The Armies of Agincourt

Osprey Men at Arms #113

by Christopher Rothero

Henry V became King of England in 1413. He was one of the great warrior kings of the country, cast in the same mould as Edward I and Edward III. He was just, pious, athletic, chivalrous, acquisitive, ruthless and eager to gain honour on the field of battle. Henry hoped that a successful campaign against the nation's traditional enemy would draw the people together and establish the popularity of the Lancastrian dynasty. This splendid addition to Osprey's Men-at-Arms series explores the background, organisation and equipment of the armies which fought in one of the most famous conflicts in England's history – the Battle of Agincourt.

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

48 pages, Paperback

First published July 23, 1981

Reviews

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice historical overview of these units. excellent color plates for the various units. Recommended

[Michael Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Together with the author’s companion volume in this series on Crécy and Poitiers, this is an excellent overview of the three key Anglo-French confrontations that bookend the Hundred Years War. Osprey is known especially for the detailed illustrations it provides of military uniforms and weapons, and you’ll find all that here -- though the notion of “uniforms” doesn’t really apply in early 15th century Europe. The drawings of archers -- the key English success at Agincourt, as they had been for several generations, a lesson the French seemed never to learn -- are generic, as are the men-at-arms, whether pedestrians or mounted, but there was no uniformity in dress or in arms or protective equipment. The illustrations of mounted knights are taken from tomb effigies and memorial brasses for the English and on manuscript illustrations for the French. Rothero does an excellent job, in any case, in describing the background to the multi-generation conflict and in describing the strategic and tactical changes that took place during that time. He also makes a good case for Henry V being possibly the “best” monarch of the medieval period. The “Men-at-Arms” series can be a little uneven, but this volume is first-rate.

[Rindis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's well done, but I don't think I can recommend it. It covers the Battle of Agincourt, and the campaign that led up to it, quite well, but Osprey's later Campaign book on the subject should do the same thing in more detail. The color plates are not bad, but they're not very good either. That leaves the discussion of the actual equipment and troops in both armies, and those are at least partially covered in French Armies of the Hundred Years War, and English Medieval Knight 1400-1500.

[Jimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather large segment of the book was a narrative of the campaign and battle of Agincourt; since Osprey already has a book in its Campaign series covering Agincourt, this part seems like wasted space.