History Of The Battle Of Agincourt

'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'.

Excerpt from History of the Battle of Agincourt: And of the Expedition of Henry the Fifth Into France, in 1415; To Which Is Added the Roll of the Men at Arms, in the English Army An apology for the publication of a History of the Battle of Agincourt could scarcely be prefixed to it without conveying a tacit but severe reflection on the literary taste of the age, for if there be a subject that ought in an eminent degree to excite attention, it is a detailed account of an event which is identified with the military renown of this country. The late Bishop Nicholson truly observed in his "Historical Library," that Henry the Fifth's "single victory at Agincourt might have afforded matter for more volumes than have been written on his whole reign." Since that opinion was expressed, numerous historical documents of the first importance have been brought to light; and, as will be seen by the following pages, many of them present highly valuable information respecting Henry's first invasion of France. But even if no other data had been found, Bishop Nicholson's remark would not be less just, for a concentration of all recorded facts relative to that expedition was a desideratum which could only be supplied by a writer making it the sole object of his attention. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Henry V's stunning victory at Agincourt was a pivotal battle of the Hundred Years War, reviving England's military fortunes and changing forever the course of European warfare.??In this exciting and readable account Colonel Burne recreates the years leading up to Agincourt and its bitter aftermath. He also puts the battle in the perspective of the other important, yet less well known, engagements of the war such as the battles of Verneuil and Fresnay. As with the battles, so with its commanders: Henry V is known to all, but Colonel Burne gives rightful honour to Talbot, Salisbury, Bedford, Chandos and many others. On the French side he details the parts played by Bertrand du Gueschlin and of course Joan of Arc.??Colonel Burne's outstanding reconstruction of the war is written for layman and historian alike and conveys the drama that Agincourt and its heroes have always so vividly evoked. This new edition of a classic text includes a new introduction by Anne Curry, the world's leading authority on the battle of Agincourt.