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The Hundred Years War #3
Divided Houses: The Hundred Years War, Volume 3
Selected by "Choice" magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2010
The Hundred Years War was a vicious, costly, and, most dramatically, drawn out struggle that laid the framework for the national identities of both England and France into the modern era. The first twenty years of the war were positive for the English, by any account. They already held the South of France, through Eleanor of Aquitaine's dowry, and were allied with the Flemish in the north. After the brilliant naval battle of Sluys, the English had control of both the English Channel and the North Sea. The battles of Crecy and Poitiers gave the English a powerful toehold on the continent; they even captured the French king, Philip, occasioning a peace treaty in 1360.
This long-awaited third volume of Jonathan Sumption's monumental history of the war narrates the period from 1369 to 1393, a span marked by the slow decline of English fortunes and the subsequent rise of the French. The English were condemned to see the conquests of the previous thirty years overrun by the armies of the king of France in less than ten. Edward III was succeeded by a vulnerable child, destined to grow into a neurotic and unstable adult presiding over a divided nation. England's citizenry was being asked to pay for a long and expensive war, soldiers were becoming disenchanted, and the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 evidenced the social unrest in the land. However, France too paid a heavy price for her success. Beneath the surface splendor the French government sat poised at the edge of bankruptcy and the population subsisted in fear and insecurity. The inexperience of Charles VI and his gradual relapse into insanity divided the French political world, as the king's relatives competed for the plunder of the state, sowing the seeds of disintegration and civil war in the following century.
Marshaling a wide range of contemporary sources, both printed and manuscript, French and English, Sumption recounts the events of this critical period of the Hundred Years War in unprecedented detail."
The Hundred Years War was a vicious, costly, and, most dramatically, drawn out struggle that laid the framework for the national identities of both England and France into the modern era. The first twenty years of the war were positive for the English, by any account. They already held the South of France, through Eleanor of Aquitaine's dowry, and were allied with the Flemish in the north. After the brilliant naval battle of Sluys, the English had control of both the English Channel and the North Sea. The battles of Crecy and Poitiers gave the English a powerful toehold on the continent; they even captured the French king, Philip, occasioning a peace treaty in 1360.
This long-awaited third volume of Jonathan Sumption's monumental history of the war narrates the period from 1369 to 1393, a span marked by the slow decline of English fortunes and the subsequent rise of the French. The English were condemned to see the conquests of the previous thirty years overrun by the armies of the king of France in less than ten. Edward III was succeeded by a vulnerable child, destined to grow into a neurotic and unstable adult presiding over a divided nation. England's citizenry was being asked to pay for a long and expensive war, soldiers were becoming disenchanted, and the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 evidenced the social unrest in the land. However, France too paid a heavy price for her success. Beneath the surface splendor the French government sat poised at the edge of bankruptcy and the population subsisted in fear and insecurity. The inexperience of Charles VI and his gradual relapse into insanity divided the French political world, as the king's relatives competed for the plunder of the state, sowing the seeds of disintegration and civil war in the following century.
Marshaling a wide range of contemporary sources, both printed and manuscript, French and English, Sumption recounts the events of this critical period of the Hundred Years War in unprecedented detail."
1024 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Jonathan Sumption
31 books117 followersThe son of a barrister, Jonathan Philip Chadwick Sumption attended Eton then Magdalen College, Oxford, where he graduated with first-class honours in history in 1970. After being called to the bar at Inner Temple in 1975, he became a Queen's Council in 1986 and a Bencher in 1991. He is joint head of Brick Court Chambers and was appointed to the UK Supreme Court in 2011. He has written numerous books on history and is a governor of the Royal Academy of Music.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 19, 2013
Originally published on my blog here in January 2012.
The third volume of Sumption's brilliant history of the Hundred Years War has finally appeared, almost twenty years after the first. It covers thirty years, 1369-1399, a period which saw a weariness from the war arising in both France and England, and neither side being wholly successful in their endeavours (France doing rather better in this respect, undoing many of the concessions which were made to Edward III following victories in the earlier part of the century). The low key nature of the fighting is one of the reasons for this impression of weariness; the French leaders had decided that the lesson to be had from battles like Crecy and Poitiers was that defeats could best be avoided by refusing to fight large scale engagements.
It was also a period when experienced kings of England and France were replaced by teenagers (Charles VI and Richard II) or became incapable of governing (Edward III and Charles VI), leading up to Henry Bolingbroke's deposition of Richard II at the end of the book. The only really dynamic aspect is that the war spread to other nations, involving Scotland, Portugal, Flanders, Castile and the Papacy, during this period.
The great virtues of Divided Houses are of course shared with the first two volumes. The detailed knowledge of sources both well known and obscure continues, with the best known for this time being Froissart's entertaining Chronicles, which were also a source used by Shakespeare for his history plays. This is combined with accessible writing which is not noticeably partisan, unlike most of the more populist histories of the period I have seen, in English or French - the school books which dealt with the Middle Ages in the school I went to described the whole war in terms of the fortunes of the English, for example. The second volume, Trial by Fire, did get a bit bogged down in the tedious details of the small scale but viciously destructive fighting of the "routiers", mercenary captains who doubled as bandits: the activities of almost any single one are representative of the group as a whole. Here, the nature of the war in these decades means that the focus is more on the courtly politics in Paris and London (with side glances to the important centres of the other states involved), and this makes it more interesting to read.
The Hundred Years War was a pivotal period in the history of Western Europe, being highly influential in the development of the early modern states of England and France in particular. In this thirty year period, the change which is most noticeable is the way that the military fitted into the rest of society, a change important enough to receive a special overview chapter interrupting the main narrative thread. On the one hand there were technological changes following the introduction of gunpowder to warfare which would lead to the evolution of new strategy and tactics (eventually making both the castle and armoured knight obsolete in their fourteenth century form and function). The other development was the rise of the man at arms, who became a part of a class of professional soldiers as opposed to the former knights fighting from feudal obligation and often had quite humble origins (to the extent that it was not infrequent for nobles to refuse to be commanded by even the most famous, men like Chandos and Knollys).
Apart from the broad sweep of the development of medieval warfare, the main theme I saw in Divided Houses was just how difficult war was for medieval states, even though it was an exceptionally aggressive militaristic society, where warfare was glorified as the main occupation of most gently born men. Problems with finance, communications, logistics, and (often) poor generalship all made military success that much harder to achieve. When individuals trained in fighting from almost as soon as they could walk perform so badly, it is fairly clear that something is wrong with the training; my guess is that the emphasis was more on individual prowess in skills such as horse riding and hand to hand combat and honourable conduct than on more menial aspects of warfare such as strategy and logistics (itself admittedly made really difficult by the lack of transport infrastructure). And yet, if you can't get close enough to the enemy to engage them, the personal skills are pretty much useless.
Divided Houses details such débâcles as assembling an army to cross the Channel, only to fail to bring together enough ships to transport them before the period the soldiers were contracted for ran out. Armies were dispatched to meet an enemy force which was somewhere else - often a problem caused by the weeks it could take for accurate news of the current situation to travel between France and England. Campaign lengths were drastically underestimated, with the result that many soldiers had no pay after the first installment; a recipe for rebellion and pillage of local communities (sometimes even supposedly friendly ones). It was hardly surprising that it became harder and harder for the English kings in particular to persuade Parliament to grant the special taxes needed to fund a campaign. (It was easier in France, because most of the fighting happened there, which was a huge persuasive force in itself.) Of course, military incompetence is not restricted to any one period, and some wars (the First World War, or the Crimean War, for example) are notorious for it. So maybe the nobles of the fourteenth century were not surprisingly bad at warfare...
