Azincourt
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Get 3 months for £0.99/mo
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Narrated by:
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Damien Goodwin
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By:
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Bernard Cornwell
About this listen
An extraordinary and dramatic depiction of the legendary battle of Agincourt from the number one historical novelist
Agincourt, fought on October 25th 1415, St Crispin's Day, is one of England’s best-known battles, in part through the brilliant depiction of it in Shakespeare's Henry V, in part because it was a brilliant and unexpected English victory and in part because it was the first battle won by the use of the longbow – a weapon developed by the English which enabled them to dominate the European battlefields for the rest of the century.
Bernard Cornwell’s Azincourt is a vivid, breathtaking and meticulously well-researched account of this momentous battle and its aftermath. From the varying viewpoints of nobles, peasants, archers, and horsemen, Azincourt skilfully brings to life the hours of relentless fighting, the desperation of an army crippled by disease and the exceptional bravery of the English soldiers.
Critic reviews
Praise for Azincourt
‘If Bernard Cornwell was born to write one book, this is it. No other historical novelist has acquired such a mastery of the minutiae of warfare in centuries past. No one else could hope to take Shakespeare’s Henry V, strip it of its rhetoric and tell the unvarnished truth about the Battle of Agincourt’
Telegraph
‘A runaway success’
Guardian
'Nobody in the world does this stuff better than Cornwell – action set six hundred years ago is a fresh and vital as six days ago, with rough, tough men at war, proving once again that nothing changes – least of all great storytelling’
Lee Child
‘An extrordinary and dramatic description of the legendary battle of Agincourt from the number one historical novelist’
Hampshire View
‘a vivid, breathtaking and meticulously well research account’
Paisley Daily Express
Praise for Bernard Cornwell and Sword Song:
‘This is typical Cornwell, meticulously researched, massive inscope, brilliant in execution’ The Sun
'Great action scenes, rich in period detail, are underpinned by a feeling for the passions that shaped the Britain we know today' Sunday Telegraph, Seven Magazine
Bernard Cornwell is a literary miracle. Year after year, hail, rain, snow, war and political upheavals fail to prevent him from producing the most entertaining and readable historical novels of his generation' Daily Mail
'Cornwell's narration is quite masterly and supremely well-researched' Observer
I would recommend listening, clear a day and close your eyes. let the battle commence!
amazing amazing amazing
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A true master of the historical novel ...
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Cornwell has done his research into what is known of the events of the Battle of Azincourt, a story immortalised by Shakespeare in his play, Henry V.
This story centres on archer Nick Hook, and his journey from village to London and into the service of Sir John in the build up to Henry's expedition to France to 'claim his inheritance'. Life in the fifteenth century is masterfully evoked by the author, with every detail of garments, diet, implements and archery providing the backdrop to the unfolding drama.
If Kate Bush found 50 words for snow, then Cornwell has tried to match her with his vivid and varied weather reports as the stubborn English endure horrendous conditions across an oozing, muddy landscape, that ultimately secured their victory. War is not glorified here. It is a ruthless and bitter business in which medieval nobility sought justification for their actions through teams of priestly conduits with God, who naturally bigged up both sides.
A useful Author's Note at the end maps out the historical research and assumptions employed in building this epic tale of what might have happened on that fateful St Crispin's Day in 1415. A compelling listen, well narrated. Highly recommended to fans of historical fiction. Bernard does it again.
50 Words for Mud
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Cornwall at his best
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Inspiring and tragic
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