Henry V: The Astonishing Rise of England's Greatest Warrior King - Hardback

The instant Sunday Times bestseller

A Times, BBC History Magazine and Daily Mail Book of the Year

The UK's bestselling medieval historian brings unforgettably to life the astonishing rise of Henry V, who survived rebellion, a near-fatal arrow wound, and a lengthy and precarious princely apprenticeship to become England's greatest warrior king.

'A historian who writes as addictively as any page-turning novelist.' – Observer

A King Who Defined an Era

Henry V reigned over England for only nine years and four months, passing away at the young age of 35. Yet, his legacy looms large over the late Middle Ages and beyond.

• The victor of Agincourt, Henry became a model king for his successors.
• Shakespeare immortalized him as a ruler whose youthful folly gave way to sober statesmanship.
• In World War II, his victories in France were celebrated in British propaganda.
• Winston Churchill described him as 'a gleam of splendour in the dark, troubled story of medieval England'.
• For one modern medievalist, Henry was nothing less than 'the greatest man who ever ruled England'.

A Complex and Intriguing Figure

For Dan Jones, Henry V stands out as one of the most fascinating characters in medieval history, though he remains difficult to define:

• A hardened, sometimes brutal warrior, yet also creative and artistic, with a bookish temperament.
• A leader who made many mistakes, misjudging friends and family, but always managing to triumph when it mattered.

Achievements and Consequences

As king, Henry V:

• Rescued a shattered country from economic ruin.
• Suppressed rebellions and secured England’s borders.
• Restored England’s prominence in foreign diplomacy.

However, his conquests in northern France came at a cost, sowing the seeds for the Wars of the Roses, a period of turmoil that would plague England for three generations.

A Thrilling Biography

Dan Jones’s biography of Henry V offers unprecedented insight into the critical first 26 years of his life before ascending the throne.

This book serves as both a standalone biography and the culmination of Dan Jones’s acclaimed sequence of English medieval histories, which began with The Plantagenets and The Hollow Crown.

Henry V is a thrilling and essential exploration of England’s greatest king by the nation’s bestselling medieval historian.