By Paul Carrier
Bernard Cornwell's legendary mastery of the battlefield saga is on display yet again in Agincourt, his novelized look at the famed 15th century battle in which a sickly, weakened and outnumbered English army defeated a fresh and fearsome French force on French soil.
The hero of this tale is young Nicholas Hook, a fictional archer in the army of Henry V, the English king who invaded France to press his contested claim to the French throne.
The outcome of the 1415 battle is well-known to any history buff or Shakespeare fan. Henry's stunning win against the longest of odds left the victorious English king seemingly poised to unite England and France under English rule.
Fortunately for the French, however, Henry's lust for territory was checked by subsequent events which are beyond the time frame of this novel, including the heroic leadership of the maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc. Eventually, of course, the English forces were expelled from France.
It should be noted that Agincourt is not for the squeamish or the fainthearted. It is, instead, a blood-soaked romp.
Arguably, Cornwell's heavy emphasis on the butchery, mayhem and savagery of 15th-century warfare is true to the times, although I would suggest that he overdoes the blood and guts a bit. Readers with tender psyches, delicate sensibilities and weak stomachs should look elsewhere.
Agincourt places a heavy and distracting emphasis on the English siege of Harfleur, France, which preceded the battle at Agincourt. That, and the fact that the novel is so thoroughly awash in violence, weaken an otherwise fascinating look at one of the most famous battles in European history.
Diehard Cornwell fans, as well as readers with a keen interest in Agincourt, will enjoy the novel, but if you don't fall into either of those categories, my advice would be to steer clear of this one.
It should be noted that Agincourt is not for the squeamish or the fainthearted. It is, instead, a blood-soaked romp.
Arguably, Cornwell's heavy emphasis on the butchery, mayhem and savagery of 15th-century warfare is true to the times, although I would suggest that he overdoes the blood and guts a bit. Readers with tender psyches, delicate sensibilities and weak stomachs should look elsewhere.
Agincourt places a heavy and distracting emphasis on the English siege of Harfleur, France, which preceded the battle at Agincourt. That, and the fact that the novel is so thoroughly awash in violence, weaken an otherwise fascinating look at one of the most famous battles in European history.
Diehard Cornwell fans, as well as readers with a keen interest in Agincourt, will enjoy the novel, but if you don't fall into either of those categories, my advice would be to steer clear of this one.
