- Pre-order Price Guarantee: order now and if the Amazon.co.uk price decreases between the time you place your order and the release date, you'll be charged the lowest price. Here's how (terms and conditions apply)
-
Seasonal Offer:
This title is part of our Seasonal Offers promotion.
Hundred Years War: v. 3 (Hundred Years War Vol 3)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Special Offers and Product Promotions
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Book Description
The epic and acclaimed history series reaches its third volume in paperback.
Product Description
Divided Houses is a tale of contrasting fortunes. In the last decade of his reign Edward III, a senile, pathetic symbol of England's past conquests, was condemned to see them overrun by the armies of his enemies. When he died, in 1377, he was succeeded by a vulnerable child, who was destined to grow into a neurotic and unstable adult presiding over a divided nation. Meanwhile France entered upon one of the most glittering periods of her medieval history, years of power and ceremony, astonishing artistic creativity and famous warriors making their reputations as far afield as Naples, Hungary and North Africa. Contemporaries in both countries believed that they were living through memorable times: times of great wickedness and great achievement, of collective mediocrity but intense personal heroism, of extremes of wealth and poverty, fortune and failure. At a distance of six centuries, as Jonathan Sumption skilfully and meticulously shows, it is possible to agree with all of these judgments.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
This item has not been released yet and is not eligible to be reviewed. Reviews shown are from other formats of this item.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Anyone who has read the first two volumes of this monumental history will not need much convincing to open up this long awaited third instalment. I can quickly reassure you that Sumption's famed balance of meticulous research, readable prose, and plain good story telling is still very much in evidence.
It is a depressing period of the war for English readers, with the French resurgent under Charles V, De Guesclin, and their strategy of avoiding pitched battles. It is the story of repeated and expensive chevauches failing to find their enemy in the field and yielding little except disgruntled taxpayers and the taste of defeat, all the more bitter for those who could remember Crecy and Poitiers. It is the story of rampaging Gascon routiers, Iberian intrigues, and the rebellions of ordinary townspeople from Essex to Flanders.
One of the main pleasures of this volume is the filling out of characters who usually remain peripheral in more abridged histories of the period, but who were genuinely big players - most notably the various royal uncles of the two young kings, Richard II and Charles VI. Gaunt (who never hides in the pages of history) is of course the dominant character, and his plans to make good his claim to be King of Castille make a wonderful read.
The only word of caution with this book (and, indeed, series) is that it's probably not for the casual reader of history. To call it detailed would be an understatement, so be prepared, as each new campaign dawns, to wade through the accompanying tax receipts before you get to the juicy bits. The 'Men at Arms' chapter towards the end, addressing the society of the combatants more generally, is also a rather unwelcome hiatus, which might have been better broken up and spread amongst the others.
The volumes are becoming progressively longer, and at times verge on being a complete history of the period, making their title 'The Hundred Years War', much like the term itself, a bit disingenuous in suggesting that it's about one event. Make no mistake though, these books are a thoroughly gripping account of a fascinating era in our past, and I would recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone with more than a passing interest.
It is a depressing period of the war for English readers, with the French resurgent under Charles V, De Guesclin, and their strategy of avoiding pitched battles. It is the story of repeated and expensive chevauches failing to find their enemy in the field and yielding little except disgruntled taxpayers and the taste of defeat, all the more bitter for those who could remember Crecy and Poitiers. It is the story of rampaging Gascon routiers, Iberian intrigues, and the rebellions of ordinary townspeople from Essex to Flanders.
One of the main pleasures of this volume is the filling out of characters who usually remain peripheral in more abridged histories of the period, but who were genuinely big players - most notably the various royal uncles of the two young kings, Richard II and Charles VI. Gaunt (who never hides in the pages of history) is of course the dominant character, and his plans to make good his claim to be King of Castille make a wonderful read.
The only word of caution with this book (and, indeed, series) is that it's probably not for the casual reader of history. To call it detailed would be an understatement, so be prepared, as each new campaign dawns, to wade through the accompanying tax receipts before you get to the juicy bits. The 'Men at Arms' chapter towards the end, addressing the society of the combatants more generally, is also a rather unwelcome hiatus, which might have been better broken up and spread amongst the others.
