Agincourt (Azincourt in French)
by Bernard Cornwell
Prodigious author, Bernard Cornwell, has once again written a magnificent historical novel, this time presenting a fictional, yet colorful, version of England’s King Henry V’s invasion of France culminating in the improbable victory at the medieval battle of Agincourt in 1415.
As a major Cornwell fan, (Stonehenge 2000 B.C., The Winter King), I find it fascinating how he is able to effortlessly blend his characters into the appropriate time line, in this case, the rough and coarse "civilization" of the Middle Ages.
Cornwell’s protagonist is lowborn Nicholas Hook, an English archer whose training first leads him to France where the French reconquer the English occupied town of Soissons. Witnessing countless atrocities, Hook is then recruited into the English army summoned by Henry V who hopes to strengthen his claim to the French crown.
The book painstakingly tracks historical events as the army of Henry V sails to the mouth of the Seine River and takes siege of Harfleur. With the prolonged siege, Henry’s army falls victim to dysentery before it can march inland.
So, on a muddy farm, Henry’s small English army of 6000 sick and starving men are confronted by French forces, 30,000 strong. Cornwell’s battle narrative brings to life the historical and tactical explanations of how the outnumbered English forces resoundingly defeat the French army. Simply put, it was the muddy battlefield and the calculated use of English archers vs French forces lacking leadership and who were burdened down by their own armor and weaponry.
Some of the battlefield details are rather grisly but Cornwell isn’t one to sugarcoat. The extraordinary October 25, 1415, Agincourt battle continues to fascinate to this day.
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