The Hundred Years' War 1337–1453

Osprey Essential Histories #19

by Anne Curry

There can be no doubt that military conflict between France and England dominated European history in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. This war is of considerable interest both because of its duration and the number of theatres in which it was fought. In this book, Hundred Years’ War expert Dr Anne Curry reveals how the war can reveal much about the changing nature of warfare: the rise of infantry and the demise of the knight; the impact of increased use of gunpowder and the effect of the wars on generations of people around it.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, France, Medieval, Military History, Medieval History, European History

96 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1992

About the author

Anne Curry is Professor of Medieval History and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Southampton, after teaching for many years at the University of Reading. She has published many books and articles on the Hundred Years War, as well as definitive works on Agincourt itself and an on-line database of all known soldiers between 1369 and 1453 (www.medievalsoldier.org ). An historical advisor to the battlefield centres at Azincourt, Shrewsbury, and Bosworth, she is co-chair of the "Agincourt 600" committee, tasked with organizing the commemorations of the sixth hundredth anniversary of the battle. President of the Historical Association between 2008 and 2011, she is also a former Vice-President of the Royal Historical Society.

Reviews

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very nice short history overview of this complex war. Nicely written with great selection of Pics. Recommended

[Jb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and clear but very dry

[Nicholas Najjar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given the book's relatively short length, I was pleasantly surprised by its depth and analysis. Curry uses brevity effectively to present the broader points without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary details. A nice, concise history that has a good structure and introduces the reader nicely to this historical period.

Also, the book is filled with images which include paintings, statues, tapestries, and photographs which were helpful to see and cool to look at. Something about medieval artwork is appealing to me as it evokes (Yes, I used the word "evokes", my art history teacher in high school told us to use that word. Welcome to the big leagues, buddy.) a sense of mysticism and transcendence, offering a small glimpse into a world where art was not merely decorative, but deeply symbolic. The intricacies of medieval tapestries and paintings, often dripping with religious and political meaning, reflect a period where craftsmanship and spirituality were intertwined. I like that.

The chapter discussing the legendary French solider, Bertrand du Guesclin, was really good. He was a remarkable man who came from very humble beginnings and used his violent nature to become a hero in France. He fought extensively in the war and worked tirelessly to contain the English Chevauchées, which devastated the French countryside.

"I entrust to you the care of France. Deliver up to the King of France my sword of tempered steel. Commend me to the King and to all the lords of the land. Pray for me, all of you, for my time has come. Be men of honour. Love each other and serve your crowned king with total loyalty"

- Jean Cuvelier, The Life of the Valiant Bertrand du Guesclin.

[Norbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much to write in too little space - and I don't understand why spend pages on Christine de Pizan, Bertrand du Guesclin, Andrew Trollope and Osbern Mundeford

[Robert Neil Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

(This review is for the updated Osprey edition)

The Hundred Years War was the name given to the series of wars fought between England and France from c1337 to 1453. The bone of contention was the French crown, with Edward III officially declaring himself king in 1340. That set off a chain of events that changed the fortunes of both countries and therefore of Europe. It was also a complex war at all levels of society. What you will need to get started with your understanding of it all is a good overview. Who better than Anne Curry to provide it?
Curry begins with an era of relative peace between England and France from 1259 to 1328, but the seeds of conflict were already being sown over the tangled land claims across the Channel and fighting briefly broke out in 1294 and 1324. The year 1328 saw two new kings on the English and French thrones, and it was how they asserted their authority, argues Curry, that ignited the Hundred Years War. She analyses both those monarchies and their military capacities.
Tensions rose in 1336 and 1337 leading to an untidy start to the War. Curry moves on to the phases of the war; from 1337 to 1360, 1369 to 1399, 1399 to 1429, and 1429 to 1453. She narrates all the major events and developments, including the battles and sieges that typified mediaeval warfare and the list of characters that make this period so fascinating. Curry pauses in her narrative to consider the effects of war; the chevauchees (military expeditions designed to cause havoc, which they did); the severe damage caused to France at all levels, including the exploits of the routiers (lawless soldiers waging war on whoever got in their way); raids against England; the effects of war on English trade; and the increases in taxation on both sides of the Channel. Curry returns to her narrative to describe how the war ended with the English losing Normandy in 1450 and Gascony in 1453. Curry then sums up what it all meant for the course of Anglo-French history, and she adds a brief but useful further reading list.
If asked to recommend an introduction to the Hundred Years War, I would happily point to this book. Curry writes well and sticks admirably to her task; to provide a clear narrative of the War while introducing readers to the main themes – my only quibble is the lack of discussion on the Church and religion. She is ably supported by the usual excellent Osprey production of illustrations, and in particular, clear, coloured maps. All in all, Curry does justice to an important but complicated series of events conducted in a very different era to our own.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anne Curry is a Professor of Medieval history at the University of Southampton, former editor of the Journal of Medieval History, and a specialist in the Hundred Years' War.
I read this book as a foundation for a course I am taking next month taught by Professor Curry entitled "Agincourt 1415: Myth and Reality." The Battle of Agincourt, in 1415, is one of the most famous battles in the history of warfare, and one of the most important and memorable English victories. It still captures the imagination today, but why are stories still told about Agincourt? And do these stories represent what really happened on the battlefield?

