About:
Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England’s Greatest Warrior King by Dan Jones is a biography of the young king who reigned for less than a decade. Mr. Jones is a British historian and journalist.
- 432 pages
- Publisher : Viking
- Language : English
- ISBN-10 : 0593652738
My rating for Henry V – 5
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More Books by Dan Jones*
Thoughts:
The only thing I knew about Henry V before reading this book was from the fictionalized account written by William Shakespeare. The immortal line of “we few, we happy few, we band of brothers” during the Battle of Agincourt have inspired thousands, if not hundreds of thousands.
Too bad the real Henry V never said them.
Mr. Jones wrote a biography in present tense. His Henry is lives, and breaths, and feels as if he lived today. It’s a bold choice for historians, but he manages to transform a historical figure which is still somewhat divisive into an actual person.
Rather than focus on his nine years as monarch, Mr. Jones attempts to find out what made Henry not only an outstanding military commander, but a leader that also understand the importance of pomp, as well as mastering the nuances of running a kingdom. Along the way, Mr. Jones breathes life into an array of characters, from Henry’s allies to his foes.
The key to understand Henry V, according to the author, is to focus on what made him a king to begin with. Started when he became a Prince at 13, when his father, Henry IV usurped the crown, killing King Richard II. Going from one crisis to another, toughened the new Prince of Wales and hardened his heart.
The author does not shy away from Henry’s cold-hearted decisions and actions. Mr. Jones does not make up flowery prose to make his protagonist appealing to modern audience. Instead, he tells us how the King was viewed by his contemporaries. All of Henry V’s achievement, dearly paid in blood and treasure, were lost after his death at age 35.
I believe Dan Jones achieved his goal of writing an exciting biography in gripping, and somewhat conversational narrative. You can tell how passionate he is about the life and legacy on England’s warrior king.
Buy Henry V from Amazon.com*
More Books by Dan Jones*
Zohar — Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I bought this book.
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