Henry V: new interpretations

Henry V (1413-22) is widely acclaimed as the most successful late medieval English king. In his short reign of nine and a half years, he re-imposed the rule of law, made the crown solvent, decisively crushed heresy, achieved a momentous victory at the battle of Agincourt (1415), and negotiated a remarkably favourable settlement for the English over the French in the Treaty of Troyes (1420). Above all, he restored the reputation of the English monarchy and united the English people behind the crown following decades of upheaval and political turmoil. But who was the man behind these achievements? What explains his success? How did he acquire such a glorious reputation? The ground-breaking essays contained in this volume provide the first concerted investigation of these questions in over two decades. Contributions range broadly across the period of Henry's life, including his early years as Prince of Wales. They consider how Henry raised the money to fund his military campaigns and how his subjects responded to these financial exactions; how he secured royal authority in the localities and cultivated support within the political community; and how he consolidated his rule in France and earned for himself a reputation as the archetypal late medieval warrior king. Overall, the contributions provide new insights and a much better understanding of how Henry achieved this epithet. Gwilym Dodd is an Associate Professor in the Department of History, University of Nottingham. Contributors: Christopher Allmand, Mark Arvanigian, Michael Bennett, Anne Curry, Gwilym Dodd, Maureen Jurkowski, Alison K. McHardy, Neil Murphy, W. Mark Ormrod, Jenny Stratford, Craig Taylor.

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 02 Oct 2015).

The making of a prince: The finances of 'the young lord Henry', 186-1400 / Anne Curry -- Henry V's establishment: Service, loyalty and reward in 1413 / Gwilym Dodd -- Henry V, Lancastrian kingship and the far North of England / Mark Arvanigian -- Henry V's suppression of the Oldcastle Revolt / Maureen Jurkowski -- Religion, court culture and propaganda: The Chapel Royal in the reign of Hery V / Alison K. McHardy -- 'Par le special commandement du Roy'. Jewels and Plate pledged for the Agincourt Expedition / Jenny Stratford -- Henry V and the Cheshire Tax Revolt of 1416 / Michael Bennett -- Henry V and the English taxpayer / W. Mark Ormrod -- Henry V, flower of chivalry / Craig Taylor -- War, government and commerce: The towns of Lancastrian France under Henry V's rule, 1417-22 / Neil Murphy -- Writing history in the Eighteenth Century: Thomas Goodwin's The history of the reign of Henry the Fifth (1704) / Christopher Allmand.