Christopher Allmand examines Henry V as both a warrior king and a ruler with a highly developed sense of duty, justice and religious purpose. The biography follows his troubled experience as Prince of Wales, accession in 1413 and determination to unite the political nation behind a renewed claim to the French crown.
Agincourt, the conquest of Normandy and the Treaty of Troyes are set beside Henry’s government, diplomacy, propaganda and treatment of dissent. Allmand explains how military success created an extraordinary reputation while the king’s early death left a vast and fragile settlement to an infant heir.