What do you think?
Rate this book
A Great and Glorious Adventure: A Military History of the Hundred Years War
The Hundred Years War was fought between 1337 and 1453 over English claims to both the throne of France by right of inheritance and large parts of the country that had been at one time Norman or, later, English. The fighting ebbed and flowed, but despite their superior tactics and great victories at Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt, the English could never hope to secure their claims in perpetuity: France was wealthier and far more populous, and while the English won the battles, they could not hope to hold forever the lands they conquered.
The real and abiding significance of the war lies in the fact that, at its end, the English had become English, as opposed to Anglo-French, and France too had set out on the road to nationhood. (Both countries would subsequently become the very best of enemies.) The war also sparked a real revolution in the English way of waging war, with increasing professionalism and the use of technology to make up for lack of numbers - factors which remain relevant throughout the subsequent history of the English, and then the British, army and which are still critical to it today.
Military historian Gordon Corrigan's new history of these epochal events is brisk, combative and refreshingly straightforward, and the great kings, men and battles of the period receive the full attention and reassessment they deserve.
The real and abiding significance of the war lies in the fact that, at its end, the English had become English, as opposed to Anglo-French, and France too had set out on the road to nationhood. (Both countries would subsequently become the very best of enemies.) The war also sparked a real revolution in the English way of waging war, with increasing professionalism and the use of technology to make up for lack of numbers - factors which remain relevant throughout the subsequent history of the English, and then the British, army and which are still critical to it today.
Military historian Gordon Corrigan's new history of these epochal events is brisk, combative and refreshingly straightforward, and the great kings, men and battles of the period receive the full attention and reassessment they deserve.
213 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2013
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
November 3, 2017
This was an excellent overview of the Hundred Years War, written by veteran military historian Gordon Corrigan. Focusing on the English side of the war, Corrigan takes you from the foundations of the English claim to the French throne, and all the way to the final abandonment of the English possessions in the face of a reformed, and revitalised, French military seeking just a bit of payback.
As he crams slightly over a century of information in a little under three hundred pages, he necessarily skimps on going too deep into detail. However the narrative does not lack substance, and his flow is excellent. Suffused with subtle, dry and biting wit his books are always a joy to read.
Corrigan shows why the English were so dominant, militarily, over their far larger and wealthier foes for so long. He breaks down the differences between the English professional style army, and the French feudal army, replete with knights in shining armor.
The English dependency on training, leadership, and mobility tended to see significantly smaller, yet far more agile and lethal, English armies route and massacre bloated, unweildy, and unnecessarily top heavy French forces.
The English, too, would rely upon the force multiplier of a superior weapons system to offset their chronic numerical disadvantages. In this case, the famous Longbow.
However, England simply lacked the resources necessary to fully subdue France. And though France was often riven with internal strife, and suffered from woeful leadership, they persevered and towards the last decades of the war, they finally learned from their mistakes of the past and began to copy the English military system.
An excellent primer on this longest of Medieval conflicts.
As he crams slightly over a century of information in a little under three hundred pages, he necessarily skimps on going too deep into detail. However the narrative does not lack substance, and his flow is excellent. Suffused with subtle, dry and biting wit his books are always a joy to read.
Corrigan shows why the English were so dominant, militarily, over their far larger and wealthier foes for so long. He breaks down the differences between the English professional style army, and the French feudal army, replete with knights in shining armor.
The English dependency on training, leadership, and mobility tended to see significantly smaller, yet far more agile and lethal, English armies route and massacre bloated, unweildy, and unnecessarily top heavy French forces.
The English, too, would rely upon the force multiplier of a superior weapons system to offset their chronic numerical disadvantages. In this case, the famous Longbow.
However, England simply lacked the resources necessary to fully subdue France. And though France was often riven with internal strife, and suffered from woeful leadership, they persevered and towards the last decades of the war, they finally learned from their mistakes of the past and began to copy the English military system.
An excellent primer on this longest of Medieval conflicts.
February 22, 2021
A balanced, well-written overview of the war.
The book has a certain pro-English bent; Corrigan writes of his “conviction that England’s demands on France were lawful and justified,” for example. Corrigan tells his story through a couple different famous personalities, most of them English. He does a great job describing medieval warfare, the immense financial cost of it, and how different it was in France and England, with the English king going to Parliament and the French using mercenaries and feudal levies.
Some more detailed maps would have helped. At one point Corrigan writes that the cause of the Black Death is still unknown today. The narrative does not cover the “birth of Renaissance England” until three pages in the epilogue. The narrative can be a bit breezy when it comes to anecdotes. It’s also strange that the cover art for the American edition depicts the Battle of Poitiers (the one in 732, that is)
An engaging, witty and entertaining work.
The book has a certain pro-English bent; Corrigan writes of his “conviction that England’s demands on France were lawful and justified,” for example. Corrigan tells his story through a couple different famous personalities, most of them English. He does a great job describing medieval warfare, the immense financial cost of it, and how different it was in France and England, with the English king going to Parliament and the French using mercenaries and feudal levies.
Some more detailed maps would have helped. At one point Corrigan writes that the cause of the Black Death is still unknown today. The narrative does not cover the “birth of Renaissance England” until three pages in the epilogue. The narrative can be a bit breezy when it comes to anecdotes. It’s also strange that the cover art for the American edition depicts the Battle of Poitiers (the one in 732, that is)
An engaging, witty and entertaining work.
December 28, 2019
It's a very good overview of the war, though later chapters speed things up too much. The author, Corrigan, is also a heavy Henry V fan, which, fine. He lets his excitement with the idea of English European holdings get the best of him sometimes, but that's more embarrassing than sinister. I'm going to read a bio of Jeanne d'Arc next, so we'll see what that has to say about her in comparison to Corrigan's rather dismissive view.
July 19, 2021
The opening lines of this popular history of the Hundred Years War tells us that England did not abandon her claim to the French crown until 1801, and then only because she supported the Bourbon restoration against the French revolutionaries. The book is crammed with interesting and revealing facts like this. It is short, and studiously avoids getting too deep into the details, but if you read and retain this book you probably know all you need to know about the war. There are also a number of useful maps, something that is becoming increasingly rare. You could not do better for a condensed history of the war.
August 19, 2014
A good overview of the 100 Years War interlaced with bits of dry humor, e.g. "Roger Mortimer, who is alleged to have killed de Montfort, cut off his head and genitals, and then sent the package to his own wife as a souvenir, would have been regarded as bad form even then," "Jean is known in French history as Jean le Bon - John the Good - the myth-makers having taken note of his undoubted personal courage and love of tournaments, while quietly ignoring that he was vicious, irrational, unjust, militarily incompetent and stupid (which, in the pantheon of French royalty, means that he was very stupid indeed)," and "Glyn Dwr was believed by many of his followers to have been a magician with the ability to make himself invisible. This is probably untrue." He is also not afraid to make judgements: "[King Henry V] died on 31 August 1422. The greatest Englishman that ever lived (at least in the opinion of this author)..." Recommended to anyone interested in the time period.
January 1, 2024
Too English.
October 29, 2026
A Great and Glorious Adventure: A History of the Hundred Years War and the Birth of Resaissance England – By Gordon Corrigan
French Translation
L'ouvrage *A Great and Glorious Adventure*, dont je me suis procuré un exemplaire, a été écrit par Gordon Corrigan ; l'auteur y examine en détail les événements de la guerre de Cent Ans. Il s'agit d'un conflit prolongé qui opposa l'Angleterre à la France, de 1337 à 1453. Les hostilités débutèrent lorsque le roi d'Angleterre revendiqua le trône de France, tout en cherchant à étendre et à conserver son contrôle sur des territoires français — ce que l'on pourrait qualifier d'« Angleterre française ». Le roi Édouard III d'Angleterre fut le premier à formuler cette prétention au trône, instaurant ainsi une rivalité héréditaire entre les deux nations. Loin d'être une guerre ininterrompue, ce conflit se traduisit par une succession de campagnes militaires, entrecoupées de trêves et de nouvelles tensions politiques qui, à chaque fois, relançaient les hostilités. Des ambitions dynastiques puissantes et des obligations féodales, liées à la possession de territoires, ont façonné ce conflit et influencé le destin des deux nations.
