I started studying the details of Agincourt (or Azincourt to use the French spelling) as
part of the background research for my latest novel. It didn’t surprise me to
find that the experts are still debating how many men actually faced each other
on St Crispin’s day, 1415, but I was interested to read some of the very early
accounts of events leading up to the famous battle.
I was therefore unusually well informed when I decided to
see what one of our best-selling historical fiction writers made if it. Bernard Cornwell’s experience shines through
as he takes us through the dreadful siege of Harfleur through the eyes of an
English longbow man Nicholas Hook. It is a clever device, as we struggle with
our simple archer to understand the real motivation of King Henry the fifth.
The lives of the entire army are put at risk, not once but
several times, with the only reward being a fairly hollow victory over the long
suffering French. Henry comes across not as Shakespeare’s valiant hero but as a
deeply flawed leader. As with most battles, luck, the weather and tactical
mistakes played a big part in the English victory.
I liked the parallel narratives, that Cornwell has become
deservedly recognised for. There are also notes at the end about his own
research, which give an insight into his approach. Azincourt works on several levels. If you have ever wondered what
it may have been like to be an English archer in 1415 France, this is a book you
should read.
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