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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
I am grateful that I managed to grab a copy of Stephen Cooper’s Agincourt: Myth and Reality 1415-2015 as it appears to be on the verge of going out of print. This is not a straightforward retelling of the battle of Agincourt but an exploration of the myths, legends and reality of the battle.
Cooper delves into some controversies and areas of debate. A lack of archaeological evidence has thrown the battle’s location into question while Anne Curry’s ground-breaking research challenges the long-held narrative of the English being greatly out-numbered. Was it a matter of the English winning the battle or the French losing it? Who “started” the conflict? At times, Cooper offers his own conclusions for these debates (for instance, he appears fairly dismissive of the argument for changing the site of the battle) but at times doesn’t (which is fair since there is sometimes no conclusive evidence one way or the other). Cooper’s main argument, however, is questioning the legend of Agincourt and its significance, concluding that it was never as definitive or significant for England than it was celebrated for being and that it holds little relevance for the modern UK.
Cooper’s writing style is very readable – the pages just fly by and are never dense or overly complicated. The structure of the book and its contents, however, means that the ideal reader already has an understanding of Agincourt. Cooper writes from the overt perspective of an Englishman, however – while he does give the French perspective of the battle, the reader is assumed to be English and addressed as such.
Agincourt: Myth and Reality is a fantastic, informative read that also has a bit of ‘myth-busting’ feel to it. It’s not a great introduction to the Battle of Agincourt on its own but is a fantastic resource on it.
Cooper delves into some controversies and areas of debate. A lack of archaeological evidence has thrown the battle’s location into question while Anne Curry’s ground-breaking research challenges the long-held narrative of the English being greatly out-numbered. Was it a matter of the English winning the battle or the French losing it? Who “started” the conflict? At times, Cooper offers his own conclusions for these debates (for instance, he appears fairly dismissive of the argument for changing the site of the battle) but at times doesn’t (which is fair since there is sometimes no conclusive evidence one way or the other). Cooper’s main argument, however, is questioning the legend of Agincourt and its significance, concluding that it was never as definitive or significant for England than it was celebrated for being and that it holds little relevance for the modern UK.
Cooper’s writing style is very readable – the pages just fly by and are never dense or overly complicated. The structure of the book and its contents, however, means that the ideal reader already has an understanding of Agincourt. Cooper writes from the overt perspective of an Englishman, however – while he does give the French perspective of the battle, the reader is assumed to be English and addressed as such.
Agincourt: Myth and Reality is a fantastic, informative read that also has a bit of ‘myth-busting’ feel to it. It’s not a great introduction to the Battle of Agincourt on its own but is a fantastic resource on it.