hours (I did it in just three-four hours, to my own amazement), and can consider yourself rather well-informed about the general subject of the Hundred Years' War after that. It is an very handy introductory work, covering all the period of the war without omitting any details. By the way, much better than the writer's "The Wars of the Roses".

I gave it four stars and not five only because I do not consider it a must for experts on the 100 Years' War history. ... Read more

Product Description
This companion volume to "The Crecy War" presents a military history of the later part of the Hundred Years' War from 1369 to 1453. It opens with a series of reverses following the death of the Black Prince which contrast starkly with the earlier victorious campaigns. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A fine work by an old soldier.
Anyone interested in the Battle of Agincourt or the final stages of the hundred years war should avail themselves of this excellent and accurate work. Having served in France during WWII and given his personal review of the Agincourt battlefield some years later, Burne is equipped to draw well founded conclusions about conditions leading to the devastating defeat of the French forces. From the most efficient placement of archers and men at arms to the over-done excuse of mud as a primary contributing factor to the battle's outcome, Burne will increase your knowledge and enjoyment of this extraordinary event in 15th century warfare.

Decent, idiosyncratic outline of the latter part of the Hundred Year War
The description of the actual Agincourt battle is fairly short and rather opinionated, but the overall book is excellent. It's good coverage of the latter parts of the Hundred Year War, including Agincourt, Joan of Arc's campaigns, and the overall failure of the British war in France. There are some aspects of the war, and the battle of Agincourt, that are controversial, so don't take each and every statement to be gospel. Good book though.

Interesting, but also quirky and out of date.
Burne's writing is clear, but his 1940s English attitude makes for some odd turns of phrase.More troublesome, his penchant for creative interpretation of primary sources leads to some unfounded conclusions.For example, his assertion that English archers were deployed in "wedges" within the overall battle line has been repudiated by historians including David Nicolle and Matthew Bennett.Regardless, Burne ofters an entertaining if not fully accurate read. ... Read more

Product Description

Provides clear, concise, and basic descriptions and definitions to over 260 key people, events, and terms relating to the series of conflicts between France and England in the 14th and 15th centuries that later came to be known as the Hundred Years War.

The Encyclopedia of the Hundred Years War provides its users with clear, concise, and basic descriptions and definitions of people, events, and terms relating in some significant way to the series of intermittent conflicts that occurred between France and England in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and that later came to be known collectively as the Hundred Years War. Because this volume focuses exclusively on war itself-what caused it, how it was fought, and what effects it had on the political, social, economic, and cultural life of England and France—it is not a general overview of fourteenth- and fifteenth-century history in either country, but a specialized treatment of the Anglo-French warfare that occurred during those centuries. Entries cover battles, leaders, truces and treaties, military terms and tactics, and sources for the war, including the plays of William Shakespeare, who has long been an important if not always reliable source for information about the people and events of the Hundred Years War.

The Encyclopedia was written primarily for students and other nonspecialists who have an interest-but little background-in this period of European history.Besides providing a highly usable resource for quickly looking up names and terms encountered in reading or during study, the Encyclopedia offers an excellent starting point for classroom or personal research on subjects relating to the course, causes, and consequences of the Hundred Years War. All entries conclude with suggested further readings.A comprehensive bibliography completes the encyclopedia, which is fully indexed.

Product Description
An illustrated history of the Hundred Years War covering the period of 1337-1453, which describes how English troops exploited the financial rewards of raiding and plundering French property, with discussion of England's hold over the region of Guyenne until 1453. ... Read more

Product Description
This book chronicles the overwhelming importance of the military archer in the major battles of the late medieval period. The longbow played a central role in the English victory at the battles of Crecy and Agincourt, and dominated the less well-known Battle of the Herrings in 1429. Used with complete disregarded for the chivalric code that governed war in the Middle Ages, the English longbow completely undermined the supremacy of heavy cavalry on the battlefield, demanding a wholesale reassessment of the tactics that had gone before. Richard Wadge explains exactly what made England's longbow archers so devastating on the battlefield, detailing the process by which their formidable armament was manufactured and the conditions that produced men capable of continually drawing a bow under a tension of 100 pounds. Wadge looks at the economics behind the supply of longbows to the English army and the social history of the military archer - what life was like in England in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and what were the advantages of joining the first professional standing army in England since the days of the Roman conquest."The Military Archer in the Time of the Hundred Years War" paints a vivid portrait of the life of a professional soldier in the war which forged English national consciousness. ... Read more

Product Description
In this history of Anglo-French relations in the century before the Hundred Years War, the author examines the legacy of continental rule bequeathed by the Angevin Kings of England to their Plantagenet succesors. Drawing on new material from both English and French archives, he explores the sources of Anglo-French tension, some of which stemmed directly from this continental involvement. Conditions in the Duchy of Aquitaine, homage owed by the Plantagenets to the Kings of France, a tradition of private war among the Gascon nobility and Edward I's war with France are all examined. The breakdown of feudal and diplomatic relations between the two powers in 1340 was a breach with the past, and the subsequent emergence of clearer "national" and cultural distinctions can be viewed as a consequence of that rupture. ... Read more