Another excellent volume in what must be among the largest medieval history projects ever undertaken. Another two or three volumes to go - but hopefully not another twenty years!
The third volume of Sumption's brilliant history of the Hundred Years War has finally appeared, almost twenty years after the first. It covers thirty years, 1369-1399, a period which saw a weariness from the war arising in both France and England, and neither side being wholly successful in their endeavours (France doing rather better in this respect, undoing many of the concessions which were made to Edward III following victories in the earlier part of the century). The low key nature of the fighting is one of the reasons for this impression of weariness; the French leaders had decided that the lesson to be had from battles like Crecy and Poitiers was that defeats could best be avoided by refusing to fight large scale engagements.
It was also a period when experienced kings of England and France were replaced by teenagers (Charles VI and Richard II) or became incapable of governing (Edward III and Charles VI), leading up to Henry Bolingbroke's deposition of Richard II at the end of the book. The only really dynamic aspect is that the war spread to other nations, involving Scotland, Portugal, Flanders, Castile and the Papacy, during this period.
The great virtues of Divided Houses are of course shared with the first two volumes. The detailed knowledge of sources both well known and obscure continues, with the best known for this time being Froissart's entertaining Chronicles, which were also a source used by Shakespeare for his history plays. This is combined with accessible writing which is not noticeably partisan, unlike most of the more populist histories of the period I have seen, in English or French - the school books which dealt with the Middle Ages in the school I went to described the whole war in terms of the fortunes of the English, for example. The second volume, Trial by Fire, did get a bit bogged down in the tedious details of the small scale but viciously destructive fighting of the "routiers", mercenary captains who doubled as bandits: the activities of almost any single one are representative of the group as a whole. Here, the nature of the war in these decades means that the focus is more on the courtly politics in Paris and London (with side glances to the important centres of the other states involved), and this makes it more interesting to read.
The Hundred Years War was a pivotal period in the history of Western Europe, being highly influential in the development of the early modern states of England and France in particular. In this thirty year period, the change which is most noticeable is the way that the military fitted into the rest of society, a change important enough to receive a special overview chapter interrupting the main narrative thread. On the one hand there were technological changes following the introduction of gunpowder to warfare which would lead to the evolution of new strategy and tactics (eventually making both the castle and armoured knight obsolete in their fourteenth century form and function). The other development was the rise of the man at arms, who became a part of a class of professional soldiers as opposed to the former knights fighting from feudal obligation and often had quite humble origins (to the extent that it was not infrequent for nobles to refuse to be commanded by even the most famous, men like Chandos and Knollys).
Apart from the broad sweep of the development of medieval warfare, the main theme I saw in Divided Houses was just how difficult war was for medieval states, even though it was an exceptionally aggressive militaristic society, where warfare was glorified as the main occupation of most gently born men. Problems with finance, communications, logistics, and (often) poor generalship all made military success that much harder to achieve. When individuals trained in fighting from almost as soon as they could walk perform so badly, it is fairly clear that something is wrong with the training; my guess is that the emphasis was more on individual prowess in skills such as horse riding and hand to hand combat and honourable conduct than on more menial aspects of warfare such as strategy and logistics (itself admittedly made really difficult by the lack of transport infrastructure). And yet, if you can't get close enough to the enemy to engage them, the personal skills are pretty much useless.
Divided Houses details such débâcles as assembling an army to cross the Channel, only to fail to bring together enough ships to transport them before the period the soldiers were contracted for ran out. Armies were dispatched to meet an enemy force which was somewhere else - often a problem caused by the weeks it could take for accurate news of the current situation to travel between France and England. Campaign lengths were drastically underestimated, with the result that many soldiers had no pay after the first installment; a recipe for rebellion and pillage of local communities (sometimes even supposedly friendly ones). It was hardly surprising that it became harder and harder for the English kings in particular to persuade Parliament to grant the special taxes needed to fund a campaign. (It was easier in France, because most of the fighting happened there, which was a huge persuasive force in itself.) Of course, military incompetence is not restricted to any one period, and some wars (the First World War, or the Crimean War, for example) are notorious for it. So maybe the nobles of the fourteenth century were not surprisingly bad at warfare...
Another excellent volume in what must be among the largest medieval history projects ever undertaken. Another two or three volumes to go - but hopefully not another twenty years!
July 12, 2014
This is an absolutely astonishing book. The vast depth and scope of the narrative (the book weighs in at a hefty 1006 pages), the sheer number of primary sources consulted in several languages, the clarity of the writing, with an extremely complex story spanning half a continent told with the verve and excitement of a novel, a book of the greatest imaginable scholarship which wears that scholarship lightly and is highly accessible, all of this and much more makes this book history-telling at its absolute finest. Just. WOW.
March 1, 2022
De todos los libros que puedan haberse escrito acerca de ese conflicto sangriento y cuasi eterno entre Francia e Inglaterra a lo largo de los siglos XIV y XV y que se denominó “La Guerra de los Cien Años”; salta a la vista que es la ciclópea obra del historiador y juez de la Suprema Corte del Reino Unido, Jonathan Sumption – Lord Sumption - la que se erige como la publicación definitiva de una de las conflagraciones más emocionantes y que mejor definieron el futuro y la configuración del continente europeo, así como el principio del fin de la Edad Media.
“The Hundred Years War” es una gigantesca obra histórica que está dividida en 4 volúmenes, los cuales han sido publicados entre 1990 y 2015. El estilo narrativo de Lord Sumption es una delicia de la prosa inglesa (según sus propias declaraciones, influenciado por la “pulida e impecable prosa de Edward Gibbon”), con una manera especial de narrar los acontecimientos, la preparación y el desarrollo de las batallas, la actuación de los personajes y las consecuencias de los enfrentamientos bélicos y diplomáticos; algo que se agradece considerando los distintos escenarios en lo que se desarrolló una guerra más que todo estática y llena de escaramuzas y treguas cortas seguidas de largos períodos de inactividad, lo que podría hacer perder y confundir al lector casual. La bibliografía es bastante extensa y las fuentes por lo general, son primarias y soportan un exhaustivo trabajo de investigación que se ve reflejado en una maravillosa y muy objetiva exposición histórica del conflicto que arrasó los campos y pueblos de Francia.
En este tercer volumen titulado “Divided Houses” continuaremos con las lides tal como las dejamos en el tomo anterior: La repentina muerte de Juan II en 1364 y el ascenso de su hijo Carlos V “El Sabio” al trono de Francia quien repudió las concesiones territoriales hechas por su padre a favor de Inglaterra en los tratados de Brétigny (1360) y Calais (1361). En las tres décadas que se abordan en este volumen (1369-1399), asistiremos a la pérdida de casi todos los territorios conquistados por Eduardo III y Eduardo de Woodstock en Francia gracias a la estrategia militar diseñada por Carlos V, amén de la caída en desgracia de un senil Eduardo III y un Eduardo de Woodstock corroído por una enfermedad incurable que lo llevaría a una larga e incapacitante agonía por casi 10 años. Con las muertes de “El Príncipe Negro” en 1376 y Eduardo III en 1377, la conducción de la guerra recae en su nieto, Ricardo II quien cuenta con tan solo 10 años. Frente a esta situación, las tornas de la guerra giran favorablemente a favor de Francia, quienes logran reclamar por la vía militar casi todos los territorios perdidos a manos inglesas durante 20 años, dejándolos solamente con algunos territorios en Gascogne y la fortaleza de Calais; la menor porción de tierra controlada por ingleses en Francia desde el inicio de las hostilidades. Sin embargo, en 1380 Carlos V muere heredando la corona a su hijo Carlos VI “El Loco”, quien llega al trono con tan solo 11 años. El destino de la guerra queda en manos de dos adolescentes y sus regentes, mientras el conflicto empieza a permear otros reinos en los que la influencia de Francia o Inglaterra es decisiva para poner o deponer monarcas: Castilla; Portugal, Navarra, Flandes e Italia; y en medio de todo, la Iglesia Católica – tal vez la única institución en el Siglo XIV interesada en la paz de ambos reinos-; atraviesa por el llamado “Gran Cisma de Occidente” con un papa en Aviñón apoyado por Francia y otro en Roma respaldado por Inglaterra, agregando más leña a la hoguera política. En todo caso con ambos reinos extenuados política y financieramente gracias a cincuenta años de guerra, la situación desemboca en la Tregua de Leulinghem de 1989, poniendo fin a lo que más adelante se conocería como “La Segunda Fase” de la Guerra de los Cien años.
