
Henry V
The Astonishing Rise of England's Greatest Warrior King
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Narrated by:
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Dan Jones
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By:
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Dan Jones
About this listen
'A historian who writes as addictively as any page-turning novelist.' – Observer
Henry V reigned over England for only nine years and four months, and died at the age of just 35, but he looms over the landscape of the late Middle Ages and beyond. The victor of Agincourt was remembered as the acme of kingship, a model to be closely imitated by his successors. William Shakespeare deployed Henry V as a study in youthful folly redirected to sober statesmanship. In the dark days of World War II, Henry’s victories in France were presented by British filmmakers as exemplars for a people existentially threatened by Nazism. Churchill called Henry ‘a gleam of splendour in the dark, troubled story of medieval England’, while for one modern medievalist, Henry was, quite simply, ‘the greatest man who ever ruled England’.
For Dan Jones, Henry is one of the most intriguing characters in all medieval history, but one of the hardest to pin down. He was a hardened, sometimes brutal, warrior, yet he was also creative and artistic, with a bookish temperament. He was a leader who made many mistakes, who misjudged his friends and family members, yet always seemed to triumph when it mattered. As king, he saved a shattered country from economic ruin, put down rebellions and secured England’s borders; in foreign diplomacy, he made England a serious player once more. Yet through his conquests in northern France, he sowed the seeds for three generations of calamity at home, in the form of the Wars of the Roses.
Dan Jones’s life of Henry V stands out for the generous amount of space it allots to the critical first 26 years of his life before he became king. Both standalone biography and a completion of Dan’s sequence of English medieval histories that began with The Plantagenets and The Hollow Crown, Henry V is a thrilling and unmissable life of England’s greatest king from our best-selling medieval historian.
What listeners say about Henry V
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- gillian perry-keene
- 21-01-25
A Clever read
By writing in the present tense the author takes you right into the amazing life and times of Henry warts and all
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- Andy Steven
- 21-11-24
Warrior and strategist
Shakespeare wrote mostly favourably about Henry 5. Churchill by contrast, damned the winner at Agincourt. Dan Jones reads and writes between the lines of these and other sources to present a fascinating view of England’s most successful warrior, strategist, politician and king.
(Historians will be far less kind to Chas-3, I suspect.)
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- hayley waterhouse``
- 22-09-24
A masterpiece as usual from Dan Jones
Any Dan Jones book is worth a listen, especially one he narrates and this is no exception. Fantastic Listen
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- Mtyson
- 13-02-25
Absolute Banger!
Dan Jones has utterly raised the bar on historical biographies. This is bar far the most entertaining and informative biography of a monarch I have ever read - or listened to. His narration is engaging and fluid as was expected. His choice to write in the present tense made it all the more engaging.
if he reads this review: Please keep writing in the present tense as it works brilliantly.
I look forward to his next biography... Joan of Arc maybe?
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- Anonymous User
- 08-10-24
The factual content
Fantastic listen!! Excellent content and very well read. Kept me hooked on a few car journeys.
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- Sarah Boag
- 05-10-24
A thriller of a history book!
love Dan Jones' style of writing and really like that he narrates his books. He gives such a clear narrative of Henry V pre and post kingship and doesn't skimp on fleshing out the other important players of the time. This was a very enjoyable listen and not a dull moment to be had.
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- Clarkie
- 15-02-25
Rollercoaster Ride
Yet again the inevitable Dan Jones delivers a masterpiece. A much more involved and concise delve into the unknown and less published side of Henry V.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt emotional when it came to an end. Thank You for yet another fabulous book
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- adrian d peaty
- 05-02-25
Interesting & Epic
An interesting and epic story of England's finest warrior King. Five star rating for sure!
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- Torren Devine
- 08-12-24
Awesome
Yet another great and immersive book by the genius that is Dan jones, can’t wait for his next instalment
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- Waller
- 23-12-24
Long live the king.
An amazing and well researched account of the life of one of greatest kings to rule. Dan has delivered yet another stunning performance. I put him in the same sphere as Stephen Fry in his ability to tell and describe a scene so vividly.
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