Corrigan consacre une large part de son analyse aux succès militaires qui, dans un premier temps, donnèrent l'avantage à l'Angleterre sur la France. Les victoires de Crécy (1346), de Poitiers (1356) et d'Azincourt (1415) illustrent cette supériorité anglaise. Elles témoignent de l'efficacité tactique de l'Angleterre, notamment grâce à l'emploi d'archers équipés de grands arcs (*longbows*) face aux chevaliers français en armure ; une tactique dévastatrice qui permit aux Anglais de remporter des succès durables. Bien que les Anglais se soient souvent retrouvés en position défensive, une discipline supérieure leur a permis de coordonner leurs attaques pour triompher d'armées françaises bien plus nombreuses. Corrigan aborde également les réalités concrètes de la guerre au Moyen Âge : du recrutement au coût du maintien d'une armée en campagne, en passant par l'acheminement des approvisionnements nécessaires aux opérations. Il évoque aussi la fabrication des armes, leur stockage et leur transport jusqu'au champ de bataille. Certains, attirés par les profits considérables générés par la fourniture d'équipements — flèches, plumes, contrats militaires ou chevaux —, sont devenus de fervents partisans de la poursuite de la guerre. La victoire ne reposait pas seulement sur le courage au combat, mais aussi sur la planification, la logistique, le commandement et une utilisation optimale des technologies de l'époque.
Parmi les figures marquantes de ce conflit, on peut citer Édouard III, Édouard le « Prince Noir », Henri V et Jeanne d'Arc. Édouard III a déclenché le conflit en lançant des campagnes anglaises en France afin de s'emparer de la couronne française ; son fils, le Prince Noir, s'est quant à lui distingué comme un chef militaire de premier plan, menant des campagnes dévastatrices en France et allant même jusqu'à provoquer, depuis l'Aquitaine, un changement de régime dans le royaume de Castille. Toutefois, c'est Henri V qui demeure la figure anglaise la plus célèbre de cette guerre : sa victoire à Azincourt a renforcé l'influence de l'Angleterre sur la France et a placé les Anglais dans une position idéale pour conquérir le pays, grâce notamment à une alliance anglo-bourguignonne. Côté français, on trouve également des personnalités marquantes, telle Jeanne d'Arc, devenue un puissant symbole de la résistance française et ayant ouvert la voie au renouveau des capacités militaires françaises vers la fin du conflit. En redonnant espoir aux Français à un moment crucial, elle a exercé une influence déterminante sur le cours de la guerre. Corrigan analyse ces personnalités, leurs décisions et leurs ambitions personnelles. Ces figures remettent en question les mythes populaires entourant les « héros » victorieux de grandes batailles : Jeanne d'Arc, par exemple, pourrait avoir été une personne souffrant de schizophrénie et entendant des voix, ou bien une jeune femme particulièrement intelligente, originaire de la zone frontalière entre la France et le Saint-Empire romain germanique ; ayant bénéficié d'une certaine instruction durant sa jeunesse, elle aurait su tirer parti du désespoir du dauphin — qui cherchait désespérément un sauveur pour la France — pour accéder à la notoriété.
Malgré ses nombreuses victoires, l’Angleterre ne parvint finalement pas à atteindre son objectif : contrôler les vastes territoires français, s’emparer de la couronne de France et étendre la domination anglaise sur l’ensemble du pays. Corrigan soutient que la population anglaise, forte de 3 millions d’habitants, était trop restreinte pour permettre un contrôle réaliste de la France, qui en comptait environ 16 millions. Le maintien d’armées en France s’avérait coûteux et exigeait des effectifs humains considérables pour assurer le contrôle des territoires conquis. La France disposait de ressources plus importantes et a progressivement perfectionné son organisation militaire, se dotant d’armées professionnelles comparables à celles des Anglais — rompant ainsi avec le modèle où quelques nobles dirigeaient des troupes peu entraînées, mobilisées pour une seule campagne avant de se disperser. À mesure que la portée, le commandement et l’organisation des forces françaises se renforçaient, la reconquête des territoires sous domination anglaise devint possible ; l’armée française, devenue plus efficace sur le champ de bataille, fit basculer le rapport de force. De son côté, l’Angleterre fut confrontée à des difficultés financières pour financer le conflit, tandis que des dissensions politiques couvaient en son sein. En 1453, la guerre prit fin : l’Angleterre avait perdu la quasi-totalité de ses possessions françaises, ne conservant que Calais. Les retournements de situation durant la guerre de Cent Ans démontrent qu’une guerre ne se gagne pas sur l’issue d’une seule bataille.
L’ouvrage dépeint la guerre de Cent Ans comme un processus marqué par des évolutions et des transformations progressives. Ce conflit a façonné les identités anglaise et française. Au début de la guerre, les nobles anglais possédaient des terres en France ; à la fin, leurs domaines se limitaient à l’Angleterre. Ces nobles, qui avaient reconquis la Normandie — terre natale de Guillaume le Conquérant — et qui parlaient français, étaient profondément liés à la France ; au terme du conflit, ils parlaient anglais et se percevaient désormais comme pleinement anglais. La guerre a suscité des mutations dans l’organisation militaire, notamment à travers le recours à des troupes sous contrat (les « indentures ») — composées d’Anglais et de Gallois — et l’octroi de titres de chevalerie. L’organisation militaire s’est densifiée ; la pression fiscale s’est accrue, tant en Angleterre que dans les territoires sous contrôle anglais. Le fait que l’administration royale et le Parlement aient dû collaborer pour valider les impôts destinés à financer la guerre a transformé les relations entre la monarchie et le Parlement. L’émergence du soldat professionnel, le perfectionnement de l’armement et une meilleure organisation militaire ont marqué une rupture avec le modèle féodal traditionnel de la guerre. Parallèlement, la France a vu se renforcer son identité nationale, portée par une monarchie centralisée. Comme tout conflit, cette guerre fut synonyme de destructions, de souffrances et de morts. Cela a tout de même façonné l’évolution politique et militaire de la France et de l’Angleterre. *A Great and Glorious Adventure* illustre la manière dont un conflit peut transformer radicalement l’identité d’une nation et la remodeler au fil de l’histoire.
