1415: Henry V's Year of Glory
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- £5.99
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- £5.99
Publisher Description
Henry V is regarded as the great English hero. Lionised in his own day for his victory at Agincourt, his piety and his rigorous application of justice, he was elevated by Shakespeare into a champion of English nationalism for all future generations. But what was he really like? Does he deserve to be thought of as 'the greatest man who ever ruled England?'
In Ian Mortimer's groundbreaking book, he portrays Henry in the pivotal year of his reign. Recording the dramatic events of 1415, he offers the fullest, most precise and least romanticised view we have of Henry and what he did.
The result is not only a fascinating reappraisal of Henry; it brings to the fore many unpalatable truths which biographers and military historians have largely ignored. At the centre of the book is the campaign which culminated in the battle of Agincourt: a slaughter ground designed not to advance England's interests directly but to demonstrate God's approval of Henry's royal authority on both sides of the Channel.
Customer Reviews
Henry V's Year of Glory
I have read Ian's other books and was not disappointed. Eminently readable and an attention to detail and fact that I found most satisfying. I am pleased that he did not go entirely down the road of attempting to paint Henry V as somebody he clearly wasn't. As with Richard III, he was a Prince of his time. Life during those times was about dog-eat-dog and survival of the fittest. My only criticisms would be that I found the chronological 'day by day' approach somewhat contrived and mechanical and a lot of space was devoted to the machinations surrounding the depositions of the various Popes. Well worth purchasing.