A pesar de todo, los dioses de la guerra aún no estaban lo suficientemente hastiados de sangre y almas, pues surgirían dos eventos que plantarían las semillas de una reanudación de las hostilidades: Por el lado de Francia el inicio de los ataques psicóticos de Carlos VI, cuyos episodios de locura empezaron a ser cada vez más frecuentes y violentos y con lapsos de lucidez más breves. Con un rey ausente y demente, se iniciaría una disputa política por el control de poder entre los tíos del rey y su hermano menor, Luís de Orleáns, lo que desembocaría en una guerra civil unos años más adelante. Por los lados de Inglaterra, un Ricardo II cada vez más despótico y tiránico inició una campaña en contra de antiguos detractores, a quienes llevó a juicio, condenó y asesinó. Asegurándose más y más tierras de la nobleza inglesa, desterró a perpetuidad a su primo Enrique Bolingbroke no sólo para consolidar a su nombre las grandes extensiones de tierra de la Casa de Lancaster, sino también para excluir a un posible rival en la sucesión del trono, teniendo en cuenta que Ricardo II no tenía hijos varones (Con este episodio empieza el “El Rey Ricardo II” de William ShakespeareShakespeare). Bolingbroke huyó a Francia y con ayuda de Luís de Orleáns desembarcó con un pequeño ejército al norte de Inglaterra en 1399. Sumando apoyos de las casas del norte, Enrique Bolingbroke plantó desafío a Ricardo II quien andaba en campaña militar para pacificar Irlanda. Ante las deserciones y el gran ejército que iba acumulando Bolingbroke, Ricardo abdicó el 29 de septiembre de 1399 y aquel fue coronado por el Parlamento como Enrique IV de Inglaterra, cerrando de esta manera el siglo XIV, así como el relato de este maravilloso libro.
Por la apasionante narración histórica aquí contenida; por la impresionante atención que presta el autor a los pequeños detalles y hechos que fueron configurando poco a poco la enmarañada red de acciones y protagonistas de una conflagración ya consolidada; por la forma minuciosa y ordenada como se presenta la cronología de una guerra que duró más de un siglo y por la manera amena y a la vez erudita de presentar este tomo, no me resta más que recomendar la obra a todo aquel apasionado por la historia de la Edad Media, de Francia y de Inglaterra o por quien desee conocer el desarrollo de los años más brutales de la Guerra de los Cien Años. Más que ansioso por hincarle el diente al cuarto tomo, “Cursed Kings”, donde seguramente presenciaremos el declive y la cuasi destrucción del reino de Francia en sus momentos más oscuros en la larga guerra.
“The Hundred Years War” es una gigantesca obra histórica que está dividida en 4 volúmenes, los cuales han sido publicados entre 1990 y 2015. El estilo narrativo de Lord Sumption es una delicia de la prosa inglesa (según sus propias declaraciones, influenciado por la “pulida e impecable prosa de Edward Gibbon”), con una manera especial de narrar los acontecimientos, la preparación y el desarrollo de las batallas, la actuación de los personajes y las consecuencias de los enfrentamientos bélicos y diplomáticos; algo que se agradece considerando los distintos escenarios en lo que se desarrolló una guerra más que todo estática y llena de escaramuzas y treguas cortas seguidas de largos períodos de inactividad, lo que podría hacer perder y confundir al lector casual. La bibliografía es bastante extensa y las fuentes por lo general, son primarias y soportan un exhaustivo trabajo de investigación que se ve reflejado en una maravillosa y muy objetiva exposición histórica del conflicto que arrasó los campos y pueblos de Francia.
En este tercer volumen titulado “Divided Houses” continuaremos con las lides tal como las dejamos en el tomo anterior: La repentina muerte de Juan II en 1364 y el ascenso de su hijo Carlos V “El Sabio” al trono de Francia quien repudió las concesiones territoriales hechas por su padre a favor de Inglaterra en los tratados de Brétigny (1360) y Calais (1361). En las tres décadas que se abordan en este volumen (1369-1399), asistiremos a la pérdida de casi todos los territorios conquistados por Eduardo III y Eduardo de Woodstock en Francia gracias a la estrategia militar diseñada por Carlos V, amén de la caída en desgracia de un senil Eduardo III y un Eduardo de Woodstock corroído por una enfermedad incurable que lo llevaría a una larga e incapacitante agonía por casi 10 años. Con las muertes de “El Príncipe Negro” en 1376 y Eduardo III en 1377, la conducción de la guerra recae en su nieto, Ricardo II quien cuenta con tan solo 10 años. Frente a esta situación, las tornas de la guerra giran favorablemente a favor de Francia, quienes logran reclamar por la vía militar casi todos los territorios perdidos a manos inglesas durante 20 años, dejándolos solamente con algunos territorios en Gascogne y la fortaleza de Calais; la menor porción de tierra controlada por ingleses en Francia desde el inicio de las hostilidades. Sin embargo, en 1380 Carlos V muere heredando la corona a su hijo Carlos VI “El Loco”, quien llega al trono con tan solo 11 años. El destino de la guerra queda en manos de dos adolescentes y sus regentes, mientras el conflicto empieza a permear otros reinos en los que la influencia de Francia o Inglaterra es decisiva para poner o deponer monarcas: Castilla; Portugal, Navarra, Flandes e Italia; y en medio de todo, la Iglesia Católica – tal vez la única institución en el Siglo XIV interesada en la paz de ambos reinos-; atraviesa por el llamado “Gran Cisma de Occidente” con un papa en Aviñón apoyado por Francia y otro en Roma respaldado por Inglaterra, agregando más leña a la hoguera política. En todo caso con ambos reinos extenuados política y financieramente gracias a cincuenta años de guerra, la situación desemboca en la Tregua de Leulinghem de 1989, poniendo fin a lo que más adelante se conocería como “La Segunda Fase” de la Guerra de los Cien años.
A pesar de todo, los dioses de la guerra aún no estaban lo suficientemente hastiados de sangre y almas, pues surgirían dos eventos que plantarían las semillas de una reanudación de las hostilidades: Por el lado de Francia el inicio de los ataques psicóticos de Carlos VI, cuyos episodios de locura empezaron a ser cada vez más frecuentes y violentos y con lapsos de lucidez más breves. Con un rey ausente y demente, se iniciaría una disputa política por el control de poder entre los tíos del rey y su hermano menor, Luís de Orleáns, lo que desembocaría en una guerra civil unos años más adelante. Por los lados de Inglaterra, un Ricardo II cada vez más despótico y tiránico inició una campaña en contra de antiguos detractores, a quienes llevó a juicio, condenó y asesinó. Asegurándose más y más tierras de la nobleza inglesa, desterró a perpetuidad a su primo Enrique Bolingbroke no sólo para consolidar a su nombre las grandes extensiones de tierra de la Casa de Lancaster, sino también para excluir a un posible rival en la sucesión del trono, teniendo en cuenta que Ricardo II no tenía hijos varones (Con este episodio empieza el “El Rey Ricardo II” de William ShakespeareShakespeare). Bolingbroke huyó a Francia y con ayuda de Luís de Orleáns desembarcó con un pequeño ejército al norte de Inglaterra en 1399. Sumando apoyos de las casas del norte, Enrique Bolingbroke plantó desafío a Ricardo II quien andaba en campaña militar para pacificar Irlanda. Ante las deserciones y el gran ejército que iba acumulando Bolingbroke, Ricardo abdicó el 29 de septiembre de 1399 y aquel fue coronado por el Parlamento como Enrique IV de Inglaterra, cerrando de esta manera el siglo XIV, así como el relato de este maravilloso libro.
