Henry V and the Conquest of France 1416–53

Henry V and the Conquest of France 1416–53 Synopsis

The battle of Againcourt in 1415 was not the decisive encounter that both Shakespeare and Kenneth Branagh suggest it was. This book details the English Army that Henry V led back into France in 1417 to conquer Normandy and again take the war to the French. With his Burgundian allies it took another 3 years campaigning to force Charles VI to recognise him as his heir by the Treaty of Troyes in 1420. Powerful enemies remained even after this, notably the Daupin, and the war continued. In 1422 Henry died succeeded by the 9-month-old-Henry VI and by 1429 English fortunes were in decline. More than 20 years of warfare would pass before the English were driven from France, with the exception of Calais. This period of the war is often ginored in preference to the battles of Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt but in fact is the decisive phase of the conflict. This title fills that gap, bringing the research up to date and examines the army that fought these campaigns in great detail looking at its composition, organisation, equipment and weaponry.