[Matthew Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many reasons for Anne Curry being one of the leading names in medieval history, and this book is most certainly one of them. It puts out in excellent detail a lot of different aspects of the war, and does very well to usher the inexperienced into the world of the Hundred Years' War.

There are some parts of the books that are bit wordy, and I found myself more than once going back to the start of a sentence or paragraph to try to figure out what it meant, but that has less to do with Anne Curry being boring or complicated than it does with my poor attention span.

[Ryan Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A straightforward narrative of what happened, with some small consideration of the whys and hows of the war. I would have liked a little more discussion of the significance of some of the battles in the context of the war as a whole, with maybe a little less of the general 'and then the English launched another campaign into France with little real result...'

[Legens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very focused on the overview on the "history of events". The parts dealing with structures or smaller examples, however, are the better ones.

[Jonathan Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short overview of the 114 year war. It was all fun and games until everyone started declaring themselves king.

[Filipe Amaral · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Curry is an English expert on the Hundred Years War, and she brings her considerable knowledge in order to present a complex subject with insight and depth in a short volume. Unlike some of the other volumes in the Essential History series, this one represents a real research effort and not just a condensation of other sources, and is my favorite volume in the ESS series.

Curry gives an introduction to medieval war at the time and the political situation. She narrates the war and how it was fought, with its 5 different phases with the English and French moving back and forth in their conquests and losses, intermitent fighting amid local truces, the prevalence of raids against civilian soft targets for requisitions on land and sea, the increase in frequence of pitched battles and the many sieges. The author presents the portrait of a French soldier and two English soldiers, along with the remarkable female poet and historian Christine de Pizan as the civilian eye-witness. This book also have ten maps and is richly illustrated. A good introduction to the subject and an excellent companion to the Osprey medieval titles, like the one on the English Chevauchée in France of the Raid series.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Curry does well in sketching out the events of the war in brief, but it is told in a rather dry fashion. More background on medieval warfare would have helped. The most useful part of the book was the explanation of how the war affected civilians, who were purposely targeted by both sides. They were often the target of cavalry raids or of routiers, unemployed soldiers who supported themselves by pillage. I also learned that French troops raided southern England quite a bit: for example, Southampton was devastated by a raid in 1338 that occurred during Mass (interesting tidbit: the soldiers took the town seal and over 95% of the wine). These raids and high taxes levied by the monarchies contributed to uprisings during the war.

[Josh Liller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this for a bibliography essay for my Medieval England university class. It is a short book - 134 small pages. It reminded me of other short history books I've read that seem geared toward college students. There is a large historiography component and the rest of the book is very diplomatic/political-centric; Curry says in her introduction to file it under the topic of "International Relations". The size and narrow scope make for quick reading, but limited interest for me.

[Declan Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is impossible to comprenhensively cover 116 years of war between two major nations over the course of 90 pages but Curry presents a well presented and thought out attempt. Providing a good overview of the years and ebbs and flows and providing a background of the conflict between England and France during the 14th and 15th Centuries.

This book provides an invaluable roadmap of some of the major areas to allow deeper reading and investigation into areas which look to hold further interest.

[Paul Foley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This outline of the Hundred Years War is part of the Essential Histories series, and it gives a fine overview of this complex and tragic conflict. It is clearly presented and readable, summarizing the major campaigns and battles. There are short chapters that give more detailed information about representative characters of the time, and the impact of the war on civilians.

[Bruinrefugee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally does a good job capturing the history and flow of this long conflict. My only gripe is that the cast of characters could occasionally use some clarification about who they are, given that the familial/royal relationships are often so important during this period.

[Kathleen Marguerite · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really disapointing. I was hoping this would be a good book for me to share with people not firmiliar with the period. Except for some good pictures it falls short.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to this long, sprawling conflict, which is especially strong on the grand strategy of the war.

[April Munday · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very useful overview of the Hundred Years' War.