Product Description
There can be no doubt that military conflict between France and England dominated European history in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. This war is of considerable interest both because of its duration and the number of theatres in which it was fought. In this book, Hundred Years’ War expert Dr Anne Curry reveals how the war can reveal much about the changing nature of warfare: the rise of infantry and the demise of the knight; the impact of increased use of gunpowder and the effect of the wars on generations of people around it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Another good osprey publication
This is a great concise 90 page overview of the Hundred Years War.Lots of pictures and maps.The War is broken up into 4 different phases showing how it changed from the first to the last phases with the English finally pushed out.If the French could take any consolation,the Wars of the Roses broke out in 1450 as a direct result of the Hundred Years Wars. Unfortunately however the French had their own civil war which also came about from the Hundred Years War,but at least the major English armies were tied to their own islands.The only good it seems that came about was the final extinguishing of continental land claims by English Kings.These claims were in existence since the time of William the Conqueror and even before.Instead of using war outright as policy to keep an influence on the continent,the English will now use diplomacy and politics to maintain a continental influence. War comes only when the other 2 fail.At any rate England will refuse to be isolated and continental ties are the lifeline.This is a well researched pamphlet style book,a superb general overview.

Excellent overall reference.
Curry's book provides an excellent overall reference for this long and varied conflict.Different sections cover the politics leading up to the outbreak of war, the overall campaigns of the various phases of the war, brief individual histories of three mid-level combatants including Bertrand du Guesclin, and a summary of the effects of the war.The material is well-organised and clearly written, and the maps illustrate the overall geopolitical context.Readers interested in detailed accounts of the battles should look elsewhere, but Curry's volume is an excellent overall reference.

Boring
I read history books to learn all about world history and I expect this to be an enjoyable experience. I bought this book because the other reviewer gave it 5 stars. I guess I am looking for a Reader's Digest version of this series of wars that explains everything in layman's terms (and it wouldn't hurt if there was a little excitement or inspiration in it). I am next going to read the Seward book on this subject (because it is inexpensive and it has 5 stars ratings) and then I will compare the 2 books. No one should buy this book if it is only your first or second book on the 100 Years War and you are not a history student and dont know that much about French and English history. This book was just very boring. After I read the Seward book, I will re-read this book and see if I can give it more stars or not.

A Tour de Force
If you think of the Hundred Years War, epic English victories like Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt would probably come to mind.However despite these impressive military triumphs, the fact is that the French ultimately won the series of wars that stretched out over a 116-year period.Anne Curry, an English expert on the Hundred Years War, brings her considerable knowledge of the subject to bear in Osprey's Essential Histories volume #19.Quite simply, this volume is a tour de force in that the author presents a complex subject with insight and depth.Unlike some of the other volumes in this series, The Hundred Years War 1337-1453 represents a real research effort and not just a condensation of other sources.This is one of the best volumes that Osprey published in 2002.

As usual, The Hundred Years' War 1337-1453 begins in standard Osprey format with a short introduction, a chronology, a background to the war and the opposing sides and how the war began.The narrative of the war itself is 38 pages in length.Final sections are portrait of a soldier (one French and two English), the cruel nature of the war (attacks on civilians, raids on England), portrait of a civilian (the remarkable female poet and historian Christine de Pizan), how the war ended and conclusions.The author has provided a substantial bibliography as well as genealogical tables for both the French and English nobility.There are a total of ten maps (English lands in Gascony, campaigns in Northern France in 1340, campaigns in the north in 1341-1359, the campaign of 1346, the campaigns of the Black Prince, the second phase of the war, the Agincourt campaign, campaigns of 1415-1428, English garrisons in Normandy, and the defeat of the English) in this volume and they add great value.

The Hundred Years War was unusual for its protracted nature, although this was frequently interrupted by truces.The English, who began the war with modest objectives and expanded them when fortune favored their cause, crushed one French army after another in the early phases of the war.Much of French fell under English control by 1415 and it appeared that the French monarchy was in eclipse.Anne Curry does a wonderful job detailing how the French gradually turned the war around, beginning with the incredible campaigns of Joan of Arc.The French were not the complete blockheads that recurrent defeats would suggest, but were capable of learning from past mistakes.During the 1430s, the French monarchy oversaw the creation of the first standing army in Europe since the Romans.The French were also quick to adopt and efficiently organize artillery, which was used to help smash English armies at Formigny and Castillon (battles that are all but forgotten but which helped to decide the war).The author also does a splendid job detailing the war finances and economies of both sides.French revenue grew ten-fold during the course of the war as the French monarchy organized a robust tax system.However, the English fought the war on an economic shoestring and their revenues declined as the war dragged on.Indeed, the English often conquered land that was devastated and incapable of producing revenue for some time. In the end, the English lacked the money to sustain large armies in France and they were eventually overwhelmed.The author rightly calls this war a defining moment in European history, where large standing armies become possible and royal authority was forced to construct more complex fiscal structures than had existed under parochial feudalism. ... Read more