Por la apasionante narración histórica aquí contenida; por la impresionante atención que presta el autor a los pequeños detalles y hechos que fueron configurando poco a poco la enmarañada red de acciones y protagonistas de una conflagración ya consolidada; por la forma minuciosa y ordenada como se presenta la cronología de una guerra que duró más de un siglo y por la manera amena y a la vez erudita de presentar este tomo, no me resta más que recomendar la obra a todo aquel apasionado por la historia de la Edad Media, de Francia y de Inglaterra o por quien desee conocer el desarrollo de los años más brutales de la Guerra de los Cien Años. Más que ansioso por hincarle el diente al cuarto tomo, “Cursed Kings”, donde seguramente presenciaremos el declive y la cuasi destrucción del reino de Francia en sus momentos más oscuros en la larga guerra.
October 21, 2015
I wish they honestly gave a 6 star option. That way, I would feel more comfortable not giving this book 5 stars, which it truly deserves. The only problem with the book (which isn't really a problem, but just a reason I couldn't give the book 5 stars) is the topic. The first 400 pages of this book are incredibly boring, but if it was written by any other author, I would have thrown it against the wall. The only reason I kept reading was the author did such an amazing job on Vol 1 and 2 that I couldn't see myself not finishing this series, and I'm incredibly happy I chose to keep reading. This book is a masterpiece if you can get through page 430ish.
Read
December 5, 2025A far more enjoyable read than the second volume, as this spans a series of events that leads to the reversal of fortunes for the French, their relative rapid reconquest of the lands lost in the Treaty of Bretigny (1360) following the Black Prince being incapacitated physically and politically by his disease and loss of finances respectively, the following events are described in great and colorful detail:
- the rising star of the Bertrand De Guesclin
- the many tribulations of the John of Gaunt on the Iberian peninsula in his desperate bid for the Castile's crown
- the endless travails of the Iberian kingdoms and their colorful rulers, Henry of Trastamara, his son John and his Portuguese counterpart (also John) ((who conspired with John of Gaunt in the war of 3 Johns, makes one ponder !)
- the intricate details of politics and intrigues in the French court, bid for power between the uncles of Charles VI, the most notable being Philip of Burgundy who set out to carve out his own principality and add Flanders to his own domain
- the struggles of establishing a long lasting peace in spite of the English reverse of fortune, as no decisive victory over them could be achieved and no one was willing to concede the demands of the other side
- The Papal schism of 1377, diving Christendom between Avignon and Roman camps
A lot events are described in this volume, it's bridled with a vast expanse of detail, providing for a thrilling read. Long gone are the hundreds of pages dedicated to the escapades of no-name routiers who captured castles that were recaptured gadzillion times in the following years without any meaningful change to the course of conflict
Recommendeded, this a history-nerd porn at its best
- the rising star of the Bertrand De Guesclin
- the many tribulations of the John of Gaunt on the Iberian peninsula in his desperate bid for the Castile's crown
- the endless travails of the Iberian kingdoms and their colorful rulers, Henry of Trastamara, his son John and his Portuguese counterpart (also John) ((who conspired with John of Gaunt in the war of 3 Johns, makes one ponder !)
- the intricate details of politics and intrigues in the French court, bid for power between the uncles of Charles VI, the most notable being Philip of Burgundy who set out to carve out his own principality and add Flanders to his own domain
- the struggles of establishing a long lasting peace in spite of the English reverse of fortune, as no decisive victory over them could be achieved and no one was willing to concede the demands of the other side
- The Papal schism of 1377, diving Christendom between Avignon and Roman camps
A lot events are described in this volume, it's bridled with a vast expanse of detail, providing for a thrilling read. Long gone are the hundreds of pages dedicated to the escapades of no-name routiers who captured castles that were recaptured gadzillion times in the following years without any meaningful change to the course of conflict
Recommendeded, this a history-nerd porn at its best
January 1, 2013
As far as I know (and my doctorate is in English medieval history specializing in the reign of Richard II) this is the only really thorough military history in English of the era in the Hundred Years War from Edward III's dotage to the deposition of Richard II. There is a fairly obvious reason that English-speaking scholars have neglected this period --it was a very low point in the war for the English, with the French under King Charles V and Bertrand du Gueclin regaining virtually everything the French had lost earlier in the war. This book not only goes through the whole process practically castle by castle. It also explains the political and economic background, in particular the taxes that supported, or failed to support the war. Beyond the English-French struggle, it includes the very important developments in Spain and Portugal, especially the Portuguese struggle for independence. It also does more justice to the Flemish revolt and Bishop Despenser's crusade (which is portrayed as a much more serious operation than most accounts make it --the bitterly contested siege of Ypres is vividly described.) The French involvement in Italy, especially Naples and Milan, is also considered with its impact on French factional politics. The factional politics of early reign of Charles VI in France and the reign of Richard II are analyzed, with the narrow failure to achieve a permanent peace. This version is perhaps unnecessarily harsh on Richard II, and contains one minor error --the Thomas Holland who became duke of Surrey was Richard's nephew, not his half-brother.Oveall, though, this is an extraordinarily tour-de-force, and will probably never be matched at this level of detail again.
April 25, 2020
"Lancaster governs by the will of the English people and the English people like nothing better than war"
April 11, 2025
The third volume in this mesmerizing narrative history. I intended to intersperse these books with other reading, but I find that I can’t stop reading.
This takes the story up to the revolt against Richard II, who comes across as less sympathetic than in Shakespeare’s play. Of especially note is the chapter on “Men At Arms”’ which can be read as an independent on the mores of chivalry during the period.
This takes the story up to the revolt against Richard II, who comes across as less sympathetic than in Shakespeare’s play. Of especially note is the chapter on “Men At Arms”’ which can be read as an independent on the mores of chivalry during the period.
October 20, 2015
Two themes define the third volume of Jonathan Sumption's history of the Hundred Years' War. The first is the shift in fortunes from the English to the French. After the successes enjoyed by English arms in the 1350s that culminated in the capture of the French king John II, the tide began to turn against them as a result of a number of factors. Paramount among them was the leadership of John's son Charles V, who after taking the throne in the aftermath of his father's death began repairing French fortunes through better financial management. Not only did this allow the French to maintain a permanent army, thus addressing some of the problems created by employing mercenary bands, but it put the French in a better position to exploit English weakness. With the resumption of the fighting in 1369. France was able to reverse English gains from the previous decade, gradually clawing back territories that had been claimed by English forces.
In this they were aided by the growing problems of the English government, which formed the second theme of the volume -- the failure of monarchical government. Though having led England to victory earlier in the war, by the 1370s Edward III was suffering from the maladies of old age and was increasingly disengaged from government. Moreover, the growing number of military setbacks fueled discontent with the financial burdens of the war, especially when military failures in France were compared with the triumphs of before. Nor did Edward's death in 1377 alleviate matters, as his succession by his 10-year-old grandson Richard II, whose own crisis-filled regime was preceded by infighting among a troubled political nation. France was in poor position to benefit from this, however, as Charles's own death in 1380 led to his replacement by his son, a dashing dullard who from 1392 began experiencing the bouts of insanity that would increasingly plague him for the next thirty years. With so much authority reliant upon monarchical legitimacy, the result in both kingdoms was a political vacuum inadequately filled by competing advisers who were content to let the war drift into an inconclusive truce that lasted for the remainder of the century.
