Agincourt

By: Bernard Cornwell

Narrated by: Charles Keating

Length: 16 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Agincourt is classic Cornwell...[with] attention to historical detail, well-paced action, and descriptive writing that is a pleasure to read." (Boston Globe)

Bernard Cornwell, the New York Times best-selling "reigning king of historical fiction" (USA Today), tackles his most thrilling, rich, and enthralling subject yet - the heroic tale of Agincourt. The epic battle immortalized by William Shakespeare in his classic Henry V is the background for this breathtaking tale of heroism, love, devotion, and duty from the legendary author of the Richard Sharpe novels and the Saxon Tales. This extraordinary adventure will captivate from minute one, proving once again and most powerfully, as author Lee Child attests, that "nobody in the world does this stuff better than Cornwell."

©2009 Bernard Cornwell (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"The greatest writer of historical adventures today." ( Washington Post)
"Nobody in the world does this stuff better than Cornwell. (Lee Child, author of Nothing to Lose)
"Readers who haven't discovered Bernard Cornwell don't know what they are missing....He may well be the best historical novelist writing today -- and Agincourt may well be his best novel yet. (Vince Flynn, author of Extreme Measures)

Food for the history buff

It almost feels like a waste of time to add to the thousands of four and five star reviews, but I enjoyed it so much that I had to add a review. I have sat in the parking garage at my office, and the parking lots at the gym and the grocery store because I didn’t want to turn it off. The only reason I wasn’t sad to reach the end is because there are so many other books by the same author. I have already downloaded the Winter King.

Cornwell at his best

I’ve enjoyed many of Bernard Cornwell’s books. Leaving is a great voice for this tale, and following Hook through this historic campaign makes me wish film/tv could do justice to Cornwell’s historical fiction.

Love me a little Medievalism

Sometimes i get a little medieval and what i like best is when a story is as true to history as possible - yet still weaves in enough fiction to capture the essence of life. This one does it well with a narrator who keeps it flowing well. As for violence, well - it was a violent age. I found it not too heavy, not too light. I may dig into the author's reccommended sources for some more of the history, but he did a great job of skimming over the complexities of politics and relating some human interest into the time period.

The Grit of the Middle Ages and Warfare

This book does not "pull its punches". Contained is ALL the grisly nastiness of the age such as: some priests having license to do murderous things, very intense cursing, and brutally honest descriptions of real hand to hand combat, (e.g. swords pushed into open visors.) NOT for the squeamish, this a very historically accurate account of a REAL battle between France and England, famous enough to have earned its own name. (In a world of nearly constant war that is no small thing.) The English had bowmen who were heroically strong. The book gives you a deep understanding of the incredible strength and dexterity required to draw an the very thick, heavy, powerful, deadly bows of that age, an arrow from which could slice through metal armor. Described is how life looked, felt, and even smelled to soldiers. The descriptions in Agincourt top any filmed brutal historical battle sequences by NOT avoiding ANY of the awful realities of such combat. To his credit the author cites references (at the end of the book), several conflicting accounts of actual battle statistics and a the very few liberties he took (it is historical fiction) with events and why. Regardless, this epic tale is perfectly narrated and produced. (FYI, Agincourt was the inspiration for Shakespeare's King Henry V.) All that makes Agincourt a "must read" for those wishing an incredibly compelling, fascinating, and gritty story. This is no dull history lesson. Rather the author puts you right smack in the middle of one of the most amazing battles ever fought.

A good book if you like mideaval battles

Cornwell spins an entertaining, albeit not particularly deep, tale surrounding the leadup and ultimate fighting of an actual battle between the French and the British. Apparently any Brit is supposed to know the story (or some variation) but for those of us in the colonies most of the history was all new. The story is a bit Hollywood at times, but overall it is an enjoyable book with a good reader. Half the book covers the day of the battle and that is, somewhat surprisingly, the most interesting part. You really feel the conflicting tensions and the description is far more riveting than I would have thought possible. That said, if you are not into the minutia of mideaval warcraft, then this may not be a good choice for you.

Two for the price of one

Cornwell's books are often dry. The blur between historical fiction and history almost disappears. I enjoy them because you 1) learn something you didn't know about a certain historical period; and 2) learn it while reading fiction! I always like my fiction liberally doused with history. Or is it vice versa?

This book was not as dry as other Conwell's I have read. It is gritty, bloody, dirty and disgusting. You are there in the middle of the mess surrounded by poor, stinking, starving wretches. And yet, for pages at a time you are participating in a great adventure.

I've read so much fact about this battle. I know it was an insignificant battle at the tale end of yet another ongoing and ultimately insignificant feud between England and France. But this little battle, that should never have been fought and the British should never have won has been studied by military tactitians for centuries. It's contribution to the art of war is undeniable. But it takes good fiction, like Cornwell's to make us think about the people behind the battle. How they felt, how they perceived the events as they occurred, how their perspective might have differed from the historians. That is what makes fiction a great way to explain history. And this book does that very well.

While it might not be Shakespeare, Cornwell's book does as much to explain the horrors of war as Henry V.

Great story, distracting theatrics

Would you listen to Agincourt again? Why?

I found the background music at the beginning of each chapter to be useless and distracting.

Would you be willing to try another one of Charles Keating’s performances?

No

The Music...

Simply put, this is an entertaining enough audio book, though the music that is interspersed throughout is... annoying... at best. The story is simple, straight forward, and filled with enough "goddamn bastards" to last any listener a lifetime. The medievalist in me is annoyed with how the armor largely seems useless in the book, outclassed by the longbows at every turn, but this is a common enough argument among fans of the era. I just happen to be in love with everything armor, so I may be a bit biased.

Epic Novel

Bernard Cornwell's Agincourt is a wonderful addition to the numerous works of history and fiction that are connected to this epic battle. Charles Keating's narration is simply outstanding. The author's epilogue is a nice addition for general readers who might want to dig deeper into this important period of European history. Well done Mr. Cornwell, and I hope there is a sequel!

Kill the Bastards! Them's fighting words!

What made the experience of listening to Agincourt the most enjoyable?

The vivid narration and descriptions by the author and Charles Keating the narrator. This story really came to life as an actual piece of history. My first thought on hearing this was

What other book might you compare Agincourt to and why?

I have never read a book this graphic before, so can't compare it with a book. It's very similar to the movies like 300 or Troy, and the tv show Spartacus.

What about Charles Keating’s performance did you like?

His characterizations of Sir Martin, (weasly villain) and Sir John Cornwell, (brave hero).

If you could rename Agincourt, what would you call it?

Battle Ready!

Any additional comments?

This is a well rounded story, a love story with Nick and Melisande, a soldier's story of ancient archers and a history of Henry V's greatest battle.