The volumes are becoming progressively longer, and at times verge on being a complete history of the period, making their title 'The Hundred Years War', much like the term itself, a bit disingenuous in suggesting that it's about one event. Make no mistake though, these books are a thoroughly gripping account of a fascinating era in our past, and I would recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone with more than a passing interest.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is the third in a series by Sumption. The first thing that you notice with all Sumption's books is that his writing style is crisp and flows with ease from one topic to the next. The number of sources he consulted is indeed impressive. This volume is a great asset to anyone's library. As a medieval maritime historian specialising in the transportation of armies I do, however, have several reservations on some of Sumption's comments on this aspect of his book. He still seems to follow the argument that he makes in his earier volumes that the English merchant marine was small in size. This argument has recently been challenged and in my view he seriously underestimates the avaliability of English maritime resources. This can, sometimes, lead to contradictorary suggestions by him in his work. For example, he notes how sophisticated the English were in transporting armies, and how the French failed to freight similar forces to England, but he then goes on to criticise the English administrations failure in maritime affairs. These,however, are trifles when compared to the enormous work that has gone into this book. It is the more impressive because it is also readable and accessible. Great work!
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
'Divided Houses' is the third volume of Jonathan Sumption's history of the Hundred Years War. It is unlikely to be the last, since the author set out, twenty years ago, to write a history of the entire War, and he has only reached the Revolution of 1399. The fact that the author has now been made a judge of the Supreme Court is unlikely to stop him.
As he told us in the Preface to his first volume, Sumption's objective is to write a grand narrative, based primarily on documentary rather than chronicle sources: he considers the chronicles `episodic, prejudiced, inaccurate and late'. He also aimed to eschew analysis, as well as the scholarly debates which so often sidetrack historians. He appears to have explored all the printed primary sources (together with a good number of the unprinted ones) and to have read all the secondary authorities; and to have pursued his researches in several countries: England, France and Spain at the least.
The author's style is not that of Edward Gibbon: he is too much the modern, workmanlike barrister for that, driving home his case by the patient accumulation of detailed evidence; but he paints a fine picture. Read this book.
Stephen Cooper
As he told us in the Preface to his first volume, Sumption's objective is to write a grand narrative, based primarily on documentary rather than chronicle sources: he considers the chronicles `episodic, prejudiced, inaccurate and late'. He also aimed to eschew analysis, as well as the scholarly debates which so often sidetrack historians. He appears to have explored all the printed primary sources (together with a good number of the unprinted ones) and to have read all the secondary authorities; and to have pursued his researches in several countries: England, France and Spain at the least.
The author's style is not that of Edward Gibbon: he is too much the modern, workmanlike barrister for that, driving home his case by the patient accumulation of detailed evidence; but he paints a fine picture. Read this book.
Stephen Cooper
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Was this review helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Almost perfect history
Volume 3 of Jonathan Sumption's history covers the(for me) least known section of the Hundred Years War - the period between Edward III and the Black Prince's triumphs - Crecy,... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Neil Black
Review
One of a brilliant series of books on the subject. I already have Vol 2 and would definitely advise anyone wishing to learn more about this conflict to buy these volumes. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Bob
Hundred Year's War Vol III
This is compelling history at its very best. Meticulously researched, balanced, and highly readable. I would imagine that these volumes will become the definitive text on the War. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Watten1
100 Years War
I'm just disappointed to have finished the trilogy. Absolutely enthralling. Time to start it again. Read more
Published 22 months ago by D. R. Mckenzie
a reference
This new volume is like its predecessors an absolute reference.Extremely documented with both French and British sources,easily readable by non specialists,including all the... Read more
Published on 24 Feb 2010 by Benoit Jolivet
Instant classic
Brilliant and highly readable vol.3 of this history, very well researched, and presented in classical narrative form. Read more
Published on 9 Nov 2009 by Richard Arthur
History at its Best
Jonathan Sumption contiues to produce the definitive history of the Hundred Years War. He maintains his high standard of scrupulous research as well as writing a totally readable... Read more
Published on 16 July 2009 by B. M. Lester
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
