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Clear, concise explanation the Clay/Jackson power struggle
Today we know them as Old Hickory and the Great Compromiser. However, they called each other King Andrew the first and the Corrupt Bargainer. Jackson and Clay were the opposite poles of the axis of Antebellum politics. Each man carried an ideological dislike and often personal hatred of the other man. However, each shaped the political landscape in the US perhaps more than any men after 1800. The 1820-30s were the utmost of critical in the development of the US- the crossroads where the US could prove a failed democratic experiment or emerging industrial country. In these crucial times nothing happened in Washington, DC without either Clay's or Jackson's approval. Their personal feud infulenced everything from construction of national highways, and the national banking system to slavery and tarriffs.

Watson keeps an even hand in explaining the complex relationship of these two important men. His writing is percise and insightful. The first part is Watson's explantion and analysis. Part 2 consist of over 100 pages of historical letters and writings. This allows the reader to understand Jackson and Clay thru their own words. The 200+ pages read very fast and contain all the information your likely to ever need to know about the connection between Clay and Jackson. The book was designed "to be a reasonable one-week assignment for a college course." It proves very reasonable indeed. ... Read more

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Thanks to Shakespeare, Henry V is one of England's best-knownmonarchs. Or is he? The image of the young king leading his army against theFrench and his stunning victory at Agincourt are part of English historicaltradition. Yet to understand Henry V we need to look at far more than hismilitary prowess. While Henry was indeed a soldier of exceptional skills, his historicalreputation as a king deserves to be set against a broader background ofachievement, for he was a leader and a diplomat, an administrator, a keeper ofthe peace and protector of the Church, a man who worked with and for his people. This new study, the first full scholarly biography of Henry V, based on theprimary sources of both English and French archives and taking into account agreat deal of recent scholarship, shows his reign in the broad European contextof his day. It concludes that, through his personality and "professional"approach, Henry not only united the country in war but also provided Englandwith a sense of pride and the kind of domestic rule it was so in need of at thetime. Allmand offers far more than a biography of a king. His book is also a rich workof cultural history, with fascinating material on, for example, royal funerals,the reburial of Richard II in Westminster Abbey, the rise of Lollardy inEngland, and how one governed in the late Middle Ages. ... Read more

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Medieval CEO
As brilliantly portrayed by Mr. Allmand, Henry V personifies not only the fearsome and powerful character of a dark ages monarch, but also that one of a business-sound and strategy-aware leader. Whereas Shakespeare stresses Henry's prowess as a soldier and a hero, Allmand throws in unbeknownst traits: goal-oriented business planner, egalitarian political strategist, tireless academician, merciless warrior and fearing christian. Even though Mr. Allmand's prose teems with passive verbs and endless sentences, sometimes puzzling and even confusing the reader, his book is one of its kind.

*The* biography on Henry V
Prof. Allmand's biography of Henry V is the first coherent work on the subject for our generation. It is also the best bio on Henry V in the past 60-70 years. Allmand gives a fairly bare-bones analysis of King Henry V's brilliant but short life, and then expands in later chapters on several themes such as the royal family, law + order, and the like. Allmand's work is scholarly but does not drown the reader in details. Is a good read and moves along in a coherent manner. If you are looking to learn more about the man Shakespeare called "the Mirror of all Christian Kings" Allmand's deft work is a good place to start and a valuable resource. ... Read more

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A controversial biography reassessing the life and career of one of England’s best–known heroic kings. ... Read more

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In Henry V as Warlord, acclaimed historian Desmond Seward sweeps away the myths and idolatry of Henry V to reveal a cruel, intolerant bigot who thirsted for victory at any cost. Seward shows the ruthlessness of the man who called himself "the scourge of God" when reproached for a massacre; exploited the dormant Hundred Years War for his own gains; and committed atrocities in battle. Henry V's blind ambition arose from his determination to prove his tenuous claim to the throne of England, which his father had usurped. Here, Seward argues that Henry V created a deep distrust between France and England that has lasted to this day.

"With precision, wit, and remarkable clarity, [Seward] chronicles the entwined lives of these 'half-savage squireens, scarcely more than peasants with coats of arms' through an all but unbelieveable saga of vanity, stupidity, and mindless greed." (The Washington Post Book World) ... Read more

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Pretty good study.....
... Desmond Seward's book does much to clear the myth about Henry V from the theater and movie images but as the title of the book suggested, Henry V was a warlord and a pretty good as that. I enjoyed reading this book, clearly written, neatly on focus as Seward does not spread himself too thin and kept his eye on the military aspect of Henry V's career. That was his purpose for the book, wasn't it? The book revealed that Henry was a gifted commander, brutal as any but no more then any for the time period. he waged an aggressive war and took advantages of his enemies. That don't make him a bad man in my book, not during that period of history. Henry V's only sin, it seem was that he simply died too soon and left a son too young. Overall, a very good book, author's effort to show the "real" Henry V was a success but Henry's accomplishments were real enough that Shakespeare wanted to make him a national hero!

