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    Agincourt: A Novel
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    Agincourt: A Novel
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    Agincourt: A Novel
    Ebook531 pages9 hours

    Agincourt: A Novel

    By Bernard Cornwell

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    “Agincourt is classic Cornwell…[with] attention to historical detail, well-paced action, and descriptive writing that is a pleasure to read.”
     —Boston Globe

     

    Bernard Cornwell, the New York Times bestselling “reigning king of historical fiction” (USA Today), tackles his most thrilling, rich, and enthralling subject yet—the heroic tale of Agincourt. The epic battle immortalized by William Shakespeare in his classic Henry V is the background for this breathtaking tale of heroism, love, devotion, and duty from the legendary author of the Richard Sharpe novels and the Saxon Tales. This extraordinary adventure will captivate from page one, proving once again and most powerfully, as author Lee Child attests, that “nobody in the world does this stuff better than Cornwell.”

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 6, 2009
    ISBN9780061984068
    Author

    Bernard Cornwell

    BERNARD CORNWELL is the author of over fifty novels, including the acclaimed New York Times bestselling Saxon Tales, which serve as the basis for the hit Netflix series The Last Kingdom. He lives with his wife on Cape Cod and in Charleston, South Carolina.

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    Reviews for Agincourt

    4/5

    675 ratings62 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This its a fabulous audio book, and an instance where the narrator made all the difference. Not being a great lover of military history I suspect I would not have made it through a print version, but the audio version was full of excitement and the different characters were vivid and well defined.
    • 4/5
      True to history as fiction can be.
    • 5/5
      Famtastic Bernard outdid himself!
    • 4/5
      I listened to this book during my commutes this Feb/March. Like all Bernard Cornwell novels, this story was gritty and full of violence. The everyday tasks and annoyances of life in a darker time were in full view. Agincourt gives us an archer's view of this famous battle. Cornwell, as usual, gives us a very detailed look at what a battle must have been like when experienced in the front lines. Great care is given to the details of period armor and weapons, what they were specifically used for and how things like soil condition could turn a battle. The historical elements are also profound. Priests are just men, some are good and some are evil. Yeah, that sounds about right. As far as the archery goes, he hit all the right chords. When you know the things a middle ages archer would worry about on a daily basis, it makes that person slightly more relatable. As always, I look forward to more novels from this fun author.
    • 5/5
      What an excellent read. A famous battle between the French and the English that should have been a decisive victory for the French. For historic detail you couldn't ask for better and the story races along at a cracking pace, building with tension to the vividly told battle sequence. From the arrival of the English army in France, we hear of their the long march to Calais, the highs and the lows involved with army life, the horrors of siege warfare, their problems with hunger and the wretchedness of a foot soldiers battle with illness. It's all there in well written, gruesome detail. Some of that detail was hard for me to read, being so violent, yet in spite of it all I can believe it to be an honest account of how things were for these two armies and the Kings who led them. It was the archers with their long bows who made victory for the English possible and it was the mud of the battlefield that helped bring down the heavily armoured French. Gutsy action and language, well researched facts have gone to make this Bernard Cornwell novel a must read for Historical Fiction fans.
    • 4/5
      Interesting historical novel, well written, and he gives you
      the real history after the end of the novel.
    • 5/5
      A very enjoyable read. Great story. While this is fiction it does fill in some historical gaps of my own. Now I want to watch again the film Kenneth Branagh directed and acted in, Henry V by Shakespeare.
    • 5/5
      Loved this book. It deals with a period of history that fascinates me, and surely any other red blooded Englishman? The victory of victories against the old enemy. A triumph against all the odds.
      The book has a simple and easily followed plot. It's storytelling at it's best. The brutality of war is there for all to read about, but so is the heroism, sacrifice, chivalry and honour. One of my favourite novels by this author.
    • 3/5
      I'm a fan of well researched, historical fiction and Cornwell once again does a good job and yet makes for an entertaining yarn. Enjoyable read. Enough of a story to keep it from reading like a mere repetition of event A happened on date B.
    • 4/5
      All the highlights of a Cornwell historical novel without committing to 10 more books to read in a series.
    • 2/5
      I really wanted to like it! I loved Stonehenge.