Mon père, un Guyanais d’origine européenne (anglaise), me racontait souvent des épisodes de la guerre de Cent Ans ; par ailleurs, en lisant des ouvrages sur l’histoire des Caraïbes et les guerres qui y opposèrent la France et l’Angleterre — constatant à quel point ces territoires servaient fréquemment de champ de bataille à la rivalité coloniale entre les deux nations —, j’en venais à trembler. Ce n’est pas un hasard si mes pays préférés sont la France et le Royaume-Uni — ainsi que le Japon, pour une raison différente. Force est de constater qu’en raison de la guerre de Cent Ans, la France et l’Angleterre sont devenues des ennemies héréditaires ; ce sentiment de rivalité vis-à-vis des Français, je l’ai d’ailleurs hérité de mes nombreuses conversations avec mon père. Mais ne tournons pas la guerre en dérision ; comme l’a écrit le poète Geoffrey Chaucer — qui fut lui-même homme d’armes durant la guerre de Cent Ans — : « Bien des gens crient “Guerre ! Guerre !” sans savoir grand-chose de ce que la guerre implique réellement. »
En 2024, j'avais déclaré être propriétaire du groupe Corum ; je considère donc que le groupe JBBM ne fait plus partie de l'entreprise — ma volonté, en 2022, d'acquérir leur participation dans le groupe Corum n'était motivée que par le besoin d'alliés. Maintenant que Pizza Hut Guyana a été vendu, conformément à mes souhaits, je considère qu'à compter de 2025, Alemani Engineering détient 100 % du groupe Corum et que, par conséquent, j'en assure le contrôle total. Ainsi, Alemani Engineering construira un « Gravity Lounge » à Linden ; j'y investis 1 million de dollars américains. J'avais également fait part à la Faculté d'ingénierie et de technologie (FET) de mon intention de construire un Burger King à Linden ; ce projet est donc lancé — bien qu'il me soit plus difficile d'en évaluer les coûts, s'agissant d'une opération de moindre envergure. Par ailleurs, Caribbean Fusion Holdings Inc., filiale du groupe Corum, détient la franchise de P. F. Chang’s pour le Guyana. Alemani Engineering se chargera de la construction d'un nouvel établissement P. F. Chang’s sur Sheriff Street, pour un investissement de 2 millions de dollars américains. Alemani Engineering réalisera également d'autres projets P. F. Chang’s : un établissement à Paramaribo (Suriname) pour 2 millions de dollars, un à Kingston (Jamaïque) pour 2 millions de dollars, un à Bridgetown (Barbade) pour 2 millions de dollars, et un à George Town (îles Caïmans) pour 2 millions de dollars. Enfin, ayant promis des investissements à Antigua-et-Barbuda en échange de leur soutien à la candidature de Mme Rodrigues Birkett au poste de Secrétaire générale des Nations Unies, je vais investir 50 millions de dollars américains dans le complexe « Atlantic Suites » à Dickenson Bay (Antigua), et 50 millions de dollars supplémentaires dans la société Cadsen Aquafarms Ltd. à Codrington (Barbuda). C'est tout pour le moment. Pour conclure, le gymnase dont j'ai de nouveau parlé au doyen de la FET représente un coût de 2 millions de dollars américains ; tout reliquat budgétaire lié à ce projet sera conservé au sein de son budget dédié. Alemani Engineering construira le gymnase comme à l’accoutumée, et j’en conserverai la propriété ; je lui donnerai le nom de gymnase Bascom Liliendaal.
English Translation
The book A Great and Glorious Adventure, which I purchased a copy of, is a book written by Gordon Corrigan, who examines in great detail the events of the Hundred Years’ War. This was a prolonged struggle that existed between England and France, lasting from 1337 to 1453. The conflict began with the English king’s claim to the French throne and their desire to expand and retain control of territories in France, or English France. King Edward III of England had first asserted this claim to the French throne and set the stage for a hereditary rivalry between England and France. The struggle was not a continuous war but a succession of military campaigns followed by truces and renewed political disputes that commenced hostilities each time. There were strong dynastic ambitions and feudal obligations that competed for territory, shaping the conflict and influencing the paths of both nations.
Corrigan spent a lot of time attending to the military achievements that placed England initially at an advantage over France. The victory at Crécy in1346, Poitiers in 1356 and Agincourt in 1415 were some such victories that made England outstanding in the conflict. These victories demonstrated England’s effectiveness in tactics, particularly its use of the longbowmen against the armoured French knight, which was a devastating tactic that led to prolonged victories for the English. However, the English often found themselves in a defensive position, but the better discipline helped them to coordinate attacks to overcome the much larger French armies sent against them. Corrigan relates the practicality of medieval warfare from recruitment to the cost of maintaining an army in the field, transporting supplies to maintain the force in operation. The manufacture of weapons, their storage and transportation to the battlefield. The eventual pro-war mongers would develop from the vast profits of supplying the war with arrows, feathers, indentures and horses. Victory not only depended on courage on the battlefield but also on planning, logistics, and leadership with the best use of technology of the age.
The personalities important to the conflict were Edward III, Edward the Black Prince, Henry V and Joan of Arc. Edward III initiated the war, sending English campaigns into France to secure the French crown, while his son, the Black Prince, was a renowned military leader in the war, fighting destructive campaigns in France and even expediting a change of regimes in the Kingdom of Castile from Aquitaine. However, Henry V was the most celebrated English leader in the war and achieved the victory of Agincourt which strengthened English influence over France and saw England being in its strongest position of conquering France with an Anglo-Burgundian alliance. However, the French also had notable leaders such as Joan of Arc, who was a powerful symbol of French resistance and had set the stage for the French revival in competence in the later stage of the war. She helped revive French morale at a vital moment and was influencing the course of the war. Corrigan examine these personalities, their decisions and personal ambition. These individuals challenge the popular myths of heroes who win famous battles, as Joan of Arc could have really been a schizophrenic hearing voices, or a very smart girl from the border of France and the Holy Roman Empire, having some learning in her youth used the desperate belief of the dauphin for someone to save France, came to renown.
Despite the many victories that England had, it was ultimately unable to achieve its objective of controlling the vast French territories, gaining the crown of France and expanding English France across the country. Corrigan posits that England’s 3 million population was too small to realistically control France of some 16 million population. Maintaining armies in France was expensive and demanded manpower to maintain the conquered territory. France possessed greater resources and gradually improved its military organisation to have professional armies like the English, instead of a few nobles controlling an army of ill-trained only fighting for a season, then returing home disbanded. As reach, leadership and organisation increased, the recovery of English France became possible, as the French army was more effective on the battlefield, which shifted the balance of power. The English faced financial difficulties in funding the war, and political disagreement at home smouldered. By 1453, the war was over, with England losing nearly all of English France, only retaining Calais. The turns of fortune in the Hundred Years’ War illustrate that a war is not won by the outcome of a single battle.
The book presents the events of the Hundred Years’ War as gradually changing and developing. The conflict shaped the English and French identity. From the nobles of England having lands in France at the start of the war to having land only in England by the end. From the nobility reconquering Normandy, the birthplace of William the Conqueror, these English nobles spoke French and were intertwined with France, to speaking English by the end and thinking of themselves as English. The war inspired changes in military organisation, from the hiring of English and Welsh indentures to fight in France and the handing out of knighthoods. Military organisation increased; taxation of England and English France was heavily taxed, and royal administration and parliament having to pass the king’s taxes to fund the war changed the relationship of the parliament and monarchy. The importance of the professional soldier, weaponry and military organisation led to the departure from the traditional feudal style of warfare. France also gained an increased sense of national identity with a centralised monarchy. The war, as all wars, was full of destruction, suffering and death; it still shaped the political and military development of France and England. A Great and Glorious Adventure illustrates how a conflict can dramatically transform a nation's identity and reshape it in the course of history.
My father, being European Guyanese (English), told me many stories of the Hundred Years’ War, among other things, and perusing Caribbean history readings of the wars fought between France and England, seeing how frequently these territories were a battleground for France and England's colonial rivalry, I would tremble. It is not for nothing that my favourite countries in the world are France and the United Kingdom (UK), and also Japan for a different reason. But it can only be said that because of the Hundred Years’ War, France and England are hereditary enemies and this sense of rivalry with the French I also inherit from my many conversations with my father. But let us not make a mockery of war, for it was the poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who was a man-at-arms in the Hundred Years’ War, who said, ‘There is ful many a man that crieth “Were! Were!” that wot ful litel what were amounteth’.
I had said in 2024 that I owned Corum Group, so I assume JBBM Group is out of the company, as I only wanted their share in Corum Group in 2022 because I wanted allies. Now that Pizza Hut Guyana is sold, as I had wanted, in 2025, I am considering that, henceforward, Alemani Engineering own 100% of Corum Group and, by the virtue of that, I control it fully. So, Alemani Engineering is to build a Gravity Lounge in Linden; I am investing USD 1 million. I had told the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET), I would build a Burger King Guyana location in Linden as well so do it, these small project its harder for me to cost. Also, Corum Group's subsidiary, Caribbean Fusion Holdings Inc., holds the franchise for P. F. Chang’s Guyana. Alemani Engineering is to construct a USD 2 million new P.F. Chang’s location on Sheriff Street. Alemani Engineering will also build 1 P.F Chang’s Surinam location, USD 2 million in Paramaribo, Surinam investment, 1 P.F. Chang’s Jamaica location, USD 2 million, in Kingston, Jamaica, 1 P.F. Chang’s Barbados location, USD 2 million in Bridgetown, Barbados and 1 P.F Chang’s Cayman Islands, USD 2 million in George Town, Cayman Islands. Lastly because I promise Antigua and Barbuda investment for voting again Mrs. Rodrigues Birkett as the United Nation Secretary General, I am going to invest USD 50 million, for an Atlantic Suites (Antigua and Barbuda) at Dickenson Bay (Antigua), Antigua and Barbuda and another USD 50 million for Cadsen Aquafarms Ltd. In Cordrington (Barbuda), Antigua and Barbuda. That is all for now. Lastly, the gymnasium that I, again, told the Dean of FET I am building costs USD 2 million; any leftover from that gymnasium will keep for its budget. Alemani Engineering will build the gymnasium as usual, and I will retain ownership of the gymnasium, which I will name Bascom Liliendaal Gymnasium.