Sumption recounts all of this in a masterful account that maintains the high standards he set for himself with his earlier volumes. While some of the early chapters drag a little, he succeeds for the most part in capturing the epic scale of the conflict, one that was not confined to the two kingdoms but had an impact on virtually all of western and southwestern Europe. By the time the reader finishes the pages of this book they are left not only with a through understanding of the intricate interconnections that shaped the conflict, but they are left wanting to pick up the next volume to discover what happened next. After over a thousand pages chronicling thirty decades of incessant conflict, this is no small feat, and serves as a testament to the quality of Sumption's work.
In this they were aided by the growing problems of the English government, which formed the second theme of the volume -- the failure of monarchical government. Though having led England to victory earlier in the war, by the 1370s Edward III was suffering from the maladies of old age and was increasingly disengaged from government. Moreover, the growing number of military setbacks fueled discontent with the financial burdens of the war, especially when military failures in France were compared with the triumphs of before. Nor did Edward's death in 1377 alleviate matters, as his succession by his 10-year-old grandson Richard II, whose own crisis-filled regime was preceded by infighting among a troubled political nation. France was in poor position to benefit from this, however, as Charles's own death in 1380 led to his replacement by his son, a dashing dullard who from 1392 began experiencing the bouts of insanity that would increasingly plague him for the next thirty years. With so much authority reliant upon monarchical legitimacy, the result in both kingdoms was a political vacuum inadequately filled by competing advisers who were content to let the war drift into an inconclusive truce that lasted for the remainder of the century.
Sumption recounts all of this in a masterful account that maintains the high standards he set for himself with his earlier volumes. While some of the early chapters drag a little, he succeeds for the most part in capturing the epic scale of the conflict, one that was not confined to the two kingdoms but had an impact on virtually all of western and southwestern Europe. By the time the reader finishes the pages of this book they are left not only with a through understanding of the intricate interconnections that shaped the conflict, but they are left wanting to pick up the next volume to discover what happened next. After over a thousand pages chronicling thirty decades of incessant conflict, this is no small feat, and serves as a testament to the quality of Sumption's work.
July 22, 2019
I think volume 2 has been my favourite so far, but there is no doubting the scholarship and narrative drive of all the books. Magisterial. Can't wait to start volume 4.
May 25, 2021
Very absorbing continuation of the saga; ends with the deposition of Richard II.
August 19, 2026
09/11/2026: FINISHED. Just finished it this morning. Finishes on an extremely intense cliffhanger that got me even more immersed, that is the deposition of Richard II after a series of foolhardy and absolutist moves during the truce in the 1390's with France. The parallel lives of Richard II, sane and intelligent but politically fragile, with Charles VI. Charles VI, king of France who has what we would now understand to be an untreated paranoid schizophrenia (or something vaguely similar) but due to the French King's position and the stronger family support system is almost totally unassailable during his long rule. Hard to tell which is better or worse for the system. Phenomenal book that fixes a lot of the 'issues' of the previous two, by explaining much more and adding more background. For instance, though these two chapters near the end of this book should've been done in the first book, the chapters explaining the Routiers (semi-recognized bandits, non-state parties to the war operating in loose confederations or bands) and the system of 'chivalry' and 'men at arms' and how that whole aristocratic class and code actually worked, were both extremely enlightening and added a lot of detail to processes which went on and the author assumed you were familiar with.
Insanely good book, but after 3 long books on this subject I have a guilty feeling pulling me to read something else so I don't focus too much.
09/03/2026: About 60% in. Feeling like I'm a bit of a one track mind lately, focusing on this so much when equivalent numbers of pages could be a host of books across many more fields. But I just love, love narrative history with this kind of vivid flavor, rich with stories, characters, events. I'm not even going to get into summarizing what's happening in particular, it's just not the interesting part of the series, really. Big war, transformations in society, the death of the 'middle ages' and birth of the 'early modern world', etc. The author does a great job of not missing the forest for the trees. For instance, the black death occurs in the middle of this set of wars with devastating demographic and economic effects, and yet he keeps his eye on the ball and focuses on the long term impacts on the political economy and its structure without delving much into the disaster per se.
This guy is just an insanely good writer, every time things go into a 'lull' and I think I'm going to start getting bored he describes some side or minor event with such rich vision and with such an excellent eye towards weaving together each of the countries perspectives and domestic problems that I can't help but get pulled back in. So far the period of mutual domestic crisis in France, England, and the lowlands centered on urban revolutions and tax rebellions in the late 1370's in the mid 1380's is just astoundingly interesting and well written. You can really see the development of the Early Modern state in these nations, and it adds much to my own personal thesis of war as the major source of development, social transformation, and macrohistorical change. In sum, these wars do an immense amount to bring about what we now think of as 'modern' states, 'modern' views of nationality or identity, etc. Not to mention the slow, barely mentioned, but increasingly obvious evolution in warfare (cannons are becoming incrementally more common from being barely present, early arquebuses are showing up, the finance side could be a whole different post). The ideas of chivalry or nobility are totally marginal when viewed through the really existing development of political/economic life of these states.
The backdrop of the whole set of wars through the birth of Capitalism through increasing wage labor, increasing centralization of both local and national governments, management of ties between states and social groups through commerce and finance provides a thick set of ties that bundle the normally somewhat trivia oriented year by year narrative history together. This set of books, and this extended set of wars, is punctuated with 'aha' moments where I suddenly realize how 'early modern' things are becoming, and 'aha' moments where I'm confronted with how social network, friendship and kin circle, and personality driven so much of pre-modern politics ("feudalism", if you want, but that term seems silly) was. Much to be said about how modern politics is like that too, but these grand 'states' being held together by extended family networks of the King and his friends and the social networks of nobility with shared interests is just fascinating. The Marxist view of the aristocracy and their worldview, shared interests, etc. is borne out very clearly. The author does a great job of weaving these ideas and separated topics together, and though my previous criticisms still hold about the lack of clear financial, demographic, cultural analysis it becomes increasingly less relevant in the face of the massive and textured detail conveyed.
Once you start reading between the lines of these many hundreds of little anecdotes, small sieges, little interactions between power brokers and kin and see the full picture in these countries develop, there is an immense clarity on how this type of society 'worked'. More turgid and rigorous analysis would convey much less of an actual window in the political and diplomatic 'life' of these events, and much less into the intricacy of the social relations, cultural norms, and the general 'worldview' that these people operated in. Dope ass book
08/14/2026: Currently reading, about 15% in. After the end of the truce, the French get it together through years of consolidation. The long term population and economic mismatch is simply immense. The English are getting screwed repeatedly, and domestically the peace didn't seem to improve tax revenues much. Same criticism as before, but one thing of note is just how intensely important the personality, health, decision making of these critical hereditary decision makers is. Not necessarily because the King himself is so important, but he himself appoints almost every significant role in the government. Each feudal entity is a node network like that. Bad decision making start to creep into England here. It's interesting how feudal states seem to progress and develop and build state capacity at the expense of the monarchy in the long run, but that progress is constantly mitigated and struggled against by that monarchy. It's a sort of typical macro-historical view of development, but these monarchies are such a huge block on the success of their states, and the RNG element rears its head over and over and over. To be expected, I suppose.