      This one felt, I don't know, kind of stilted? The action wasn't super actiony. A lot of insults and swearing. A LOT. Rape. Murder (not just battle deaths).

      I had high hopes for this one, but I just am not feeling it. Overall, I'm glad I read it, but it won't be one I turn to again.
    • 2/5
      entertaining in places, but far too much repetition in the fight scenes. almost every arrow launched is described as well as every sword cut parry etc.
    • 5/5
      I have thoroughly enjoyed any and every Bernard Cornwell book I’ve ever read, and this one was no exception. Well developed characters, intriguing plot lines plus the fantastic battle scenes Cornwell is known for. An excellent retelling of a well known tale.
    • 4/5
      A very readable fictional account of one of the great battles which remains in the English national psyche. The story is told from the point of view of the archers, who were pivotal in this battle, and again form part of the English myth of that era. Welsh voices pop up occasionally as a reminder that the word "English" is often over-used. It does not shirk the horror of war - mud, blood and shit. Perhaps the main weakness is an exaggeration of the qualities of the archers - they become almost godlike figures in their strength.
    • 5/5
      I've read some of the Last Kingdom series, and I'm about to start Mr. Cornwall's Arthur series, so I'm familiar with his books. Agincourt has always been a fascinating battle to read about, so this book is right up my alley. Sir John Cornewaille, leader of Nick Hook's group of archers and men-at-arms, is in my family tree, and there are other historical figures brought to life here in the author's inimitable prose. The main characters, Nick and his wife are not historical, but they always felt true to the times they lived in. Agincourt has always had an aura around the battle in a way that others like Poitiers and Crecy do not. The book starts with the sack of Soissons, which made a nice bookend with Agincourt. Soissons is the home of Sts. Crispin and Crispian, and their saint day is the day the battle of Agincourt happened. It makes for a fascinating read with many details about archery and the battles themselves. This may not make it a book for everyone, but I love stories like this, and I'd highly recommend it for others who like history.
    • 4/5
      This novel set in the Agincourt campaign and battle of 1415 is a good read, with colourful and interesting characters. Plenty of bloody scenes, of course, and like a number of other Cornwell novels, it suffers somewhat from very repetitive battle scenes with very similar descriptions of individual fights and killings. But overall a good novel based on very vivid and memorable historical events.
    • 5/5
      Agincourt follows protagonist Nick Hook as an archer in England's army as they fight in the famous historical battle of Agincourt. The English army is outnumbered (5,000 lightly armored archers vs 20,000 more heavily armored French troops).Will England prevail? Will Nick Hook survive the day, or be annihilated by the French?This book is very well written, full of meaty writing, fast paced and energetic. You really smell the sweat and feel the mud and fear as you read this book. It doesn't only follow the actual battle, but events following up to the battle, including very interesting side characters with very interesting side stories that fit in well with the main story of Nick Hook and the battle of Agincourt. A very well written book!
    • 3/5
      A stand-alone focusing on Henry V and the Battle of Agincourt, the work has strongly written battle scenes, yet uncharacteristic metaphysical elements that Cornwell is not known for. Fun, but not as strong as the Arthurian series, Stonehenge, or other Cornwell books.
    • 5/5
      Excellent historical novel but could have been written with a less graphical description of the horrors of war.
    • 3/5
      Lazy person's review: A Bernard Cornwell book and a good example of his work.

      Slightly less lazy version: Cornwell does historical fiction quite well. This time he takes us to Agincourt (very similar to the Grail series, just a generation later. Same archers, politics, tactics, and church influence as the earlier series.) Cornwell takes us through Henry V's famous campaign and unlikely victory, highlighting the weapons and tactics that made victory possible.