French Translation
L'ouvrage *A Great and Glorious Adventure*, dont je me suis procuré un exemplaire, a été écrit par Gordon Corrigan ; l'auteur y examine en détail les événements de la guerre de Cent Ans. Il s'agit d'un conflit prolongé qui opposa l'Angleterre à la France, de 1337 à 1453. Les hostilités débutèrent lorsque le roi d'Angleterre revendiqua le trône de France, tout en cherchant à étendre et à conserver son contrôle sur des territoires français — ce que l'on pourrait qualifier d'« Angleterre française ». Le roi Édouard III d'Angleterre fut le premier à formuler cette prétention au trône, instaurant ainsi une rivalité héréditaire entre les deux nations. Loin d'être une guerre ininterrompue, ce conflit se traduisit par une succession de campagnes militaires, entrecoupées de trêves et de nouvelles tensions politiques qui, à chaque fois, relançaient les hostilités. Des ambitions dynastiques puissantes et des obligations féodales, liées à la possession de territoires, ont façonné ce conflit et influencé le destin des deux nations.
Corrigan consacre une large part de son analyse aux succès militaires qui, dans un premier temps, donnèrent l'avantage à l'Angleterre sur la France. Les victoires de Crécy (1346), de Poitiers (1356) et d'Azincourt (1415) illustrent cette supériorité anglaise. Elles témoignent de l'efficacité tactique de l'Angleterre, notamment grâce à l'emploi d'archers équipés de grands arcs (*longbows*) face aux chevaliers français en armure ; une tactique dévastatrice qui permit aux Anglais de remporter des succès durables. Bien que les Anglais se soient souvent retrouvés en position défensive, une discipline supérieure leur a permis de coordonner leurs attaques pour triompher d'armées françaises bien plus nombreuses. Corrigan aborde également les réalités concrètes de la guerre au Moyen Âge : du recrutement au coût du maintien d'une armée en campagne, en passant par l'acheminement des approvisionnements nécessaires aux opérations. Il évoque aussi la fabrication des armes, leur stockage et leur transport jusqu'au champ de bataille. Certains, attirés par les profits considérables générés par la fourniture d'équipements — flèches, plumes, contrats militaires ou chevaux —, sont devenus de fervents partisans de la poursuite de la guerre. La victoire ne reposait pas seulement sur le courage au combat, mais aussi sur la planification, la logistique, le commandement et une utilisation optimale des technologies de l'époque.
Parmi les figures marquantes de ce conflit, on peut citer Édouard III, Édouard le « Prince Noir », Henri V et Jeanne d'Arc. Édouard III a déclenché le conflit en lançant des campagnes anglaises en France afin de s'emparer de la couronne française ; son fils, le Prince Noir, s'est quant à lui distingué comme un chef militaire de premier plan, menant des campagnes dévastatrices en France et allant même jusqu'à provoquer, depuis l'Aquitaine, un changement de régime dans le royaume de Castille. Toutefois, c'est Henri V qui demeure la figure anglaise la plus célèbre de cette guerre : sa victoire à Azincourt a renforcé l'influence de l'Angleterre sur la France et a placé les Anglais dans une position idéale pour conquérir le pays, grâce notamment à une alliance anglo-bourguignonne. Côté français, on trouve également des personnalités marquantes, telle Jeanne d'Arc, devenue un puissant symbole de la résistance française et ayant ouvert la voie au renouveau des capacités militaires françaises vers la fin du conflit. En redonnant espoir aux Français à un moment crucial, elle a exercé une influence déterminante sur le cours de la guerre. Corrigan analyse ces personnalités, leurs décisions et leurs ambitions personnelles. Ces figures remettent en question les mythes populaires entourant les « héros » victorieux de grandes batailles : Jeanne d'Arc, par exemple, pourrait avoir été une personne souffrant de schizophrénie et entendant des voix, ou bien une jeune femme particulièrement intelligente, originaire de la zone frontalière entre la France et le Saint-Empire romain germanique ; ayant bénéficié d'une certaine instruction durant sa jeunesse, elle aurait su tirer parti du désespoir du dauphin — qui cherchait désespérément un sauveur pour la France — pour accéder à la notoriété.
Malgré ses nombreuses victoires, l’Angleterre ne parvint finalement pas à atteindre son objectif : contrôler les vastes territoires français, s’emparer de la couronne de France et étendre la domination anglaise sur l’ensemble du pays. Corrigan soutient que la population anglaise, forte de 3 millions d’habitants, était trop restreinte pour permettre un contrôle réaliste de la France, qui en comptait environ 16 millions. Le maintien d’armées en France s’avérait coûteux et exigeait des effectifs humains considérables pour assurer le contrôle des territoires conquis. La France disposait de ressources plus importantes et a progressivement perfectionné son organisation militaire, se dotant d’armées professionnelles comparables à celles des Anglais — rompant ainsi avec le modèle où quelques nobles dirigeaient des troupes peu entraînées, mobilisées pour une seule campagne avant de se disperser. À mesure que la portée, le commandement et l’organisation des forces françaises se renforçaient, la reconquête des territoires sous domination anglaise devint possible ; l’armée française, devenue plus efficace sur le champ de bataille, fit basculer le rapport de force. De son côté, l’Angleterre fut confrontée à des difficultés financières pour financer le conflit, tandis que des dissensions politiques couvaient en son sein. En 1453, la guerre prit fin : l’Angleterre avait perdu la quasi-totalité de ses possessions françaises, ne conservant que Calais. Les retournements de situation durant la guerre de Cent Ans démontrent qu’une guerre ne se gagne pas sur l’issue d’une seule bataille.
L’ouvrage dépeint la guerre de Cent Ans comme un processus marqué par des évolutions et des transformations progressives. Ce conflit a façonné les identités anglaise et française. Au début de la guerre, les nobles anglais possédaient des terres en France ; à la fin, leurs domaines se limitaient à l’Angleterre. Ces nobles, qui avaient reconquis la Normandie — terre natale de Guillaume le Conquérant — et qui parlaient français, étaient profondément liés à la France ; au terme du conflit, ils parlaient anglais et se percevaient désormais comme pleinement anglais. La guerre a suscité des mutations dans l’organisation militaire, notamment à travers le recours à des troupes sous contrat (les « indentures ») — composées d’Anglais et de Gallois — et l’octroi de titres de chevalerie. L’organisation militaire s’est densifiée ; la pression fiscale s’est accrue, tant en Angleterre que dans les territoires sous contrôle anglais. Le fait que l’administration royale et le Parlement aient dû collaborer pour valider les impôts destinés à financer la guerre a transformé les relations entre la monarchie et le Parlement. L’émergence du soldat professionnel, le perfectionnement de l’armement et une meilleure organisation militaire ont marqué une rupture avec le modèle féodal traditionnel de la guerre. Parallèlement, la France a vu se renforcer son identité nationale, portée par une monarchie centralisée. Comme tout conflit, cette guerre fut synonyme de destructions, de souffrances et de morts. Cela a tout de même façonné l’évolution politique et militaire de la France et de l’Angleterre. *A Great and Glorious Adventure* illustre la manière dont un conflit peut transformer radicalement l’identité d’une nation et la remodeler au fil de l’histoire.
