The Battle of Crécy, 1346

Fülszöveg

On the evening of 26 August 1346, the greatest military power in Christendom, the French royal army with Philip VI at its head, was defeated by an expeditionary force from England under the command of Edward III. A momentous event that sent shock waves across Europe, the battle of Crécy marked a turning point in the English king's struggle with his Valois adversary. While the French suffered humiliation and crippling casualties, compounded by the loss of Calais a year later, the self-confidence and military reputation of the English - from their king down to the lowliest of archers - soared. Well over half a century before Agincourt, the English had emerged, in the opinion of contemporaries, as a fiercely bellicose people and the best fighters in Europe.
In addition to assessing the significance of Crécy, this book sets out to explain why a major battle took place on that damp August evening in Ponthieu, and how it was that the English achieved so remarkable a victory. It... Tovább

Fülszöveg

On the evening of 26 August 1346, the greatest military power in Christendom, the French royal army with Philip VI at its head, was defeated by an expeditionary force from England under the command of Edward III. A momentous event that sent shock waves across Europe, the battle of Crécy marked a turning point in the English king's struggle with his Valois adversary. While the French suffered humiliation and crippling casualties, compounded by the loss of Calais a year later, the self-confidence and military reputation of the English - from their king down to the lowliest of archers - soared. Well over half a century before Agincourt, the English had emerged, in the opinion of contemporaries, as a fiercely bellicose people and the best fighters in Europe.
In addition to assessing the significance of Crécy, this book sets out to explain why a major battle took place on that damp August evening in Ponthieu, and how it was that the English achieved so remarkable a victory. It presents challenging new interpretations of both the battle itself and the campaign in Normandy and Ponthieu that preceded it. Incorporating the latest research on the composition and organisation of the English and French armies, a penetrating analysis of the narrative sources and a revealing re-appraisal of the battlefield, the book sheds much new light on a range of issues, including Edward Ill's campaign strategy and the dynamics of the battle. Concluding with a fresh look at the role of the archer in Edward Ill's victory, this book will be essential reading for all students of medieval mihtary history. Vissza