Hundred Years War - Book Review

Desmond Seward. The Hundred Years War: The English and France, 1337-1453.

New York: Atheneum, 1978.

Hundred Years War

I would recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn the story behind The Hundred Years War. Desmond Seward did a decent job of describing the various leaders. He characterized each one and described their stories. The descriptions of battles were clear, without going too deeply into military tactics which was good for me. It presented the evolving military technology such as the crossbow which the French used, and the long bow, which the English used. Seward discusses the military ambitions of the British, the war casualties, and the damage that the French people suffered.

The earlier parts of the book seemed better than the later parts, though I’m not sure the reason but the battles seemed to become repetitive. Which the war most likely was. Though the war was pointless in its accomplishments, it gave rise to a sense of national identity among the British and French, in exchange for strong hostility between them. Seward presented a broad story of the war..

The war was started over the English king, Edward III holding throne to both the English crown and the French crown. Charles IV, prior King of France laid dead while he waited for a new born daughter. He had no male heir’s to the throne. Charles had a sister Isabel with a son. Isabel was also the queen of England . Isabel had a son with Edward II who died. She was with Roger Mortimer. One night Edward III who is Isabel’s son stormed into there castle and seized his mother’s lover. This made Edward III the king of England. While Charles IV lay dying in France, with no Heirs the throne; except for his sister Isabel’s son. Thus making him the King of England and the King of France. The French nobility did not want an English king for their king. They argued that kingship could not be passed through a kings daughter and then to her son. This was passed later as the Salic laws. The French noblemen thought that Phillip VI ought to have kingship of France. He was the first cousin of Isabel. He was also very well known and powerful. Both Edward and Philip had good legal cases for the right to the crown, and the force to back it up.

Philip VI wanted Edward's recognition as king. In 1334 Phillip made alliance’s with David II , king of Scotland. Edward was really mad that he was surrounded. Thus declaring Phillip an enemy and waging war with the French. He had a huge resource wool that would provide him with money to fuel this war. Edward’s first move was in October 1337. He sent a formal letter of defiance to Philip of Vaslois who calls himself king of France. Slowly France and England started war. Both men began to build up there military’s and there alliance’s. Edward wrote another letter stating they could settle it like the old days, one on one. But this wouldn’t be fair Phillip was 47 and Edward was 28. This never took place.

The first battle