For over a hundred years England repeatedly invaded France on the pretext that her kings had a right to the French throne. France was a large, unwieldy kingdom, England was small and poor, but for the most part she dominated the war, sacking towns and castles and winning battles - including such glorious victories as Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt, but then the English run of success began to fail, and in four short years she lost Normandy and finally her last stronghold in Guyenne. The protagonists of the Hundred Year War are among the most colourful in European history: for the English, Edward III, the Black Prince and Henry V, later immortalized by Shakespeare; for the French, the splendid but inept John II, who died a prisoner in London, Charles V, who very nearly overcame England and the enigmatic Charles VII, who did at last drive the English out. Desmond Seward's account traces the changes that led to France's final victory and brings to life all the intrigue and colour of the last chivalric combats as they gave way to a more brutal modern warfare

About the Author
DESMOND SEWARD was born in Paris and educated at Ampleforth and Cambridge. He has written numerous history books including Napoleon and Hitler, The Wars of the Roses, Richard III: England's Black Legend and The Monks of War-the first general history of the military religious orders, from their foundation until the present day, to appear since the eighteenth century

Reviews
Shows us all the famous sights of those roaring times ... and illuminates them with an easy scholarship, a nice sense of detail. New Yorker A well-written narrative, beautifully illustrated, and which takes into account most recent scholarship. It is also a good read. Richard Cobb, New Statesman



Book Information
ISBN 9781841196787
Author Desmond Seward
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Robinson Publishing
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 220g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 131mm * 19mm