The Hitler of the Middle Ages
Henry V was one of the most evil kings to occupy the English throne. Shakespeare's play about him glorified him because he conquered so much territory in France. Even though he only occupied the English thorne for 9 years, he caused 600 years of political damage between France and England. His motto was, "I'm the scourge of God and I'm here to punish men for their sins."

Normandy, one of the best grain producing regions of France was practically raised to the ground. It was devastated along with other northern regions of France. The English murdered, raped, pillaged, and committed almost every kind of evil to France during this period of medieval history.

After his victory at Agincourt in 1415, Henry V invaded France while it was in a civil war. At the Treaty of Troyes, he dictated his own terms for the future of France. Charles VI, "the mad king of France", didn't have a say in the treaty because he was insane. Henry took advantage of this. In the treaty, it stated that Henry would marry Charles'daughter and if Charles VI died, Henry would become both king of England and France.

When the Hundred years war was dormant, Henry rekindled it for another 50 years. His only reason was to declare that he was the true heir to the French throne. During those 50 years the English committed so many atrosities to France, they paled in comparison to what the Saracens did to the Crusaders. This is the main reason the French mistrust and dislike the English to this day.

The real King Harry
Those who admire Shakespeare's Henry V and Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation, and who are curious about the real King Henry, will find this book to be a good read: fluently and clearly written, neither too short nor too long. Henry was a sort of monster; he was also a great man. The human race naturally admires such men, and for that reason one should not fault Shakespeare for creating a great national hero out of a ruthless military genius. What is remarkable is that so much of the real Harry comes through in the play. Even so, the disasters of war inflicted on the French are appalling to read about in this book. The Nazi occupation was mild in comparison. The French are notorious for their aversion to English speakers. Is the reason, as Desmond Seward says, the memory of this quintessential English hero?

Excellent Revisionism
Shakespeare's Henry V forms the basis for most people's impression of this monarch. This remarkably effective piece of propaganda presents Henry as an inexperienced and brave young man with a number of attractive features. In this fine book, Desmond Seward presents a realistic picture of Henry V that is quite different from the Henry in Shakespeare. While Henry came to the throne at a young age, he was already an experienced commander and administrator. His skills had been developed in the rather vicious politics of contemporary England and by the leading role he played in subduing rebellion in Wales. Based on a careful reading of sources and his extensive knowledge of Medieval Europe, Seward presents Henry as an unusually capable and ruthless leader bent on consolidating royal authority in England and conquering France. Seward's well justified analysis of Henry's motivations are based on Henry's insecurity over his claim to the throne, which had been usurped by his father. Seward infers that the undoubtedly pious Henry regarded his attempt to conquer France as a trial by God over the issue of the legitimacy of his crown. Henry's successes then were sanction of his efforts to conquer France and his right to occupy the throne of England. This book provides fine narrative of Henry's life as a soldier and campaigner. Seward's descriptions of Medieval warfare and politics are excellent. He addresses well why a small and relatively sparsely populated country like England could do so well in combat against the French. Seward addresses also the question of why the English presence proved to evanescent. My only complaint with this book is that it did not cover other aspects of Henry's life. This is not entirely fair as Seward aimed at covering Henry's life as a attempted conquerer and he achieves his aims easily. This is not an attempt at a comprehensive biography. Seward's intelligent treatment of these aspects of Henry's life makes me wish he had attempted a broader book. ... Read more

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Scholarly and valuable
Harriss is not only the editor of this book, but a profligate contributor as well. Not exactly a book but rather a collection of scholarly essays and articles that pertain to all facets of King Henry V's reign such as religion, warfare, diplomacy, law etc. Extremely valuable for students of Henry V, medieval England and even medieval Europe. However, it does touch on specific subjects so unless you are interested in medieval diplomacy, religion and the like it would not make for interesting general reading. ... Read more

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Biased and unreliable.
Disappointing. If you're hoping for a balanced treatment of the life of Henry V, this is not the book for you. If you wish to read a pro-French, late-twentieth century politically correct biography, this is it.

Seward is biased in his use of sources--if it contradicts his conclusions, he does not use it. For example, there were contemporary French historians who blamed Henry's execution of many prisoners during the battle of Agincourt on the actions of the French, but Seward makes no mention of this. Seward also sins against good biography in telling us what Henry was thinking at times--not what he may have been thinking, and not what he wrote or said or others said he said, but what was actually going through his mind.

Seward also refuses to take Henry as a man of his times, instead comparing him to the ideal Politically Correct leader of the late twentieth century. Understandably, Henry is found wanting. Since Henry did not have our modern concept of religious tolerance, he was an intolerant bigot, etc. Sigh.

Not everything Seward writes is negative--he seems to have a grudging admiration for his subject at times--but his bias and use of sources are such that you cannot trust him. This book might be useful as a balance to books on Henry V written by biographers who refuse to see any warts on their subject, but it fails to be a balanced treatment by itself.

