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177th out of 602 books
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708 voters
The Hundred Years War: The English in France 1337-1453
"DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT I LIVE BY WAR AND THAT PEACE WOULD BE MY UNDOING?" -Sir John Hawkwood
From 1337 to 1453 England repeatedly invaded France on the pretext that her kings had a right to the French throne. Though it was a small, poor country, England for most of those "hundred years" won the battles, sacked the towns and castles, and dominated the war. The protagonists of
...morePaperback, 296 pages
Published
August 1st 1999
by Penguin Books
(first published 1978)
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After reading this brisk and enlightening book, I kept asking myself "just how many people died in the Hundred Years War??"
Overall, Seward provides a tour de force of this much forgotten and incredibly brutal period of warfare between England and France. Invasion after invasion, usually ending in a "chevauchee" -- essentially a rolling holocaust of men-at-arms and other troops that stole, burned, raped, and destroyed every town, every village, every farm, every church and monastary in their pat...more
Overall, Seward provides a tour de force of this much forgotten and incredibly brutal period of warfare between England and France. Invasion after invasion, usually ending in a "chevauchee" -- essentially a rolling holocaust of men-at-arms and other troops that stole, burned, raped, and destroyed every town, every village, every farm, every church and monastary in their pat...more
I'm being a little mean to Desmond Seward with only three stars. I read 1066 by David Howarth around the same time and Howarth's writing makes Seward's serile and dry.
That said, Seward gives a well sourced account of the wars that made up the Hundred Years War. He keeps accounts concise and includes enough personal information about the players to explain their behavior, but doesn't get too long-winded.
A European Medieval History class would help in getting more out of this book and, unless you'...more
That said, Seward gives a well sourced account of the wars that made up the Hundred Years War. He keeps accounts concise and includes enough personal information about the players to explain their behavior, but doesn't get too long-winded.
A European Medieval History class would help in getting more out of this book and, unless you'...more
So two years after I graduate I find the right topic for my thesis. Sweet.
Read this for a research paper on the battle of Agincourt, but read the entire thing so that I had a background of the entire war. It's very readable and fairly quick. I felt it was lacking something, though, perhaps because it's mostly a military history and does not at all delve into the social implications of the war (besides mentioning that there were some). It definitely gave me a very good sense of why the conflict arose and the series of battles that ensued. If, like me, you get a bit mix...more
This old book still has the ability to captivate its readers. I found it to be an excellent source of information about that long and terrible war. While it was easy to lose your head in the details of all the nobles involved, sticking with it the history of this fantastic and terrible time can be had. If they ever needed a idea for a captivating show this definitely would be a hit.I recommend it to those wanting a decent but thorough understanding of the hundreds' year war.
It has also born in...more
It has also born in...more
"DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT I LIVE BY WAR AND THAT PEACE WOULD BE MY UNDOING?" -Sir John Hawkwood
From 1337 to 1453 England repeatedly invaded France on the pretext that her kings had a right to the French throne. Though it was a small, poor country, England for most of those "hundred years" won the battles, sacked the towns and castles, and dominated the war. The protagonists of the Hundred Years War are among the most colorful in European history: Edward III, the Black Prince; Henry V, who was later...more
From 1337 to 1453 England repeatedly invaded France on the pretext that her kings had a right to the French throne. Though it was a small, poor country, England for most of those "hundred years" won the battles, sacked the towns and castles, and dominated the war. The protagonists of the Hundred Years War are among the most colorful in European history: Edward III, the Black Prince; Henry V, who was later...more
Not as good as Seward's book on the Wars of the Roses, though I am perhaps a little tired of the Hundred Years War after slogging through nearly 700 pages of Barbara Tuchman. Tuchman's Distant Mirror is more vivid, but Seward is more reliable, and mercifully concise. Basically if these two books had a baby it would be the perfect overview of the Hundred Years War. As for me, I reckon I'll be reading fiction for the next few weeks.
I read this for Medieval England university class, but it had been on my Want To Read list for awhile. This is a military history of the Hundred Years War, more from the English perspective than French. It was a strange war with more raids than sieges and more sieges than battles. It was also an incredibly ugly war: pillaging, looting, extortion, rape, torture, murder of civilians and prisoners.
The two most interesting points: a negative view of Henry V ("brutal singlemindedness" and gets compar...more
The two most interesting points: a negative view of Henry V ("brutal singlemindedness" and gets compar...more
This was a great overview of one of the strangest wars in the Western world. It is a bit dry so most will be turned off by all the background on lineage and who is to inherit what. But for history buffs it is a good choice, covering all the major events.
If you like the French, don't read it. Go read Perroy. This wonderful summary of the great war of medieval Europe is unashamedly pro-England and proud of it. A great introduction to Dark Ages life and warfare.
Lots of good information in there, but it was dense and a bit of a chore to wade through. I would have appreciated more maps and pictures to provide context.
May 23, 2011
Denizd
added it
Worth readung.For those who are keen on knowing the sources of the war - the first book to read.
A fun, engaging, and kind-of-fluffy narrative history of the Hundred Years War.
Dry and scholarly, but interesting. Seward's treatment is even-handed, but I would have appreciated a few more daring conclusions. Put your career on the limb, guy! I was bored by the constant references to taxation and revenue, and I would have liked to see more parallels with other historical events that might illuminate the subject, like the Peloponnesian War. A good read.
This was a great intro book to the Hundred Years War. I would totally recommend this if you are interested in the war but don't know where to start.
This book was a very good account of the hundred years war between England and France. Edward the III, Joan of Arc, the battles of Agincourt and Crecy, its all here.
I thought this book was thoroughly enjoyable, looks like I like me some military history!
Good overview of the hundred years war -- if you can keep the Henrys, Charleses, and the Phillips straight.
This is probably my favorite history book.
May 16, 2013
Ruaidhri Maccrimthainn
marked it as to-read
May 11, 2013
Jason Brown
marked it as to-read
May 07, 2013
Tracy
marked it as to-read
May 07, 2013
Nick Peterson
marked it as to-read
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Oct 24, 2011 06:37pm