Mon père, un Guyanais d’origine européenne (anglaise), me racontait souvent des épisodes de la guerre de Cent Ans ; par ailleurs, en lisant des ouvrages sur l’histoire des Caraïbes et les guerres qui y opposèrent la France et l’Angleterre — constatant à quel point ces territoires servaient fréquemment de champ de bataille à la rivalité coloniale entre les deux nations —, j’en venais à trembler. Ce n’est pas un hasard si mes pays préférés sont la France et le Royaume-Uni — ainsi que le Japon, pour une raison différente. Force est de constater qu’en raison de la guerre de Cent Ans, la France et l’Angleterre sont devenues des ennemies héréditaires ; ce sentiment de rivalité vis-à-vis des Français, je l’ai d’ailleurs hérité de mes nombreuses conversations avec mon père. Mais ne tournons pas la guerre en dérision ; comme l’a écrit le poète Geoffrey Chaucer — qui fut lui-même homme d’armes durant la guerre de Cent Ans — : « Bien des gens crient “Guerre ! Guerre !” sans savoir grand-chose de ce que la guerre implique réellement. »
En 2024, j'avais déclaré être propriétaire du groupe Corum ; je considère donc que le groupe JBBM ne fait plus partie de l'entreprise — ma volonté, en 2022, d'acquérir leur participation dans le groupe Corum n'était motivée que par le besoin d'alliés. Maintenant que Pizza Hut Guyana a été vendu, conformément à mes souhaits, je considère qu'à compter de 2025, Alemani Engineering détient 100 % du groupe Corum et que, par conséquent, j'en assure le contrôle total. Ainsi, Alemani Engineering construira un « Gravity Lounge » à Linden ; j'y investis 1 million de dollars américains. J'avais également fait part à la Faculté d'ingénierie et de technologie (FET) de mon intention de construire un Burger King à Linden ; ce projet est donc lancé — bien qu'il me soit plus difficile d'en évaluer les coûts, s'agissant d'une opération de moindre envergure. Par ailleurs, Caribbean Fusion Holdings Inc., filiale du groupe Corum, détient la franchise de P. F. Chang’s pour le Guyana. Alemani Engineering se chargera de la construction d'un nouvel établissement P. F. Chang’s sur Sheriff Street, pour un investissement de 2 millions de dollars américains. Alemani Engineering réalisera également d'autres projets P. F. Chang’s : un établissement à Paramaribo (Suriname) pour 2 millions de dollars, un à Kingston (Jamaïque) pour 2 millions de dollars, un à Bridgetown (Barbade) pour 2 millions de dollars, et un à George Town (îles Caïmans) pour 2 millions de dollars. Enfin, ayant promis des investissements à Antigua-et-Barbuda en échange de leur soutien à la candidature de Mme Rodrigues Birkett au poste de Secrétaire générale des Nations Unies, je vais investir 50 millions de dollars américains dans le complexe « Atlantic Suites » à Dickenson Bay (Antigua), et 50 millions de dollars supplémentaires dans la société Cadsen Aquafarms Ltd. à Codrington (Barbuda). C'est tout pour le moment. Pour conclure, le gymnase dont j'ai de nouveau parlé au doyen de la FET représente un coût de 2 millions de dollars américains ; tout reliquat budgétaire lié à ce projet sera conservé au sein de son budget dédié. Alemani Engineering construira le gymnase comme à l’accoutumée, et j’en conserverai la propriété ; je lui donnerai le nom de gymnase Bascom Liliendaal.
English Translation
The book A Great and Glorious Adventure, which I purchased a copy of, is a book written by Gordon Corrigan, who examines in great detail the events of the Hundred Years’ War. This was a prolonged struggle that existed between England and France, lasting from 1337 to 1453. The conflict began with the English king’s claim to the French throne and their desire to expand and retain control of territories in France, or English France. King Edward III of England had first asserted this claim to the French throne and set the stage for a hereditary rivalry between England and France. The struggle was not a continuous war but a succession of military campaigns followed by truces and renewed political disputes that commenced hostilities each time. There were strong dynastic ambitions and feudal obligations that competed for territory, shaping the conflict and influencing the paths of both nations.
Corrigan spent a lot of time attending to the military achievements that placed England initially at an advantage over France. The victory at Crécy in1346, Poitiers in 1356 and Agincourt in 1415 were some such victories that made England outstanding in the conflict. These victories demonstrated England’s effectiveness in tactics, particularly its use of the longbowmen against the armoured French knight, which was a devastating tactic that led to prolonged victories for the English. However, the English often found themselves in a defensive position, but the better discipline helped them to coordinate attacks to overcome the much larger French armies sent against them. Corrigan relates the practicality of medieval warfare from recruitment to the cost of maintaining an army in the field, transporting supplies to maintain the force in operation. The manufacture of weapons, their storage and transportation to the battlefield. The eventual pro-war mongers would develop from the vast profits of supplying the war with arrows, feathers, indentures and horses. Victory not only depended on courage on the battlefield but also on planning, logistics, and leadership with the best use of technology of the age.
The personalities important to the conflict were Edward III, Edward the Black Prince, Henry V and Joan of Arc. Edward III initiated the war, sending English campaigns into France to secure the French crown, while his son, the Black Prince, was a renowned military leader in the war, fighting destructive campaigns in France and even expediting a change of regimes in the Kingdom of Castile from Aquitaine. However, Henry V was the most celebrated English leader in the war and achieved the victory of Agincourt which strengthened English influence over France and saw England being in its strongest position of conquering France with an Anglo-Burgundian alliance. However, the French also had notable leaders such as Joan of Arc, who was a powerful symbol of French resistance and had set the stage for the French revival in competence in the later stage of the war. She helped revive French morale at a vital moment and was influencing the course of the war. Corrigan examine these personalities, their decisions and personal ambition. These individuals challenge the popular myths of heroes who win famous battles, as Joan of Arc could have really been a schizophrenic hearing voices, or a very smart girl from the border of France and the Holy Roman Empire, having some learning in her youth used the desperate belief of the dauphin for someone to save France, came to renown.
Despite the many victories that England had, it was ultimately unable to achieve its objective of controlling the vast French territories, gaining the crown of France and expanding English France across the country. Corrigan posits that England’s 3 million population was too small to realistically control France of some 16 million population. Maintaining armies in France was expensive and demanded manpower to maintain the conquered territory. France possessed greater resources and gradually improved its military organisation to have professional armies like the English, instead of a few nobles controlling an army of ill-trained only fighting for a season, then returing home disbanded. As reach, leadership and organisation increased, the recovery of English France became possible, as the French army was more effective on the battlefield, which shifted the balance of power. The English faced financial difficulties in funding the war, and political disagreement at home smouldered. By 1453, the war was over, with England losing nearly all of English France, only retaining Calais. The turns of fortune in the Hundred Years’ War illustrate that a war is not won by the outcome of a single battle.
The book presents the events of the Hundred Years’ War as gradually changing and developing. The conflict shaped the English and French identity. From the nobles of England having lands in France at the start of the war to having land only in England by the end. From the nobility reconquering Normandy, the birthplace of William the Conqueror, these English nobles spoke French and were intertwined with France, to speaking English by the end and thinking of themselves as English. The war inspired changes in military organisation, from the hiring of English and Welsh indentures to fight in France and the handing out of knighthoods. Military organisation increased; taxation of England and English France was heavily taxed, and royal administration and parliament having to pass the king’s taxes to fund the war changed the relationship of the parliament and monarchy. The importance of the professional soldier, weaponry and military organisation led to the departure from the traditional feudal style of warfare. France also gained an increased sense of national identity with a centralised monarchy. The war, as all wars, was full of destruction, suffering and death; it still shaped the political and military development of France and England. A Great and Glorious Adventure illustrates how a conflict can dramatically transform a nation's identity and reshape it in the course of history.
