Conquest: The English Kingdom of France

It has been a while since I read an in-depth history of the so called 100 Year war. With this book I picked a rather good one, a specific history of the 30 year period that the English throne had land under its control. Author Juliet Barker has got away with something I am normally not keen on and that is in-depth opinion of the events. I tend to prefer my own thoughts based on the event narrative presented. But she has given me food for thought. No bad thing I suppose.

For me the English claim on the French throne became spurious as I read more on the subject. When a teen living in England my school history lessons were of the glory of Agincourt et al but as I got older and read deeper it was just another historical pursuit of power over others, others being the people and the wealth that goes with ownership of foreign lands. Henry V's grandfather married a Frenchwomen and from there cadet branches fought inane wars over the house of Capet's fall. Seriously? Very seriously did Henry V and his kingdom take that claim. The cost was enormous in lives, wealth and prestige. The final fall of the English kingdom in France in fact caused massive upheaval in England itself and the deaths of some folk in very high places. In the end England held only Calais and then because its financial importance to the mercantile class was more important than that of “the wider English economy” to quote the author.

In my school history lessons we were also taught about the greatness of Joan of Arc. Barker's chapters on Joan make her out to be a useful fool and tool. I suppose an English writer on the 100 year war would say that but to be fair Barker is not backwards in coming forward criticising the English when required. Hence my feelings that this tome has a bit of balance in its opinion and analysis. Be that as it may it would make interesting reading to get a French perspective.

Barker also gives detail as to the cost of these adventures, how much money was raised for each campaign by taxation to actually pay for the wars and also the massive loans from wealthy clergy and aristocracy. Some serious wealth was wasted and with that the lives of many peasants lost fighting for those spurious monarchical claims. The army was in essence hired via contracts, generally for a year. When funds ran out they tended to go home. Those that couldn't? They lived off the land in a foreign country and made havoc. With a bunch of thieving drunken foreigners rampaging around the country side and creating mayhem the locals were never going to do anything than support their own in their quest to take back what was in fact their own. The shock of the English authorities on this matter was surprising to me to say the least.

Lastly my opinion is that the character to come out triumphant from this book was the French king Charles VII. He had to put up with an insane father who sold his rights out to Henry V, his realpolitik acumen was superb in bringing the Duke of Burgundy back into the fold and with that turning his military into a professional army made him victorious in the end. Oh and yes and lifting not a finger to assist Joan of Arc was a propaganda triumph that should be noted in history.

If one reads this book they will get a two very good plate sections, a couple of useful maps and family trees. The end-notes are OK without being great, the bibliography is very good and there is a good chronology of events.

Recommended to anyone with an interest in the subject.