Like Hastings, Waterloo and Trafalgar, the Battle of Agincourt has a large and venerated place in military history. Considered to be one of the greatest English military victories, the recently crowned Henry V led his numerically smaller force to an unexpected triumph against the Kingdom of France. Taking place on 25 October 1415, in the later half of the Hundred Years’ War, it was a battle that cemented the already growing reputation of the young English monarch. The underdog story, its place within history and the heroic image of Henry have combined to make Agincourt one of the most analysed and discussed battles from history, but do we understand it correctly? Historian Michael Livingston has gone back to the ground itself to reevaluate the facts, discovering some fascinating new details along the way, for his new book Agincourt: Battle Of The Scarred King.
What drew you to reevaluate Agincourt, an iconic battle that has obviously had a
