Henry V

The Astonishing Triumph of England's Greatest Warrior King

De: Dan Jones

Narrado por: Dan Jones

"Ambitious... With meticulous research and in lively style, Jones presents us with the man beyond the Shakespeare character."—The New York Times

“The best biography yet of England’s greatest king."—Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The Romanovs and Jerusalem

The New York Times bestselling author returns with a biography examining the dramatic life and unparalleled leadership of England's greatest medieval king

Henry V reigned over England for only nine years and four months and died at the age of just thirty-five, but he looms over the landscape of the late Middle Ages and beyond. The victor of Agincourt, he is remembered as the acme of kingship, a model to be closely imitated by his successors. William Shakespeare deployed Henry V as a study in youthful folly redirected to sober statesmanship. For one modern medievalist, Henry was, quite simply, “the greatest man who ever ruled England.”

For Dan Jones, Henry V is one of the most intriguing characters in all medieval history, but one of the hardest to pin down. He was a hardened, sometimes brutal warrior, yet he was also creative and artistic, with a bookish temperament. He was a leader who made many mistakes, who misjudged his friends and family, but he always seemed to triumph when it mattered. As king, he saved a shattered country from economic ruin, put down rebellions, and secured England’s borders; in foreign diplomacy, he made England a serious player once more. Yet through his conquests in northern France, he sowed the seeds for three generations of calamity at home, in the form of the Wars of the Roses.

Henry V is a historical titan whose legacy has become a complicated one. To understand the man behind the legend, Jones first examines Henry’s years of apprenticeship, when he saw the downfall of one king and the turbulent reign of another. Upon his accession in 1413, he had already been politically and militarily active for years, and his extraordinary achievements as king would come shortly after, earning him an unparalleled historical reputation. Writing with his characteristic wit and style, Jones delivers a thrilling and unmissable life of England’s greatest king.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Jones…injects novelistic immediacy to a work that is as direct and forceful as its subject."—Wall Street Journal

"Ambitious... With meticulous research and in lively style, Jones presents us with the man beyond the Shakespeare character."—The New York Times

"A fizzing narrative, full of blood and thunder that gets behind the carefully constructed mask of "England's greatest warrior kind" more completely, imaginatively and thought-provokingly than any other account I've read."—Helen Castor, BBC History Magazine

"Jones is one of our liveliest historians, as well as one of the best informed, and his return to nonfiction after a novel-writing sabbatical elegantly marries the authority and depth of his previous histories with the brio and wit of his fiction. His reappraisal of one of England’s most celebrated but often misunderstood kings is as splendidly readable as ever, full of diverting incident and considered judgment."—The Observer (UK)

"Jones’s prose hums with energy throughout, and his ability to marry realm-scale intrigue with family drama marks this out as narrative history at its best…. He does, indeed, show us Henry’s life from many angles, reaching towards a more complete picture – and the product is an intense, rich account of an 'unusual but utterly compelling' man."—Telegraph (UK)

“Dan Jones’s lively retelling of Henry’s remarkable story comes down firmly on the positive side, depicting him as a highly effective ruler forged by a difficult upbringing.”—The Times (UK)

“Rousing… Jones’s colorful narrative reads like House of the Dragon minus the dragons; it’s full of pageantry and tumult and betrayal… This stimulating portrait of an iconic ruler roots his glorious deeds in sordid reality.”—Publishers Weekly

“Jones specializes in traditional great-men-and-politics histories of the Middle Ages, and this is a good one.”—Kirkus Reviews

"The king of exciting narrative history triumphs again. A masterclass in making the medieval addictively readable."—Lucy Worsley, author of Agatha Christie

"Wildly gripping, swashbuckling, battle-scarred and blood-spattered, in equal parts ferocious, dynamic and political, intimate and humane, the best biography yet of England’s greatest king."—Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The Romanovs and Jerusalem

"With his customary combination of profound scholarship and fine narrative verve, Dan Jones brings Henry V to life better than anyone since Shakespeare himself."—Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill and Napoleon

Brilliant!

I really enjoy Dan Jones’s history books. The author does a great job bringing the medieval age forward for modern ears. This book is slightly different from his other works in that its a biography. His style remains compelling, and the subject warrants the expose.

TREMENDOUS. EPIC! HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Excellent narration by the author. The vast amount of tedious and detailed research for this tremendous book is so obvious. BUY WITH CONFIDENCE.

Fantastic

Dan Jones not only writes wonderfully but his reading performance is way above the norm. The way he paces his reading made for such enjoyable listening. Cannot wait to read the book myself.

Fascinating History!

Author and narrator, Dan Jones did a wonderful job describing Henry V’s life and the era in which he lived. I feel like I have a better understanding for this time in English history. Historical works can sometimes be caught up with so many names, dates, and places that they become analogous to a tangled ball of yarn, hard to follow. This is NOT the case with Mr. Jones‘s effort. Henry V is clear, easy to follow, skillfully written, narrated and interesting!Thank you Mr Jones!

Another great Jones work.

I’ve enjoyed reading many of Dan Jones’s non-fiction books over the years. This is no exception.

Henry the Sigma

He was the first Sigma king. He didn’t care about pussy. He knew how to dress for success. He scrapped when he needed to, yet read books and played the harp. He valued loyalty and loved his god. He was, Henry the Sigma. Long live the King! Great fucking book. Dan for the W. Also narrator sounds like a 15th century nobleman. Love it. Very immersive.

Young prince survives horrific battle injury and becomes England's greatest military leader and King

🏰👑This was quite the education! Prior to listening I knew nothing of this Henry except he was predecessor of the mentally unstable King Henry VI and the bad queen Margaret of Anjou. {And no I had never read the Shakespeare play about him either so this was a totally new topic for me.} Medieval history never ceases to amaze. This subject that I absolutely used to HATE has, in recent years, become a favorite genre of mine. The fact that this particular Henry survived an amazingly horrific arrow injury to the face and endured a number of surgeries and survived is,medically a miracle, and probably what drew my attention to this young man. If you have a spare 15 hours or so (I listen while driving), put this on your TBR!! Bonus: it's read by the author and his accent is so calming! 👑🏰

This book deserves a space on my hardcopy shelf

Fascinating biography. It perfectly fills a gap in my English History. Author Dan Jones has left me hungry for more of his captivating research, insight, and commentary.

The most hard driven king

Henry’s faith, intelligence, judgement and hyperactivity. How amazingly he never despaired just because the task was impossible.

Author/Reader’s enthusiasm and wit

Excellent, engrossing read. Accessible and insightful, whether the listener knows much about English history or not.