Insanely good book, but after 3 long books on this subject I have a guilty feeling pulling me to read something else so I don't focus too much.
09/03/2026: About 60% in. Feeling like I'm a bit of a one track mind lately, focusing on this so much when equivalent numbers of pages could be a host of books across many more fields. But I just love, love narrative history with this kind of vivid flavor, rich with stories, characters, events. I'm not even going to get into summarizing what's happening in particular, it's just not the interesting part of the series, really. Big war, transformations in society, the death of the 'middle ages' and birth of the 'early modern world', etc. The author does a great job of not missing the forest for the trees. For instance, the black death occurs in the middle of this set of wars with devastating demographic and economic effects, and yet he keeps his eye on the ball and focuses on the long term impacts on the political economy and its structure without delving much into the disaster per se.
This guy is just an insanely good writer, every time things go into a 'lull' and I think I'm going to start getting bored he describes some side or minor event with such rich vision and with such an excellent eye towards weaving together each of the countries perspectives and domestic problems that I can't help but get pulled back in. So far the period of mutual domestic crisis in France, England, and the lowlands centered on urban revolutions and tax rebellions in the late 1370's in the mid 1380's is just astoundingly interesting and well written. You can really see the development of the Early Modern state in these nations, and it adds much to my own personal thesis of war as the major source of development, social transformation, and macrohistorical change. In sum, these wars do an immense amount to bring about what we now think of as 'modern' states, 'modern' views of nationality or identity, etc. Not to mention the slow, barely mentioned, but increasingly obvious evolution in warfare (cannons are becoming incrementally more common from being barely present, early arquebuses are showing up, the finance side could be a whole different post). The ideas of chivalry or nobility are totally marginal when viewed through the really existing development of political/economic life of these states.
The backdrop of the whole set of wars through the birth of Capitalism through increasing wage labor, increasing centralization of both local and national governments, management of ties between states and social groups through commerce and finance provides a thick set of ties that bundle the normally somewhat trivia oriented year by year narrative history together. This set of books, and this extended set of wars, is punctuated with 'aha' moments where I suddenly realize how 'early modern' things are becoming, and 'aha' moments where I'm confronted with how social network, friendship and kin circle, and personality driven so much of pre-modern politics ("feudalism", if you want, but that term seems silly) was. Much to be said about how modern politics is like that too, but these grand 'states' being held together by extended family networks of the King and his friends and the social networks of nobility with shared interests is just fascinating. The Marxist view of the aristocracy and their worldview, shared interests, etc. is borne out very clearly. The author does a great job of weaving these ideas and separated topics together, and though my previous criticisms still hold about the lack of clear financial, demographic, cultural analysis it becomes increasingly less relevant in the face of the massive and textured detail conveyed.
Once you start reading between the lines of these many hundreds of little anecdotes, small sieges, little interactions between power brokers and kin and see the full picture in these countries develop, there is an immense clarity on how this type of society 'worked'. More turgid and rigorous analysis would convey much less of an actual window in the political and diplomatic 'life' of these events, and much less into the intricacy of the social relations, cultural norms, and the general 'worldview' that these people operated in. Dope ass book
08/14/2026: Currently reading, about 15% in. After the end of the truce, the French get it together through years of consolidation. The long term population and economic mismatch is simply immense. The English are getting screwed repeatedly, and domestically the peace didn't seem to improve tax revenues much. Same criticism as before, but one thing of note is just how intensely important the personality, health, decision making of these critical hereditary decision makers is. Not necessarily because the King himself is so important, but he himself appoints almost every significant role in the government. Each feudal entity is a node network like that. Bad decision making start to creep into England here. It's interesting how feudal states seem to progress and develop and build state capacity at the expense of the monarchy in the long run, but that progress is constantly mitigated and struggled against by that monarchy. It's a sort of typical macro-historical view of development, but these monarchies are such a huge block on the success of their states, and the RNG element rears its head over and over and over. To be expected, I suppose.
June 15, 2025
As well as being a lock-down sceptic and former supreme court judge, Jonathan Sumption is a distinguished historian who has produced a magisterial five-volume history of the Hundred Years War between England and France. Divided Houses is the third volume in the series. It was first published in 2009 and is regarded as the most accurate and detailed account of the war so far written – on this side of the Channel at any rate.
This volume covers the period from 1369 to 1399. During this period France recovered from the disasters of Crecy and Poitiers, despite the early death of King Charles V and the madness of his son and successor, Charles VI. During the same period England lost the ageing – and increasingly incapable – Edward III, who was replaced by his son Richard II, who was nine years old when he was crowned in 1377. This brings us to another similarity between the two countries. Both acquired boy kings who were under the thumbs of frustrated royal uncles who yearned to get their hands on the levers of power somewhere, somehow. In both countries we have royal uncles who dream of carving out independent kingdoms for themselves outside the country of their birth. In the case of the French Duke of Anjou, he plots to make himself King of Naples; while England’s John of Gaunt marries a Spanish princess and tries to make himself King of Castile.
The ambitions of these men widen the scope of the war, so we have Portugal allying with England, while Castile forms an alliance with France. Other Spanish states – Aragon and Navarre – had already jumped in, along with the Low Countries, Scotland, the Irish chieftains and states within the Holy Roman Empire. We also have conflict between the rival Popes of Rome and Avignon and a crusade against the Turks in Hungary.
The author includes a chapter on military service and makes it clear how ruinously expensive it is. Only a minority of English knights served in France, apparently because of the high cost of armour, weapons and horses. Nevertheless, this period saw the rise of a corps of professional soldiers operating on their own account, for pillage and plunder, or hiring themselves out to whichever ruler needed their skills and had a deep pocket. Patriotism didn’t come into it. The author is also really good on explaining the complexities of taxation and the difficulties rulers across Europe had in recruiting soldiers and sustaining armies in the field. He is also really good on explaining the horrendous impact of warfare on civilian populations, especially the practice of sacking towns and cities and ravaging the countryside.
In the later chapters we see growing discontent in England with the rule of Richard II. Having tried to free himself from the influence of his uncles, he developed a tendency to pick advisors who were not considered acceptable by either the royal family and aristocracy or by the increasingly influential merchant class. The result was a period of rebellions – most famously the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 – and coups and machinations. This gave the French a breathing space in which to deal with the mental instability of Charles VI and the ambitions of his uncles. In fact, Richard II was very keen on making a lasting peace with the French and when he was deposed in 1399, the French interpretation was that he was done away with because he was a man of peace and a lover of France. I’m glossing over the fact that in 1393, at the age of 28, Richard married a French princess who was five days short of her seventh birthday…..
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about English history and about our relations with Europe, especially our turbulent relationship with France. I am looking forward to getting stuck into Volume IV.
This volume covers the period from 1369 to 1399. During this period France recovered from the disasters of Crecy and Poitiers, despite the early death of King Charles V and the madness of his son and successor, Charles VI. During the same period England lost the ageing – and increasingly incapable – Edward III, who was replaced by his son Richard II, who was nine years old when he was crowned in 1377. This brings us to another similarity between the two countries. Both acquired boy kings who were under the thumbs of frustrated royal uncles who yearned to get their hands on the levers of power somewhere, somehow. In both countries we have royal uncles who dream of carving out independent kingdoms for themselves outside the country of their birth. In the case of the French Duke of Anjou, he plots to make himself King of Naples; while England’s John of Gaunt marries a Spanish princess and tries to make himself King of Castile.
The ambitions of these men widen the scope of the war, so we have Portugal allying with England, while Castile forms an alliance with France. Other Spanish states – Aragon and Navarre – had already jumped in, along with the Low Countries, Scotland, the Irish chieftains and states within the Holy Roman Empire. We also have conflict between the rival Popes of Rome and Avignon and a crusade against the Turks in Hungary.