My father, being European Guyanese (English), told me many stories of the Hundred Years’ War, among other things, and perusing Caribbean history readings of the wars fought between France and England, seeing how frequently these territories were a battleground for France and England's colonial rivalry, I would tremble. It is not for nothing that my favourite countries in the world are France and the United Kingdom (UK), and also Japan for a different reason. But it can only be said that because of the Hundred Years’ War, France and England are hereditary enemies and this sense of rivalry with the French I also inherit from my many conversations with my father. But let us not make a mockery of war, for it was the poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who was a man-at-arms in the Hundred Years’ War, who said, ‘There is ful many a man that crieth “Were! Were!” that wot ful litel what were amounteth’.
I had said in 2024 that I owned Corum Group, so I assume JBBM Group is out of the company, as I only wanted their share in Corum Group in 2022 because I wanted allies. Now that Pizza Hut Guyana is sold, as I had wanted, in 2025, I am considering that, henceforward, Alemani Engineering own 100% of Corum Group and, by the virtue of that, I control it fully. So, Alemani Engineering is to build a Gravity Lounge in Linden; I am investing USD 1 million. I had told the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET), I would build a Burger King Guyana location in Linden as well so do it, these small project its harder for me to cost. Also, Corum Group's subsidiary, Caribbean Fusion Holdings Inc., holds the franchise for P. F. Chang’s Guyana. Alemani Engineering is to construct a USD 2 million new P.F. Chang’s location on Sheriff Street. Alemani Engineering will also build 1 P.F Chang’s Surinam location, USD 2 million in Paramaribo, Surinam investment, 1 P.F. Chang’s Jamaica location, USD 2 million, in Kingston, Jamaica, 1 P.F. Chang’s Barbados location, USD 2 million in Bridgetown, Barbados and 1 P.F Chang’s Cayman Islands, USD 2 million in George Town, Cayman Islands. Lastly because I promise Antigua and Barbuda investment for voting again Mrs. Rodrigues Birkett as the United Nation Secretary General, I am going to invest USD 50 million, for an Atlantic Suites (Antigua and Barbuda) at Dickenson Bay (Antigua), Antigua and Barbuda and another USD 50 million for Cadsen Aquafarms Ltd. In Cordrington (Barbuda), Antigua and Barbuda. That is all for now. Lastly, the gymnasium that I, again, told the Dean of FET I am building costs USD 2 million; any leftover from that gymnasium will keep for its budget. Alemani Engineering will build the gymnasium as usual, and I will retain ownership of the gymnasium, which I will name Bascom Liliendaal Gymnasium.
January 17, 2015
The Hundred Years War between the French and the English took place over six hundred years ago. In every age since, it has been the subject of analysis and reconsideration from scholars to poets. Shakespeare found plenty of material for several of his plays.
Why? Because the period of that conflict was a turbulent one for the religious, the powerful, the chivalrous, and the common people. Corrigan, a British military man who writes military history, has been criticized for some imbalance in this book's analysis of English and French military campaigns. Here is his objective in his own words: "In this book I have tried to stick to what I know best and to look at the war from the military perspective....Historians must, of course, present both sides of the argument, but they do not have to be neutral. I hope I have treated the facts, as far as they can be determined with accuracy, as sacred, but I cannot hide my conviction that England's demands on France were lawful and justified, and, even where they were not, I feel pride in the achievements of Edward III, the Black Prince and Henry V."
I found this book's description of the battles one of the best. If it did not have all the immediacy of Bernard Cornwell's novels, that is more because of the flexibility that is accorded historical fiction that can invent where no facts are available. For those who want more context, I recommend Mortimer's Time-Travelers Guide to Medieval England. It goes into every aspect of culture and society. For those who are interested in larger trends and epochal consequences, I can recommend Tuchman's history of the 14th Century, A Distant Mirror.
A Great and Glorious Adventure is an enjoyable read for anyone interested in this period. And, Corrigan is persuasive in his conclusion: "The Hundred Years War has changed English society and attitudes profoundly. At its start, English nobles thought of themselves as Europeans; they had lands on both sides of the Channel, they spoke a form of French, they travelled to and fro, they married into cross-Channel families, and they owed religious allegiance to the Pope. By the end, they thought of themselves as English, they spoke English, they owned little outside England, and they were increasingly suspicious of any theological direction from abroad." He could have have devoted more analysis to the belief in chivalry that underlay the way battles were fought and how technology and the use of commoners as soldiers eventually eroded its practice and what it stood for.
Why? Because the period of that conflict was a turbulent one for the religious, the powerful, the chivalrous, and the common people. Corrigan, a British military man who writes military history, has been criticized for some imbalance in this book's analysis of English and French military campaigns. Here is his objective in his own words: "In this book I have tried to stick to what I know best and to look at the war from the military perspective....Historians must, of course, present both sides of the argument, but they do not have to be neutral. I hope I have treated the facts, as far as they can be determined with accuracy, as sacred, but I cannot hide my conviction that England's demands on France were lawful and justified, and, even where they were not, I feel pride in the achievements of Edward III, the Black Prince and Henry V."
I found this book's description of the battles one of the best. If it did not have all the immediacy of Bernard Cornwell's novels, that is more because of the flexibility that is accorded historical fiction that can invent where no facts are available. For those who want more context, I recommend Mortimer's Time-Travelers Guide to Medieval England. It goes into every aspect of culture and society. For those who are interested in larger trends and epochal consequences, I can recommend Tuchman's history of the 14th Century, A Distant Mirror.
A Great and Glorious Adventure is an enjoyable read for anyone interested in this period. And, Corrigan is persuasive in his conclusion: "The Hundred Years War has changed English society and attitudes profoundly. At its start, English nobles thought of themselves as Europeans; they had lands on both sides of the Channel, they spoke a form of French, they travelled to and fro, they married into cross-Channel families, and they owed religious allegiance to the Pope. By the end, they thought of themselves as English, they spoke English, they owned little outside England, and they were increasingly suspicious of any theological direction from abroad." He could have have devoted more analysis to the belief in chivalry that underlay the way battles were fought and how technology and the use of commoners as soldiers eventually eroded its practice and what it stood for.
November 16, 2016
Overall, Corrigan's book is a very entertaining and informative narrative and military history of the English people during the period of the Hundred Years War. It is not particularly academic nor is it analytical. Some may complain of the obvious English bias, but the author makes this bias very clear right from the outset. Those looking for a French perspective or for further examination of the French or continental experience should immediately see from the title (...Birth of Renaissance England) thst this is not their book. Furthermore, in the introduction, Corrigan makes clear his pro-English bias and his pride in his nation's history.
With that said, his obvious English bias is at times quaintly charming and at other times a bit overdone. Does the author need to label Henry V "the greatest Englishman who ever lived" or to blame inexcusable "Tudor laxity" for the loss of Calais to be successful? Probably not. A fifteenth century warrior-king being the greatest Englishman ever is not a particularly high bar to set by today's standards. And now that Calais has been firmly part of France for some five centuries should probably be a signal for the English to get over its loss. In addition to this there are some broad, probably indefensible claims strewn throughout the book that will probably stick out like sore thumbs to any reader capable of basic analysis. And, while probably an innocent typo, the mention of the "Spanish Armada of 1558" is an atrocious oversight. 1588. Anyone still smarting over the loss of Calais should know the year of one of England's greatest ever military successes.
Still, the examination of the development of English weapons and tactics is brilliant and insightful. The portraits of English monarchs and military leaders are entertaining and informative. The discussion of relevant historical events in Europe during this period go a long way toward contextualizing the successive conflicts examined by the author. It is definitely worth a read by anyone interested in a strong overview of the Hundred Years War.
With that said, his obvious English bias is at times quaintly charming and at other times a bit overdone. Does the author need to label Henry V "the greatest Englishman who ever lived" or to blame inexcusable "Tudor laxity" for the loss of Calais to be successful? Probably not. A fifteenth century warrior-king being the greatest Englishman ever is not a particularly high bar to set by today's standards. And now that Calais has been firmly part of France for some five centuries should probably be a signal for the English to get over its loss. In addition to this there are some broad, probably indefensible claims strewn throughout the book that will probably stick out like sore thumbs to any reader capable of basic analysis. And, while probably an innocent typo, the mention of the "Spanish Armada of 1558" is an atrocious oversight. 1588. Anyone still smarting over the loss of Calais should know the year of one of England's greatest ever military successes.
