Hundred Years War Vol 3

Jonathan Sumption's spectacular history of the Hundred Years War is a treat for any history fan. Rarely will you find a scholarly and massively researched history as fluently and engagingly written as these volumes. A fine testament to the value of narrative history. Can't wait till the bext volume

Amazingly good. Tells the reader about the war on all levels, from the peasants to the soldiers to the nobility and the king himself. Incredibly detailed and informative.

Continues the series, well-written and based on what appears to be meticulous research. One hopes that Mr. Sumption will continue this look at history. I have travelled a little in France and seen some of the towns mentioned in the series as well as Paris.

Sumption does an excellent job of providing a fluent, clear historical narrative of the last phase of the Hundred Years War, simplifying an extremely complicated set of events. All three books in the series are essential to anyone with an interest, academic or otherwise, in the period.A note for academics:- The footnoting has been streamlined for a commercial audience, which can sometimes mean a frustrating search for the correct reference for a particular part of a paragraph.- Sumption writes with a strong voice, rarely flagging assumptions or inferences as such. Care must be taken to cross-reference his discussion wherever it deviates from the narration of a set of factual events.- Sources referenced can be incredibly difficult to find in the (badly sectioned) bibliography.

Read them all!

Professor Sumption has written a narritive of the hundred Years war that is very carefull and very detailed, yet is so well written that it pulls the reader right into the tase and feel of the period and the war.

Excellant history and great service from the provider.

This third volume of Jonathan Sumption's great history of the Hundred Years War lives up to expectations raised by the earlier volume.Superb!

Una obra imprescindible

History is not boring; at least in the manner in which Sumption writes. His history is detailed - day by day, even hour by hour telling of event. His characters are complex - aggressive, mad, devious. His locations include most of western Europe from the Scottish Highland to Naples, from Lisbon to Bohemia. And of course England and France. His clear crisp writing and narrative style brings this tragic period to life. Never pompous or sententious, just simple clear short sentences accompanied by maps that allow the reader to enter into the actions of battles, sieges and chevauchées. Hours of delight reading such excellent prose and absorbing so much information so easily.

Volume 3 of Jonathan Sumption's history covers the(for me) least known section of the Hundred Years War - the period between Edward III and the Black Prince's triumphs - Crecy, Poitiers etc - and Henry V and Agincourt. It was a pretty bleak period for England, as they were politically and militarily outmanoeuvred, and driven from many of their hard won gains. The book covers the battle field, the domestic politics of both countries and diplomatic manouevring. As before, I found his economic analysis particularly interesting - the two kings' relative abilty to raise taxes was as decisive as anything else.I loved the first two volumes, and this one as well. First, the writing is superbly clear and readable, keeping you turning pages despite the length and complexity. Secondly, the grasp of detail brings events and people to life - this is no dry academic history. Third, Sumption sets out a clear overall narrative that knits the mass of events together, and paints a convincing picture of how England steadily gave ground. (How Sumption manages to combine writing these books with being one of the UK's top lawyers is beyond me).I sometimes felt that Sumption was enjoying writing so much that he was deliberately slowing down - less seems to happen than in Volumes 1 and 2, and I began to wonder how many Volumes the whole series will run to. Occasionally, you think you have covered every square inch of British occupied France - and a few more maps would help.But Sumption still manages to keep you interested and reading, despite the level of detail and lack of 'spectaculars'. Such pure quality of writing keeps him at 5 stars.

I am close to finishing the 3rd volume. This is more riveting than Game of Thrones. The better for being based on actual people and events. Nothing is more amazing than history as we can best discern it from this distance. How the passions, desires, confusion and chaos we experience today is not much removed from those of centuries past. Humans can change their outlook on life, but they will never resolve the problem of controlling human nature.

A somewhat monumental tome but very well researched and a wonderful read. The detail is thorough and the story unfolds gradually and together with the previous two volumes this is a wonderful work of history.