The author includes a chapter on military service and makes it clear how ruinously expensive it is. Only a minority of English knights served in France, apparently because of the high cost of armour, weapons and horses. Nevertheless, this period saw the rise of a corps of professional soldiers operating on their own account, for pillage and plunder, or hiring themselves out to whichever ruler needed their skills and had a deep pocket. Patriotism didn’t come into it. The author is also really good on explaining the complexities of taxation and the difficulties rulers across Europe had in recruiting soldiers and sustaining armies in the field. He is also really good on explaining the horrendous impact of warfare on civilian populations, especially the practice of sacking towns and cities and ravaging the countryside.
In the later chapters we see growing discontent in England with the rule of Richard II. Having tried to free himself from the influence of his uncles, he developed a tendency to pick advisors who were not considered acceptable by either the royal family and aristocracy or by the increasingly influential merchant class. The result was a period of rebellions – most famously the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 – and coups and machinations. This gave the French a breathing space in which to deal with the mental instability of Charles VI and the ambitions of his uncles. In fact, Richard II was very keen on making a lasting peace with the French and when he was deposed in 1399, the French interpretation was that he was done away with because he was a man of peace and a lover of France. I’m glossing over the fact that in 1393, at the age of 28, Richard married a French princess who was five days short of her seventh birthday…..
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about English history and about our relations with Europe, especially our turbulent relationship with France. I am looking forward to getting stuck into Volume IV.
September 5, 2025
The Hundred Years War may strike modern readers as too distant for any lessons for our world: chivalry and monarchies have largely left the world stage we now inhabit, replaced with highly-technical armed forces that symbolize the power of nation-states and republics that bow to the whims of majorities rather than monarchs. But Sumption's third installment of his books on the Hundred Years War shows how immediate the war can be: societies rife with political, economic, and social inequalities that suddenly burst into populist anarchy, as occurred in the Peasants Revolts in England and France in the 1380s; a war that neither side wants to lose, but cannot find any plausible way to win, or indeed fund from an overtaxed and war-weary population; political leaders, like Charles VI in France and Richard II in England, that must row between the sharp elbows of powerful factions and players at court who have their own agendas and seek their own enrichment.
The trajectory of Volume III is the collapse of the English position in the war, as Gascony and Aquitaine are gradually made smaller by the tactical genius of Bertrand du Guesclin. England fails to solve the math on taxation revenues matching anywhere near the treasures accumulated by the much richer French state. Factions come and go at the English court, and yet the war drags on, with no one willing to compromise on the issues of sovereignty and territorial concessions required for a permanent peace. Even at the end of the 1300s, the Truce of Leulinghem favors the French, as it preserves the status quo and offers nothing to England other than a moment to catch their collective breath.
France gyrates between its own internal factions, and yet there is a centrifugal pressure moving towards greater centralization of the state. The volume concludes with the English overthrowing Richard II in favor of Henry of Bolingbroke (King Henry IV), something that the French community never contemplates even as King Charles VI descends into schizophrenic madness. England, for better or worse, trades out its rulers on a frequent basis, whereas France sees its rulers as essential to the unity of the nation.
Sumption captures all of these details in exquisite detail. The book indeed is long, filled with names and places unfamiliar to modern readers, but there are prescient nuggets buried within this largely-forgotten war.
The trajectory of Volume III is the collapse of the English position in the war, as Gascony and Aquitaine are gradually made smaller by the tactical genius of Bertrand du Guesclin. England fails to solve the math on taxation revenues matching anywhere near the treasures accumulated by the much richer French state. Factions come and go at the English court, and yet the war drags on, with no one willing to compromise on the issues of sovereignty and territorial concessions required for a permanent peace. Even at the end of the 1300s, the Truce of Leulinghem favors the French, as it preserves the status quo and offers nothing to England other than a moment to catch their collective breath.
France gyrates between its own internal factions, and yet there is a centrifugal pressure moving towards greater centralization of the state. The volume concludes with the English overthrowing Richard II in favor of Henry of Bolingbroke (King Henry IV), something that the French community never contemplates even as King Charles VI descends into schizophrenic madness. England, for better or worse, trades out its rulers on a frequent basis, whereas France sees its rulers as essential to the unity of the nation.
Sumption captures all of these details in exquisite detail. The book indeed is long, filled with names and places unfamiliar to modern readers, but there are prescient nuggets buried within this largely-forgotten war.
September 1, 2024
A fascinating account of the Hundred Years’ War 1369-1399. Extremely well researched. Covering the broad aspects of: the economic realities, medieval warfare, technological developments, political machinations, ego, culture, logistics etc. particular highlights for me were the naval battle at La Rochelle and the siege of Calais and ardres 1377-1378 and the French and Scottish teaming up in 1385 to invade England from the north. I would have liked a bit more detail on the English spies infiltrating noble French households to gather intelligence and pass it back to Westminster. I was surprised by the role of Portugal and Spain/Castile in supporting the English and French respectively. The chapter about men at arms was one of my favourites detailing soldiers lives and the epilogue was a fantastic gripping narrative really setting the stage and building excitement for volume 4. This volume seemingly has a slightly different structure to volumes 1&2, as it broadens the scope a little and occasionally goes off on a tangent particularly regarding separate chapters that cover a specific topic over a broad period of time (rather than detailing small events chronologically within the main narrative) such as the Portugal, Gascony and men at arms chapters. Looking forward to volume 4.
December 23, 2023
This is the third volume of Jonathan Sumption’s five volume history of the Hundred Years War between England and France. It covers the period between 1369 nd 1399. So the reader gets to learn about 30 years of continuing warfare that taxed the funding abilities of both states, increased political conflicts and social stresses, and led to even more war. I do not want to give away any spoilers about who won or lost but will just say that it is complicated. Anyway, I need to process this a bit more. Lord Sumption has been writing this history for 45 years (and recently finished the fifth volume) so I can take some time to think about the account.
The book is well written and clear. …but it’s a grand history of a war that took place six centuries, so there are limits to how clear a book like this could be. There are lots of actors and as many different places where the action occurred. There are lots of maps and it is helpful to keep them handy. I am trying to pace myself to work through this - with this volume I have crossed the halfway point. Onward to the next volume!
The book is well written and clear. …but it’s a grand history of a war that took place six centuries, so there are limits to how clear a book like this could be. There are lots of actors and as many different places where the action occurred. There are lots of maps and it is helpful to keep them handy. I am trying to pace myself to work through this - with this volume I have crossed the halfway point. Onward to the next volume!
May 31, 2026
La tercera entrega de esta monumental historia de 100 años de guerra entre Inglaterra y Francia toca la división de los Papas entre Avignon y Roma, las guerras entre Castilla y Portugal, la pretensión de John of Gaunt, las purgas de Ricardo II de Inglaterra a su propia corte, el asesinato de su tío, la locura progresiva de Carlos VI de Francia y los sueños de una nueva cruzada que logrará terminar con tantos años de lucha entre las dos naciones más poderosas de Europa de la época.
El tercer tomo de la obra que le ha tomado toda a vida a Jonathan Sumption nunca exagera en detalles sobre las batallas o las intrigas. Va al detalle de todo lo divertido, incluso sobre los uniformes y el costo de ser un caballero en la época de mayor esplendor medieval.
Un imperdible de principio a fin.
El tercer tomo de la obra que le ha tomado toda a vida a Jonathan Sumption nunca exagera en detalles sobre las batallas o las intrigas. Va al detalle de todo lo divertido, incluso sobre los uniformes y el costo de ser un caballero en la época de mayor esplendor medieval.
Un imperdible de principio a fin.