      On a related note, Cornwell's next book will be a return to the Grail series, so he must be happily geeking out on archers' tactics in medieval Europe.
    • 3/5
      “Azincourt” is quick-paced and not for the faint hearted. This author is in my opinion second only to Robert E. Howard when it comes to depicting vivid battle scenes. Mr Cornwell never shies away from depicting the horrors of war, conveying every gruesome detail of the dead or dying. There's an emphasis on the horror of cutting out/stabbing men's eyes in this tale.I liked most of the characters, though Hook – the hero of the piece – seemed lacking somehow. Sir John, one of the other main characters, was perhaps the best-drawn, while Martin the evil priest made an effective villain. The historical side of things was well-researched. I would’ve rated this novel four stars but, like all the Bernard Cornwell books that I’ve read to date, I’ve deducted a star because the story is let down by substandard elements of style. Long-winded sentences, adverbs, and adjectives are plentiful. The needless dialogue attribution drives me to distraction whilst the overuse of the word “then” is surprising for such a seasoned author.The long-winded sentences are kept going by numerous commas plus “ands”, often aided by a “then”, like with the quote below:>Will of the Dale put a bodkin into a rider's throat and the man jerked back under the arrow's strike, then rebounded forward from his saddle's high cantle and his lance buried its point in a furrow and so lifted the man out of his saddle as his horse galloped on, eyes white and visible through the holes in its face armour, and the man was dragged along by the stirrup as the horse took an arrow in the eye and veered to one side and so brought down two more horses. It was one horse, Hook thought, judging from the sound, and then, suddenly, the horse and its rider were visible, riding eastward. Judging from the sound Hook thought it was one horse. Suddenly the horse and its rider were visible, riding eastward.We're three ranks deep," Sir John said, "and they're at least twenty ranks deep."So what's going to happen here?" Michael wanted to know.< The reader can’t fail to know who’s speaking in this two-character exchange. “Michael said” would’ve been pointless enough but “Michael wanted to know” is a complete waste of words. He’s asked a question, thus it’s obvious that he wants to know something. Even if the reader did need to know who was speaking here the author would be using four words instead of two. As it happens, he’s using four instead of none. These are simple rules of style that are being ignored.I sometimes wonder why I keep reader this author’s works. Truth is, despite the poor English style, his historical knowledge and ability to tell a story are superb. He’s brilliant at creating dramatic scenes and tense conflict, which are spoiled only by the issues already mentioned. If he’s writing about a period or situation that interests me I’ll check it out. If he picks something I’m only half interested in, however, I won’t go near it because of the distracting elements of style.
    • 3/5
      a simply written, simply plotted book. it seems to be written to allow the reader to walk around medieval France and England rather than tell a tale deep and rich.

      characters are three dimensional but not to the point where i truly felt with them. however, they had enough substance to hold my attention and allow me to walk with them and smell the smells, feel the sweat and fear, and hear the bending of longbows.

      Cornwell picked an archer as the protagonist so that we will see Agincourt front and center though the eyes of one of the key players in that battle. by making him common born but skilled and a bit of an outlaw, Cornwell can lead us past a menagerie of medieval culture that might not be accessible had we been seeing things from a noble’s point of view.

      the battle scenes went on a bit long but, in the end, i felt like i had been there slogging through mud and blood with the men-at-arms and archers at Agincourt.