Still, the examination of the development of English weapons and tactics is brilliant and insightful. The portraits of English monarchs and military leaders are entertaining and informative. The discussion of relevant historical events in Europe during this period go a long way toward contextualizing the successive conflicts examined by the author. It is definitely worth a read by anyone interested in a strong overview of the Hundred Years War.
January 28, 2022
I hadn’t been reading anything about the Middle Ages for a long time, so my hand itself reached out to the book “A Great and Glorious Adventure: A Military History of the Hundred Years War” by Gordon Corrigan.
The author tells about the background and course of the Hundred Years War from the military science standpoint, since he is a former British soldier who graduated from a military academy. Additionally, Corrigan honestly warns in the preface that he is biased and wrote his book from the angle of an Englishman who considers the triumphant of Agincourt Henry V to be the greatest king.
I haven’t decided yet about the best monarch :)) However, I also have sympathy for English history and its figures. Therefore, the book was read quite organically, and the narrative didn’t manipulate the facts: it just acquired an emotional colouring.
It isn’t the first I’ve read books about this period of history, but I find something new each time. In this work, I learned more about the events of the end of the Hundred Years War, and I’m pretty satisfied.
The author tells about the background and course of the Hundred Years War from the military science standpoint, since he is a former British soldier who graduated from a military academy. Additionally, Corrigan honestly warns in the preface that he is biased and wrote his book from the angle of an Englishman who considers the triumphant of Agincourt Henry V to be the greatest king.
I haven’t decided yet about the best monarch :)) However, I also have sympathy for English history and its figures. Therefore, the book was read quite organically, and the narrative didn’t manipulate the facts: it just acquired an emotional colouring.
It isn’t the first I’ve read books about this period of history, but I find something new each time. In this work, I learned more about the events of the end of the Hundred Years War, and I’m pretty satisfied.
June 15, 2017
Corrigan presents us with an excellent and easily readable overview of the hundred years war with an emphasis on the military tactics used at various points along the way. His descriptions of battles like Crecy and Agincourt are about as good as one can get for such a small work covering such a vast span of time. However, the reconquest during the time of Joan of Arc are given barely more than a grudging overview.
This gets into my biggest complaint in the book. At times, the author's obvious English bias is charming and lends flavor. It is good at times for an author to be willing to take sides and offer up educated opinions. However, in certain cases like Joan and Henry V he takes this much too far and it detracts from the work rather than seasoning it.
Overall, this book is worth reading. It is good, not great, and is a great introductory work for those with a casual interest in this time period.
This gets into my biggest complaint in the book. At times, the author's obvious English bias is charming and lends flavor. It is good at times for an author to be willing to take sides and offer up educated opinions. However, in certain cases like Joan and Henry V he takes this much too far and it detracts from the work rather than seasoning it.
Overall, this book is worth reading. It is good, not great, and is a great introductory work for those with a casual interest in this time period.
August 6, 2014
I didn't really care for this very biased (pro-English) military history of the Hundred Years War. The author focuses on the military aspects of the conflict, going into great detail about troop movements and battlefield maneuvers, and failing to address the social and cultural fallout of the war. Moreover, the author is decidedly pro-English (to his credit, he admits this in the introduction) and manages to brush aside the plunder and slaughter the English armies performed on French soil (while also praising the soldiers as professionals) and ends the book by voicing a degree of regret that the English had not been able to retain their territories in France. Overall, I felt the bias got in the way of a good story and left me feeling a lot of sympathy for the French.
November 8, 2019
A very thoroughly researched book on the war. It is objective to a degree considering the authors background. He gives it a new perspective on the military and political sides of both.
June 19, 2021
Very well written from the English account of the 100 Years War. Though the title seemed to be a tongue in cheek claim to describe the horrendous account of warfare suffered by both sides with note of brutality, rape and looting that accompanied campaigns waged by the various land holders who financed these excursions.
The author is a former Gurkha Rifles Officer and a military history expert. Had he been an academic, he might have also written a companion written from the French account. However, this is to be expected as it is written in English. French authors write from French perspectives.
Also well written is the author's explanation of how warfare by England paved the way for a professional army that was to come in the future. New tactics, technologies and social changes led armies to leave the pressed men supplementing expensive knights and their retinue who filled in as fodder during battles. Experience was previosly gained by surviving battles by fighting over the shoulders of the man in front who was busy being killed.
These poor were replaced by professional men at arms and eventually better formation strategy that evolved to formation of Line Regiments.
The period of history also illustrates the overwhelming barbarity, cruelty and hard existence man faced day to day in battles as in daily life under the disdain thier rulers had for the people.
War is neither great nor glorious but campaigns have always appealed to mans lust for adventure.
The author is a former Gurkha Rifles Officer and a military history expert. Had he been an academic, he might have also written a companion written from the French account. However, this is to be expected as it is written in English. French authors write from French perspectives.
Also well written is the author's explanation of how warfare by England paved the way for a professional army that was to come in the future. New tactics, technologies and social changes led armies to leave the pressed men supplementing expensive knights and their retinue who filled in as fodder during battles. Experience was previosly gained by surviving battles by fighting over the shoulders of the man in front who was busy being killed.
These poor were replaced by professional men at arms and eventually better formation strategy that evolved to formation of Line Regiments.
The period of history also illustrates the overwhelming barbarity, cruelty and hard existence man faced day to day in battles as in daily life under the disdain thier rulers had for the people.
War is neither great nor glorious but campaigns have always appealed to mans lust for adventure.
August 7, 2025
This is very enjoyable overview of the 100 years war, not overly technical nor dragged down by endless tactical descriptions of battles from over 600 years ago (there's a touch of that, but not as much as you would guess for a book specifically covering war). Corrigan is a classic English professor/writer type, prideful about his country and certain Henry V was one of Britain's greatest men -- a veritable GOAT.
This cemented a lot of the knowledge I've been gathering about this period over last year or so. I didn't, however, take notes as I read it, and neither did I "annotate" (dog-ear a bunch of pages to go over while I was writing later). So I'll have to leave it with a tepidly brief review: I enjoyed it. If you have any interest in the 100 Years War or medieval England or France, you may enjoy it too.
This cemented a lot of the knowledge I've been gathering about this period over last year or so. I didn't, however, take notes as I read it, and neither did I "annotate" (dog-ear a bunch of pages to go over while I was writing later). So I'll have to leave it with a tepidly brief review: I enjoyed it. If you have any interest in the 100 Years War or medieval England or France, you may enjoy it too.
June 15, 2017
Detailed and somewhat one sided view of the Hundred Years War. Gordon Corrigan pens an interesting accounting of the life and customs during that conflict. He delves into the birth of the of the developing British army and at times is able to convey his information in an entertaining manner. Witty, at times sarcastic, Corrigan is adamantly pro-English. He writes a comprehensive history that is entertaining and informative with an almost gossipy feel. I enjoyed the book for his wit, but disliked his ethnocentric jingoism. While the hundred year war ended many years ago, Corrigan's snarky comments, "France as a nation has never liked us, and does not now. The feeling is mutual..." colors an otherwise interesting and scholarly work. I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.
September 23, 2021
Jesus christ this era of history and warfare was boring and meaningless. In October of 1482, Charles the IX, second cousin of William the Knave, marched 4,000 troops to the hillock of Derbyshire and confronted 6,000 men led by Luis XXII, son of Luis XXI, and they did battle with long bow and...and...and this fucking nonsense goes on for over a 100 years.
JFC. I retained nothing. The British and French fucked with each other for a while and then because no one could meaningfully hold the territory they momentarily captured in a battle, would go back to their respective areas. All it led to was long lasting animosity between their ancestors. Seriously, fuck this time period and it's petty, petty squabbles.