February 6, 2025
The volume in which Charles V undoes all the work of the English by bringing pressure to bear where the English armies are not, and would perhaps have ended the war 50 years early if his son Charles VI was not mentally insane. I particularly enjoyed reading about Philip the Bold and the early Burgundian state. Very narratively driven
February 21, 2023
Every time I return to this book (and the earlier ones) I am drawn in by the writing and read far beyond the part I meant to reread. An amazing breadth and depth. It's so rare to have all points of view. Highly recommend.
November 25, 2023
The third volume in Lord Sumption's history of the Hundred Years War. The work in amazingly detailed, but never bogs down. This book ends with the abdication of Richard II. Recommend to all history nerds
November 18, 2017
beyond epic. sumption deserves laurels and prizes
July 18, 2021
I agree with one of the reviews below. First half of the book was difficult to read. Second half I could hardly put down.
March 1, 2024
Typically excellent. The treatment of the Iberian wars was particularly good.
February 24, 2025
Very enjoyable. Found myself constantly amazed at the level of detail. How could there be so much source material from the 1300s? Really builds your interest in this time period.
March 17, 2023
The third book of Sumption's history of The Hundred Years War continues the excellent job of the first two. This one is less "sexy" than the others as none of the famous battles fall in the thirty year period of this book (1369-1399).
There are a couple of battle in here, the most prominent of which is Aljubarrota (1385), where a Castilian army managed to march around an allied English/Portuguese army, and hit it from behind, and still lost heavily. I'd definitely like to see a treatment of this one in Men of Iron. It's only one of about two set-piece battles, and they're much smaller than the great clashes you mostly hear about.
Mostly, the book is given to the slow grind of warfare between two powers short on cash. The French overrun much of Aquitaine near the start of this period because the English just couldn't get the cash to pay for an army to stop them. However, this grinds to a halt from a combination of running out of money and political will. The theme, as much as a history like this can have one, is reflected well in the title: both sides have deep internal divisions that sap their ability to wage a war to the finish.
In both cases this is largely a result of change of generations. The Black Prince falls ill and dies over the course of a few years, and is followed by Edward III, leaving the government in the hands of his brothers and Richard II. The latter is not a horrible king, but is not a strong or wise one, which is not a workable combination with a nation in a war with a larger neighbor. The book basically ends with him deposed in favor of Henry IV.
Meanwhile Charles V dies in 1380, leaving the throne of France to his eleven-year-old son, Charles VI. Similar to England, his uncles take over much of the administration of France, and war aims get diverted to personal pet projects. Worse, after taking the reigns of government, he goes mad, suffering a psychotic break in 1392, with frequent relapses. The unpredictability of these bouts leaves France rudderless again while still at war.
During this period, both sides suffer peasant rebellions caused by taxation for war expenditures. Both are put down, and France eventually exerts control over taxation again, while England continues to need Parliamentary grants, but it's clear signal that this can't go on. Castilian finances also collapse after a few years of heavy taxation, causing peace to be the only practical solution.
So one of the major themes of the book, especially in the second half is the continual search for a peace that both sides can live with. The problem is the root issues of the war have yet to be resolved, and when the competing claims are for England to give up all its extensive possessions in France, or for France to give up claims to sovereignty in its own territory, there's a big gap to be bridged. So there is a series of truces, peace conferences, and outside arbitration trying to find a way to resolve the irresolvable. Overall, Richard II was seen leaning heavily towards peace, and the crowning of Henry IV was seen as a disaster in France because he was obviously a creature of the war party. (Tune in next time for Cursed Kings....)
There are a couple of battle in here, the most prominent of which is Aljubarrota (1385), where a Castilian army managed to march around an allied English/Portuguese army, and hit it from behind, and still lost heavily. I'd definitely like to see a treatment of this one in Men of Iron. It's only one of about two set-piece battles, and they're much smaller than the great clashes you mostly hear about.
Mostly, the book is given to the slow grind of warfare between two powers short on cash. The French overrun much of Aquitaine near the start of this period because the English just couldn't get the cash to pay for an army to stop them. However, this grinds to a halt from a combination of running out of money and political will. The theme, as much as a history like this can have one, is reflected well in the title: both sides have deep internal divisions that sap their ability to wage a war to the finish.
In both cases this is largely a result of change of generations. The Black Prince falls ill and dies over the course of a few years, and is followed by Edward III, leaving the government in the hands of his brothers and Richard II. The latter is not a horrible king, but is not a strong or wise one, which is not a workable combination with a nation in a war with a larger neighbor. The book basically ends with him deposed in favor of Henry IV.
Meanwhile Charles V dies in 1380, leaving the throne of France to his eleven-year-old son, Charles VI. Similar to England, his uncles take over much of the administration of France, and war aims get diverted to personal pet projects. Worse, after taking the reigns of government, he goes mad, suffering a psychotic break in 1392, with frequent relapses. The unpredictability of these bouts leaves France rudderless again while still at war.
During this period, both sides suffer peasant rebellions caused by taxation for war expenditures. Both are put down, and France eventually exerts control over taxation again, while England continues to need Parliamentary grants, but it's clear signal that this can't go on. Castilian finances also collapse after a few years of heavy taxation, causing peace to be the only practical solution.
So one of the major themes of the book, especially in the second half is the continual search for a peace that both sides can live with. The problem is the root issues of the war have yet to be resolved, and when the competing claims are for England to give up all its extensive possessions in France, or for France to give up claims to sovereignty in its own territory, there's a big gap to be bridged. So there is a series of truces, peace conferences, and outside arbitration trying to find a way to resolve the irresolvable. Overall, Richard II was seen leaning heavily towards peace, and the crowning of Henry IV was seen as a disaster in France because he was obviously a creature of the war party. (Tune in next time for Cursed Kings....)
October 11, 2012
Intricately detailed narrative history of the Hundred Years War, phase 3 1369-1396, in which the French come back strong against an England riven by internal difficulties, other international distractions in Iberia and a chronic lack of money.
Exhaustive work by Sumption, who spits these out every decade of so. While he does seem to focus perhaps a little too much on the English side of the fence, the is presumably due to the more complete records available for the doings of Parliament and Court than are available for the Frrench (who would have lost a lot of records in the Revolution and therafter).
Sumption is good. He doesn't get carried away by the big set pieces that can distract other writers, giving us a clearer picture of the day-to-day skirmish, raid and extortion that characterised the war in this period. (But I'll have to wait until around 2018 before I can be sure he won't devote half of the next volume to Agincourt)
For fans of this sort of thing only, but excellent for those fans.
Rated G. 4/5
Exhaustive work by Sumption, who spits these out every decade of so. While he does seem to focus perhaps a little too much on the English side of the fence, the is presumably due to the more complete records available for the doings of Parliament and Court than are available for the Frrench (who would have lost a lot of records in the Revolution and therafter).
Sumption is good. He doesn't get carried away by the big set pieces that can distract other writers, giving us a clearer picture of the day-to-day skirmish, raid and extortion that characterised the war in this period. (But I'll have to wait until around 2018 before I can be sure he won't devote half of the next volume to Agincourt)
For fans of this sort of thing only, but excellent for those fans.
Rated G. 4/5
September 10, 2012
Volume 3 of Sumption's massive history of the Hundred Years War between England and France. This volume covers the years 1369-99, when a resurgent France gradually whittled away most of the gains made in the war by England. Although these books sometimes seem as long as the actual war, they are well written and fascinating to read. Highly recommended for any student of English, French, Spanish or the later middle ages.
May 4, 2013
Very good. Found following the fortunes of the freebooters was an effort of concentration. The print on the maps is smaller and harder to read than earlier volumes.
March 8, 2020
fucks and slaps.
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