      despite the physics being a bit Hollywood hyperbolic (ie the mass of an arrow or crossbow bolt cannot knock a full-grown man off his feet, however powerful the bow that shot it), this was a good, solid piece of historical fiction.
    • 5/5
      Exceptional historical fiction set in the reign of Henry V, this book gives an account of some of the key battles between England and France, culminating at Agincourt. Mr. Cornwell's excellence lies in his thorough and detailed research and in a style of writing that allows the reader to immerse themselves in the historical period. His descriptions of battles are relentless and, at times, perhaps a bit too graphic for some readers. His characters are utterly believable, his settings flawless, his story compelling. Highly recommended for those who enjoy solid historical fiction.
    • 3/5
      I ordered this book thinking it was a detailed look at the Battle of Agincourt, certainly one of the most celebrated battles in all of world history. It was soon clear, however, that this work of historical fiction actually touches only briefly on the battle itself. There are currently two other books named Agincourt which provide a more in depth, scholarly analysis.The book focuses on an English archer named Nicholas Hook, who through a confrontation with a crooked priest becomes an outlaw and is forced to leave his home in England. He becomes a mercenary, spends some time fighting in a French civil war before returning to England and ultimately becoming part of the army of Henry V which invades France in 1415, leading to the climactic Battle of Agincourt. Historical events are all seen through the eyes of young Hook.While I was already somewhat familiar with the history of the era, the book does contain some very interesting and enlightening information on the composition and fighting techniques of the armies of the period, especially as related to the siege of Harfleur which takes up a large part of the book.All in all, however, while the Battle of Agincourt does take place near the end of the book, it plays only a minor role in the story. This is a very mediocre piece of historical fiction, written quite simply and could easily be enjoyed by a junior high student who might benefit from an introduction to this historical period.
    • 3/5
      This is my first Cornwell book and I read it at the suggestion of my husband who is a big fan. I am a fan of GRRM and the Game of Thrones series. He figured I would like this book too. Which I did but...Cornwell and Martin are similar in terms of their gritty approach to describing events on the battlefield. And I'm fine with that. I want to read about bloody battles. It is part of the adventure. But Cornwell does not create a story line that appeals to me like Martin does. The novel is really for those readers who want to learn how a battle is fought during medieval times. There were long stretches of the book that went into lengthy details that bored me. I did however learn a great deal about archery. I do enjoy learning my history through novels. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of medieval times but maybe not so much anyone without much of a stomach for warfare.
    • 4/5
      Having read the other reviews, I have very little to add. I enjoyed the book except for two aspects: the extreme violence and church bashing. Yes, both were true. War is hell, but I don't find hell entertaining. It is a personal failure on my part, I suppose. As for the church bashing, one does not need to look far to see failure within the church -- failure at the criminal level -- but one does need to look between the trees to see it. In this analogy, the trees are the good things that the church as done.

      Had those two aspects been in balance, then I would have rated this book a five. Bernard Cornwell did his homework (as far as I can tell) and crafted a great story that put flesh on an historic event that would otherwise have been left to dry military history. I appreciated his historical notes at the end, in that they showed what in the story was according to record and what wasn't. I especially liked that even the protagonist's name was drawn from historical documents. Well done, Mr. Cornwell.
    • 4/5
       Excellent page turner of a book.

      Follows one Nicholas Hook, Archer, from trouble on the Lord's estate to trouble in London to joining the king's army in France. He survives these adventures, and the road leads to Agincourt (the title uses the spelling of the French village, rather than the usual English version).

      Sometimes a little contrived - how two particular people happen to meet on a battlefield filled with 25,000 people is perhaps a little far-fetched, but you can forgive him that when it is such a rip-roaring read. Full of great historical detail but it's a good story that rolls along at a good pace too.

      One of his best.
    • 3/5
      I don't think it's Cornwall's best but it's still decent, worth a read if you're interested in the era.
    • 5/5
      I have always loved anything on Medieval history, even historical fiction. However, with this book, it is about as close to historical fact that a fiction book can be. It is meticulously researched and most of the characters in the story were actual soldiers in the battle on public record in France. I loved this book and the story it shows. If there is one book you are going to read on Medieval warfare, fact or fiction, this HAS to be it. Warning: it is very vulgar and gruesome, but that is how combat was back then.
    • 4/5
      The first of Bernard Cornwell's books I have read. I enjoyed it quite a lot. Haven't really read much historical fiction but this is certianly my cup of tea and I'll be looking into more of these books. The build up to the final battle was good and I felt that the author conveyed the sense of being an archer in a medieval army very well.Sometimes the story felt a little clumsy and predictable, the inevitable attempt of the dodgy priest on Hook's wife and the battle between John Cornwailles and Lanferrelle, but these didn't cause me too much grief.