Too many books about Henry V fall into the tempting trap of weighting the material towards his kingship and the Agincourt campaign. But Dan Jones is too deft and diligent as a historian to fall into such a trap. Henry V: The Astonishing Rise of England’s Greatest Warrior King is the story of how a prince became a king.

Jones duly devotes plenty of care, colour and attention to Henry’s formative years – where he witnessed the majesty and folly of Richard II. Richard II had plenty of faults (and that maybe putting it mildly) but Henry still learned the importance of a sense of performance from the monarch. We also closely follow the adolescent prince as he serves an apprenticeship, developing his martial and political prowess, against Owain Glyndŵr in a lengthy Welsh campaign. Hard fought and hard won battles and sieges furnish Henry with valuable lessons in logistics, the need for money as the life-blood of war, the reality of setbacks – and when to act aggressively. What Henry absorbed as a prince in England and Wales, he then took to France as king.

Unlike other titles which deal with Henry and the era, there is no race to get to Agincourt. Jones takes his time, so we get to appreciate Henry as a firm but effective legislator. We can also catch glimpses of the man behind the crown, as the author notes Henry’s love of music and books. Jones, having written Powers and Thrones and The Hollow Crown, is all too familiar with flawed and ineffectual leadership. Writing Henry V may well have come as a relief and joy to write, given its admirable subject matter.

Agincourt is of course a worthy set-piece in the story, but what I found even more engaging were the chapters after the great victory, which deal with winning a war as opposed to just a battle – and showcase Henry’s determination and diplomatic acumen in securing the peace. Jones provides an insightful portrait of France, as well as England, at the time. A supporting cast of the likes of Richard II, Henry IV and John the Fearless are well drawn and add scope and depth.

I would urge those who are both unfamiliar with the period – and those who are ardent fans of the medieval age – to read this book. Jones has created a masterclass in narrative and argument, told with pace and scholarship. The biography is a fitting sequel, or coda, to The Plantagenets.

Unfortunately we cannot say that Henry V lived a particularly long life, but he did arguably live a full one.

Henry V: The Astonishing Rise of England’s Greatest Warrior King by Dan Jones is out now and published by Head of Zeus. Richard Foreman is the author of Band of Brothers: Agincourt.