Reviews for Henry V as warlord

The average rating for Henry V as warlord based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-07-20 00:00:00 Darryl Pease 3.5

Review # 2 was written on 2014-08-18 00:00:00 Russell Dossie Jr A readable and well-researched work. Seward provides vivid portraits of Henry’s allies and enemies. The narrative is well-organized, and Seward does a fine job covering relevant issues like the terrible shape of the royal finances and Henry’s treatment of the civilian population. The book may strike some as overly simplistic. It’s based mostly on secondary sources, and the writing is often dull. Seward often writes confidently about what Henry must have been thinking or feeling. He also devotes a lot of space to the atrocities of Henry’s army (he seems to enjoy reminding the reader of these), and often blames them on Henry’s ambition. At one point he even claims that Henry’s invasion caused more damage than Hitler’s. Seward also considers Henry an overrated figure. His coverage of Henry during the Agincourt campaign and Henry’s skill as a strategist and commander is adequate, but it seems like Seward wants to get that part over with as soon as possible, and often refers to Henry as a cynical conniver and intriguer. At one point Seward writes that Henry had no intention of using peaceful means to secure his inheritance, wanted war at all costs, and used diplomacy merely to discredit the French. Seward seems to miss the point. Henry's invasion was imminent, he didn't expect the French to concede more, and his final letter to Charles VI was a useful propaganda tool. But this wasn't cynicism on Henry's part, rather it was Henry following the medieval laws of war. If Henry wanted to make the case that his cause was just, then he had to be careful to take all the steps, like consulting parliament, informing Europe's princes and the church, and laying out his case to the enemy. Still, a solid and informative history overall.