Full Description
'Like Crécy itself, this book is a triumph and the tale it tells gives an old story new life.' BERNARD CORNWELL, bestselling author of The Last Kingdom series
The battle of Crécy in 1346 is one of the most famous and widely studied military engagements in history. The repercussions of this battle were felt for hundreds of years, and the exploits of those fighting reached the status of legend. Yet cutting-edge research has shown that nearly everything that has been written about this dramatic event may be wrong.
In this new study, Michael Livingston reveals how modern scholars have used archived manuscripts, satellite technologies and traditional fieldwork to help unlock what was arguably the battle's greatest secret: the location of the now quiet fields where so many thousands died.
Crécy: Battle of Five Kings is a story of past and present. It is a new history of one of the most important battles of the Middle Ages: a compelling narrative account that nonetheless adheres to the highest scholarly standards in its detail. It is also an account that incorporates the most cutting-edge revelations and the personal story of how those discoveries were made.
Contents
Foreword
Preface
List of Illustrations
List of Maps
Introduction: The Crécy Dead, 28 August 1346
PART ONE: BEFORE THE CAMPAIGN, TO 1346
1. Roots of War, 1066-1308
2. Isabella and the Two Edwards, 1308-30
3. Wine, Wool, and the March to War, 1202-1337
4. The Hundred Years War Begins, 1337-46
PART TWO: THE CRÉCY CAMPAIGN, 1346
5. The Campaign Begins, 12-23 July
6. The Sacking of Caen, 23-30 July
7. The Long Road to Paris, 30 July-16 August
8. The Battle of Blanchetaque, 16-25 August
PART THREE: RECONSTRUCTING CRÉCY, 26 AUGUST 1346
9. Reconstructing Battles
10. The Armies Approach, 26 August
11. Finding Crécy
12. The Battle of Crécy, 26 August
13. The Second Day, 27 August
Epilogue: All the Days to Come
Appendix: The Location of Crécy
Suggested Reading and Acknowledgments
Endnotes
Index