JFC. I retained nothing. The British and French fucked with each other for a while and then because no one could meaningfully hold the territory they momentarily captured in a battle, would go back to their respective areas. All it led to was long lasting animosity between their ancestors. Seriously, fuck this time period and it's petty, petty squabbles.
January 19, 2023
Pros: Much information about the 100 Years War, yes. Learned plenty.
Cons: Like many a history book, the “view from the top” perspective always seems to bore me. I’d rather hear stories from average folks who lived during the historical period in question, as they are more relatable. Sadly, average folks back then didn’t much read, write, or even Tweet.
Cons: Like many a history book, the “view from the top” perspective always seems to bore me. I’d rather hear stories from average folks who lived during the historical period in question, as they are more relatable. Sadly, average folks back then didn’t much read, write, or even Tweet.
February 22, 2026
An amazing well done summary of 100 years of history into an easy to read almost 300 pages. Obviously it’s hard to go into the finer details with so few pages but the author really captures and highlights the key points and does it in a really witty way. A really great general book for anyone interested in the time period.
May 29, 2025
This is an accessible account of the Hundred Years' War, largely from the English perspective, focusing mainly on the military aspects, with interesting comparisons with modern warfare, challenges and leadership.
June 30, 2021
I gave up early on this book, as it just wasn't interesting to me.
April 29, 2023
Very biased towards the English (written by an English author). All the French victories are glossed over or outright dismissed. Not so much a history book as a piece of propaganda.
September 22, 2023
Nearly a 5 star read. Tells you everything you need to know about the period in under 300 pages. Some details are breezed by that would have been better fleshed out so not quite perfect.
July 5, 2025
Enjoyable military history of the Hundred Years War.
July 8, 2017
Mr Corrigan writes well, in a continuous narrative full of interesting notes and details.
A joy to read.
A joy to read.
May 22, 2021
Gordon Corrigan is a gem, but the narrative drags at times. One chapter in particular, about the evolution of the composition of the British military, is especially dull. There are also occasional slights toward religion. Nonetheless, the book is both enlightening and entertaining.
February 19, 2017
And now I know how to win a battle. If I'm in late medieval France, leading an army of English archers and know anything about fighting. But as long as I meet all that, I'd be good.
Anyhow, it was extremely interesting to learn how the battles of Agincourt, Poitiers and Crecy were actually fought on a tactical level and how forces were deployed. And how the English development of a professional, disciplined army allowed them to dominate the battlefields against larger French armies.
Anyhow, it was extremely interesting to learn how the battles of Agincourt, Poitiers and Crecy were actually fought on a tactical level and how forces were deployed. And how the English development of a professional, disciplined army allowed them to dominate the battlefields against larger French armies.
August 26, 2015
Corrigan is an excellent writer. He manages to make a complex theme, like the Hundred Year War, and makes it easy and enjoyable to read. He mixes a clever and dry humor with the basic facts that keeps the reader focused. He does not become bogged down in the details, though it is in the details that his book loses is flavor.
Corrigan also acknowledges a strong pro-English bias. This includes aggrandizing the British heroes and belittling the French heroes. A case in point is Bertrand du Guesclin, the French marshal. With very little background on the man, Corrigan largely dismisses him as a knight without any real tactical skill with a penchant for being captured and ransomed back at increasing cost. Meanwhile, he declares Henry V to be the greatest king in English history. It is interesting to speculate what would have happened if Henry V had lived longer to consolidate his military gains. Nevertheless, he died almost the apogee when he claimed half of France. English France collapsed very shortly after his death.
Despite all of his writing skills, Corrigan glosses over the collapse with very little to say except that a lack of leadership among the English, and support from home, contributed to the collapse. There is really nothing about the French victory. There is also very little about the wars in Brittany. Apart from the grand marches through France, much of the Hundred Years War was focused in this duchy with France and England supporting rival families. Of course, the partisan warfare in Brittany does not lend itself to the glorious adventures of Edward III, Henry V, and the Black Prince. Then again, neither does the French resurgence.
Overall, the book is entertaining history. Everyone can easily understand his writing style. He is clear and concise. However, he leaves a lot out of the narrative. He does not adequately explain why France was so weak; although he drops hints at factionalism and decentralization - both of which disappeared because the English slaughtered the French nobility in three glorious battles.
Corrigan also acknowledges a strong pro-English bias. This includes aggrandizing the British heroes and belittling the French heroes. A case in point is Bertrand du Guesclin, the French marshal. With very little background on the man, Corrigan largely dismisses him as a knight without any real tactical skill with a penchant for being captured and ransomed back at increasing cost. Meanwhile, he declares Henry V to be the greatest king in English history. It is interesting to speculate what would have happened if Henry V had lived longer to consolidate his military gains. Nevertheless, he died almost the apogee when he claimed half of France. English France collapsed very shortly after his death.
Despite all of his writing skills, Corrigan glosses over the collapse with very little to say except that a lack of leadership among the English, and support from home, contributed to the collapse. There is really nothing about the French victory. There is also very little about the wars in Brittany. Apart from the grand marches through France, much of the Hundred Years War was focused in this duchy with France and England supporting rival families. Of course, the partisan warfare in Brittany does not lend itself to the glorious adventures of Edward III, Henry V, and the Black Prince. Then again, neither does the French resurgence.
Overall, the book is entertaining history. Everyone can easily understand his writing style. He is clear and concise. However, he leaves a lot out of the narrative. He does not adequately explain why France was so weak; although he drops hints at factionalism and decentralization - both of which disappeared because the English slaughtered the French nobility in three glorious battles.
February 14, 2017
Very detailed and concise, but definitely one- sided on the English perspective. I was happy to find a book that seemed to help bridge the gap between the Plantagenet era and the end of the Hundred Years War. I disagree with some of the author's opinions, particularly that I don't think being more interested in peace than war makes a king less " kingly," and especially that the war was a noble cause (particularly after he stated that the English claim to the French crown was "ridiculous," which I wholeheartedly agree with). The English were after French territory and resources and of course power, I don't see anything particularly noble or just about that type of endeavor. I would like now to find a book about the Hundred Years War from the perspective of the French.
August 4, 2014
“There are many men who cry for war without knowing what war amounts to. “ Geoffrey Chaucer
I was gifted this book by the publisher for an honest review.
Gordon Corrigan has the credentials to write an excellent military history of the Hundred Years War and I found his scholarship and insight very valuable in this telling.
I have read many accounts of this time period but nothing that encompasses it all and I think that is why this would be my go to book on the period.
He knows the tactics of the battle and writes in an easily understood language for those that have little military training. I feel I have a better understanding of what each commander was feeling and why they used the tactics they did.
Some reviewers have put him down as a biased author, but I didn’t find that to be true. He gave Joan of Arc her due and when an English warrior screwed up, we heard about that also. Perhaps it’s because when the English won, they won big like in Agincourt or Crecy.
His honesty about the animosity between the French and English to this day was refreshing and as an American helped me to understand it in today’s perspective.
I learned a great deal about the Hundred Years War from a different perspective than I was used to and I recommend this book to anyone interested in military tactics and the period itself.
I was gifted this book by the publisher for an honest review.
Gordon Corrigan has the credentials to write an excellent military history of the Hundred Years War and I found his scholarship and insight very valuable in this telling.
I have read many accounts of this time period but nothing that encompasses it all and I think that is why this would be my go to book on the period.
He knows the tactics of the battle and writes in an easily understood language for those that have little military training. I feel I have a better understanding of what each commander was feeling and why they used the tactics they did.
Some reviewers have put him down as a biased author, but I didn’t find that to be true. He gave Joan of Arc her due and when an English warrior screwed up, we heard about that also. Perhaps it’s because when the English won, they won big like in Agincourt or Crecy.
His honesty about the animosity between the French and English to this day was refreshing and as an American helped me to understand it in today’s perspective.
I learned a great deal about the Hundred Years War from a different perspective than I was used to and I recommend this book to anyone interested in military tactics and the period itself.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews