Christopher Rothero – författare

A combination of dynastic disputes, feudal quibbles, trade disagreements and historical antagonism resulted in the opening of the Hundred Years War in 1337.The first major English land victory in this conflict was the Battle of Crécy. This pitted the French army, then considered the best in Europe, against the English under King Edward III. The battle established the longbow as one of the most feared weapons of the medieval period, a reputation reinforced at the bloody battle of Poitiers where much of the French nobility was slaughtered and their king captured by the English host.

Henry V became King of England in 1413. He was one of the great warrior kings of the country, cast in the same mould as Edward I and Edward III.He was just, pious, athletic, chivalrous, acquisitive, ruthless and eager to gain honour on the field of battle. Henry hoped that a successful campaign against the nation's traditional enemy would draw the people together and establish the popularity of the Lancastrian dynasty.This splendid addition to Osprey's Men-at-Arms series explores the background, organisation and equipment of the armies which fought in one of the most famous conflicts in England's history – the Battle of Agincourt.