Prince Hal the Butcher
This is an essential piece of scholarship on the life of Henry V for the lay reader. Recently re-printed as "Henry V as military commander". Loved by Shakespeare fans or anglophiles, Hal is given the overdue and necessary analysis by one of the finest writers on medieval history for the lay public. (And if you like to think of Shakespeare as an accurate source, check out his vicious & bigoted portrayal of Joan of Arc in "Henry VI".) This is no character assasination however, as the diplomatic skill and administrative abilities of Henry are illuminated by research as well as his megalomania and barbarity. More comparable to a more vicious Edward I than noble prince of courtly virtue. Only faulted by it's brevity or lack of background on Plantagenet family pre-Richard II ... Read more

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6. I have the materials for a monograph upon the Acalephae and Hydrostatic Acalephae. I have examined very carefully more than forty genera of these animals--many of them very rare, and some quite new. But I paid comparatively little attention to the collection of new species, caring rather to come to some clear and definite idea as to the structure of those which had indeed been long known, but very little understood. Unfortunately for science, but fortunately for me, this method appears to have been somewhat novel with observers of these animals, and consequently everywhere new and remarkable facts were to be had for the picking up. ... Read more

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Translated by David Preest with annotations and an introduction by James G. ClarkThomas Walsingham's Chronica maiora is one of the most comprehensive and colourful chronicles to survive from medieval England. Walsingham was a monk at St Albans Abbey, a royal monastery and the premier repository of public records, and therefore well placed to observe the political machinations of this period at close hand. Moreover, he knew the monarchs and many of the nobles personally and is able to offer insights into their actions unmatched by any other authority. It is this narrative, transmitted through the popular Tudor histories of Hall, Stow and Holinshed, which provides the principle source for Shakespeare's sequence of history plays.Covering almost fifty years, the narrative provides the most authoritative account of one of the most turbulent periods in English history, from the last years of Edward III (1376-77) to the premature death of Henry V (1422). Walsingham describes the many dramas of this period in vivid detail, including the Peasants' Revolt (1381), the deposition and murder of Richard II (1399-1400), The Welsh revolt of Owain Glyn Dwr (1403) and Henry V's victory at Agincourt (1415); they are brought to life here in this new translation. ... Read more

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Aged Botanist? marry come up! [Sir J. Hooker jestingly congratulated him on taking up botany in his old age.] I should like to know of a younger spark. The first time I heard myself called "the old gentleman" was years ago when we were in South Devon. A half-drunken Devonian had made himself very offensive, in the compartment in which my wife and I were travelling, and got some "simple Saxon" from me, accompanied, I doubt not, by an awful scowl "Ain't the old gentleman in a rage," says he. ... Read more

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Conqueror and destroyer
The material to understand this late-medieval conqueror is more abundant than one realizes: not only detailed chronicles, State documents and accounts of his wars, but personal anecdotes and financial records.And Hutchison makes good use of it, working not from secondary but from primary sources, giving a detailed, perceptive and highly readable account of a remarkable individual.If he works to contrast the Henry of history with the Henry of Shakespeare, that is understandable and indeed right, since it is through the plays - and especially through Laurence Olivier's unforgettable film - that most of us have become aware, if at all, of the fame and success of this usurper's son.Hutchison treats his subject with a sympathy that does not stop short of admiration, giving just and honourable due to all his remarkable qualities - able politician, bold and independent mind, excellent organizer, and finally, as everyone knows, superlative soldier.Yet his final verdict is inevitably negative: Henry stiffened the social situation of England, threw the country into a war which it did not have the resources to maintain, and which - but for his genius - would have ended in disaster early on (there is something very telling about the frenzied rejoicing which greeted his victories); brutalized his followers, degraded the rule of warfare, and, in the end, presided over the spiritual impoverishment and material ruin of two great countries, as the great age of Chaucer and the Roman de la Rose died out in a sea of blood and even the military glory of Henry gave way, not so much to the splendid but brief phenomenon of St.Joan of Arc, as to the crooked and cruel practical politics of Louis XI, the establishment of brutal royal tyranny in France and the collapse into civil war in England.Like that of all conquerors - think of Alexander of Macedon, of Gengis Khan, of Napoleon, Wallenstein, Gustavus Adolphus, Charles XII of Sweden, Hitler - Henry's ultimate legacy was purely one of collapse and negation: he achieved nothing except a blaze of unconstructive glory. ... Read more

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Henry V is one of England's greatest national figures. Featuring a mix of significant letters and official documents from the UK National Archives, written in the words of the monarch and his contemporaries, this book aims to uncover Henry the man, Henry the soldier and Henry the king. Featured documents come from all the key events of his reign including the rebellion of Owen Glyndwr, the suppression of the Lollards, and the Agincourt campaign ... Read more

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Accessible introduction to life of a great king.
A well illustrated general introduction to the life of a great medieval king and his campaigns in Wales and northern France. Examines the battle of Agincourt -- including material on the nature of combined arms warfare in the high middle ages -- and the events leading to the Treaty of Troyes. The author is careful to place dynastic struggles in context and his inclusion of a detailed family tree for the house of Plantagenet is a welcome addition. ... Read more