Product Description
Examining the soldier-peasant relationship in the context of the Hundred Years War, this work draws on the late-medieval literature of chivalry and political commentary in England and, especially, France. It seeks an understanding of different attitudes: how aristocratic soldiers reconciled the ideals of chivalry with exploitation of non-combatants, and how French peasants reacted to the soldiery. The book also offers a description, based on additional documentary material which includes the largely unpublished records of the French royal chancery, of the ways in which individual peasants and village communities were exploited by soldiers, and how, in order to survive, they adjusted to and reacted against their treatment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Knights were not nice
This book may be an eye opener for many people with the classic view of the honorable knight, it wasn't so, at least not in France.When the armored gentry of the country were free to use the peasants for target practice, one can begin to understand the reasons for the many years of French civil unrest.This difference in social systems may also reveal a reason for the deep rooted fear of England amongst the French upper class, for in England the peasants had rights, and they were under the protection of their local Lord, as well as the king.A knight could and was prosecuted for doing the same thing to an English peasant as what a French knight might do with impunity! After reading this book it makes me wonder why it took the French people so many years before their complete rebellion. ... Read more

Product Description
In this important study of Anglo-French relations in the century before the Hundred Years War, Vale examines the legacy of continentla rule bequeathed by the Angevin kings of England to their Plantagenet successors. He explores the sources of Anglo-French tension that ultimately led to the breakdown of feudal and diplomatic relations between the two greatest powers in western Europe. ... Read more

Product Description
Henry V (1386?87 ? 31 August 1422) was King of England from 1413 until his death. From an unassuming start, his military successes in the Hundred Years' War, culminating with his famous victory at the Battle of Agincourt, saw him come close to uniting the realms of England and France under his rule. ... Read more

Product Description
"Divided Houses" is a tale of contrasting fortunes. In the last decade of his reign Edward III, a senile, pathetic symbol of England's past conquests, was condemned to see them overrun by the armies of his enemies. When he died, in 1377, he was succeeded by a vulnerable child, who was destined to grow into a neurotic and unstable adult presiding over a divided nation. Meanwhile France entered upon one of the most glittering periods of her medieval history, years of power and ceremony, astonishing artistic creativity and famous warriors making their reputations as far afield as Naples, Hungary and North Africa. Contemporaries in both countries believed that they were living through memorable times: times of great wickedness and great achievement, of collective mediocrity but intense personal heroism, of extremes of wealth and poverty, fortune and failure. At a distance of six centuries, as Jonathan Sumption skilfully and meticulously shows, it is possible to agree with all of these judgments. ... Read more

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This is the first serious full length history of the Black Prince in over 20 years.

Customer Reviews (2)

Rhe Black Prince
Quality of the binding is extremely poor. The first 20
pages are already loose. For the price paid pages should stay in place

an excellent series.
This book attempts to place the life of the Black Prince in context with the rapid changes in Continental politics.The book is a success and is very readable,interpretive,(and short).There is also a chapter on the Black Prince's wife which was very interesting.She may have had as much influence as her husband Edward,although she is scarcely mentioned in other works on the Black Prince."The hand that rocks the cradle"?.
There's also a chapter on the different types of plague which reduced Europe's population by as much as a third during this period.It would seem that the plaque actually gave the laborer/artisans more political clout,so possibly the plague was if not a good thing then maybe not a totally bad one.
Also included is the Black Prince involvement in Parlaimentary shennanigans.Often royalty would side with the Commons against the Lords,and this took courage because a wrong move could send one to the block.
A great chapter on the evolution of new weapons and their uses which put an end to chivalry somewhat.The author defines chivalry as a "code of violence",when and to whom to apply it.The long bow made the armored stampede cavalry charge obsolete.Joe the Butcher develops his muscle strength to "draw to the ear",by chopping meats.He overcomes the noble night Jean de(put your French surnames here),who has never been defeated in tournament.Jeans exquisite manners are overcome by Joe's creature noises.the world's turned upside down. ... Read more

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Praise for the first edition:

"Aberth wears his very considerable and up-to-date scholarship lightly and his study of a series of complex and somber calamites is made remarkably vivid." -- Barrie Dobson, Honorary Professor of History, University of York

The later Middle Ages was a period of unparalleled chaos and misery -in the form of war, famine, plague, and death. At times it must have seemed like the end of the world was truly at hand. And yet, as John Aberth reveals in this lively work, late medieval Europeans' cultural assumptions uniquely equipped them to face up postively to the huge problems that they faced.

Relying on rich literary, historical and material sources, the book brings this period and its beliefs and attitudes vividly to life. Taking his themes from the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, John Aberth describes how the lives of ordinary people were transformed by a series of crises, including the Great Famine, the Black Death and the Hundred Years War. Yet he also shows how prayers, chronicles, poetry, and especially commemorative art reveal an optimistic people, whose belief in the apocalypse somehow gave them the ability to transcend the woes they faced on this earth.

This second edition is brought fully up to date with recent scholarship, and the scope of the book is broadened to include many more examples from mainland Europe. The new edition features fully revised sections on famine, war, and plague, as well as a new epitaph. The book draws some bold new conclusions and raises important questions, which will be fascinating reading for all students and general readers with an interest in medieval history.