Top Five: Books on The Battle of Agincourt

Agincourt: The King, The Campaign, The Battle, by Juliet Barker.

Combines scholarship with great narrative drive. Barker is strong on detail, grand strategy and looking at the campaign through the eyes of archers and aristocrats alike. Barker’s Agincourt was a deserved critical and commercial success when published – providing a rewarding read for those who were familiar or otherwise with the campaign. Bernard Cornwell cited the book as a great source of inspiration and information for his novel, Azincourt.

Henry V: The Astonishing Rise of England’s Greatest Warrior King, by Dan Jones.

A recent publication, but one which will serve as an authoritative life of Henry V for some time. Jones deftly weights his book towards Henry’s time as a prince (and how lessons learned in Wales served him well when campaigning in France). Jones covers the Agincourt campaign in detail, of course, but unlike many other biographies of Henry V he devotes due material to the gruelling campaign in France afterwards in his bid to secure the French crown. One can posit that there isn’t a wealth of competition, but the biography gives credence to the argument that Henry V was England’s greatest medieval monarch.

24 Hours at Agincourt, by Michael Jones.

This book proved invaluable when I came to write the last instalment in the Band of Brothers series. The author draws the readers in to view the courage, violence and achievement of the feat of arms. Henry V and his longbowmen were the key to unlocking victory. The book is rich with granular detail and informed argument.

Azincourt, by Bernard Cornwell.

Cornwell devotes around a hundred pages to the battle in one of his most successful titles. The action is relentless and revealing, providing an archer-eyed view of the conflict. The novel will not just teach someone about the Battle of Agincourt, it also provides a template in how to write historical fiction.

A Great and Glorious Adventure, by Gordon Corrigan.

For readers interested in the greater backstory of the campaign – and what happened afterwards. England may have won some major battles – but it ultimately lost the war. Corrigan is excellent on the military history of the era, as well as creating compelling thumbnail portraits of the leading players in the Hundred Years War.

Richard Foreman is a bestselling author of the Band of Brothers series.