Includes bibliographical references (pages 239-246) and index.
Contents:
Agincourt : the battle in context -- 'The noble beginning' or 'The accursed day'? : early interpretations -- 'Alarms and excursions' : the enduring influence of Shakespeare's Agincourt -- 'France's bane and England's glory!' : Agincourt, war, and national identity -- 'Agincourt PLC' : traditions, myths, and creations -- 'Rival experts prepare to do battle over Agincourt'
Summary:
Agincourt (1415) is an exceptionally famous battle, one that has generated a huge and enduring cultural legacy in the six hundred years since it was fought. Everybody thinks they know what the battle was about. Even John Lennon, aged 12, wrote a poem and drew a picture headed 'Agincourt'. But why and how has Agincourt come to mean so much, to so many? Why do so many people claim their ancestors served at the battle? Is the Agincourt of popular image the real Agincourt, or is our idea of the battle simply taken from Shakespeare's famous depiction of it? Written by the world's leading expert on the battle, this book shows just why it has occupied such a key place in English identity and history in the six centuries since it was fought, exploring a cultural legacy that stretches from bowmen to Beatles, via Shakespeare, Dickens, and the First World War. Anne Curry first sets the scene, illuminating how and why the battle was fought, as well as its significance in the wider history of the Hundred Years War. Examines how and why the battle was fought, its significance in the wider history of the Hundred Years War, and why it has occupied a key place in English identity and history in the six centuries since it was fought.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.