Crécy
Battle of Five Kings
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Crécy
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Narrated by:
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Rupert Farley
About this listen
Bloomsbury presents Crécy by Michael Livingston, read by Rupert Farley.
Like Crécy itself, this book is a triumph and the tale it tells gives an old story new life.’- Bernard Cornwell, bestselling author of The Last Kingdom series
A groundbreaking new study of the battle of Crécy, in which the outnumbered English under King Edward III won a decisive victory over the French and changed the course of the Hundred Years War.
The battle of Crécy in 1346 is one of the most famous and widely studied military engagements in history. The repercussions of this battle were felt for hundreds of years, and the exploits of those fighting reached the status of legend. Yet cutting-edge research has shown that nearly everything that has been written about this dramatic event may be wrong.
In this new study, Michael Livingston reveals how modern scholars have used archived manuscripts, satellite technologies and traditional fieldwork to help unlock what was arguably the battle’s greatest secret: the location of the now quiet fields where so many thousands died.
Crécy: Battle of Five Kings is a story of past and present. It is a new history of one of the most important battles of the Middle Ages: a compelling narrative account of the battle of Crécy that still adheres to the highest scholarly standards in its detail. It is also an account that incorporates the most cutting-edge revelations and the personal story of how those discoveries were made.
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What listeners say about Crécy
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ash Roskell
- 20-12-22
A Compelling Argument, Well Put
For those history buffs who always suspected that there were one or two details about the traditional story of Crécy that never quite added up, this is the book for you.
Some of the revisions are so well argued - like the location of the battle, or the motivations of the key players - that it seems pretty much like recent scholarship has settled those points.
And there are other famous myths - like the story of the Prince Of Wales’ Feathers, or the fate of the King Of Bohemia - that, though pretty much shown not to be true in their mythic form, still have some details about them which have yet to be settled one way or another.
To the modern listener, none of this detracts from the obvious mix of heroism, cruelty, or bone crunching, blood spurting reality of the battle. Nor does it make it any less fascinating to know the facts. If anything, the true story is a far more riveting tale, explained with scholarly patients, yet a good story teller’s sense of pace and even urgency.
Though it is read well enough, there are times when the narrator gets so slow and didactic in his tone that he (only occasionally) takes on the tone of an exasperated maths nerd, explaining to why you got your sums wrong.
But this is a very minor flaw, which only really marred one chapter of the book for me, in which the author presents his main evidence for his revised assessment of the geography and facts about this important period and in history.
Fans of medievalism and of military history will love this book. But I can see its appeal being broader than that. I thought it was wonderful, and set aside other listens to finish it. And I was rewarded with a satisfying conclusion and new knowledge, which is never a bad thing. Loved it.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 09-06-24
Very informative
Great listen and story. Narrator was very good and kept my interest. I would recommend
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 28-06-22
Very good
Full of new information with sources. Was not a book just full of assumptions well read
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Richard
- 31-12-22
enthralling
I thought the narrator was excellent in the delivery of this book. the scale of the horror was clearly put across well. enjoyed it enormously, what a fantastic trip through medieval war fair.
thank you..
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr A G Armstrong
- 20-12-22
Brilliant
A well researched book with a new take on the battle, debunking a lot of the myths. its well read and does not come across like other books of this ilk have done in the past. it never say this is accurate, you must believe this take but presents evidence from both sides for us to interpret. Highly Recommended.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- david hagley
- 16-05-24
Brilliant!!
if your a medieval history fan, Then this is for you! The sources and the working out is fantastic! so much info i never knew about. 10/10. I learned a lot from this!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 27-08-23
Great book! Incredibly interesting.
If you love medieval battles or Edward the 3rd then this is for you!!
This book goes into the the causes of the 100 year war from economics to politics. It dispels stories of herons and cowardice. Then it goes on to what Edward achieved in France prior to Crécy and attempts to understand his plans. Lastly, it breaks down the battle and under covers the fact that much of the history we think we know might not actually be true.
The book is written very well, explaining in detail but not too confusing to the average reader. It is well paced and just incredibly interesting. My favourite part was the chapter on the location. The author write its like an old fashion deceive story with clues trying to figure out the murderer, or rather trying to figure out the site of the battle.
The reader was great! He made me feel as though he was as passionate about the project as the author. He made me want to listen more and more.
I really loved this book and would recommend highly to those who love medieval history!!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- AIDAN REDMOND
- 16-09-22
An historical detective
With an absolute genius for understatement the author undermines many of the sacred myths that attach themselves to the battle of Crécy. The insight and realignment of historical understanding makes this a vital read plus a very entertaining one…
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- mrssharpe
- 10-11-23
Brilliant.
Most excellent book, well thought out and reasoned.
New light shed on the battle
Thoroughly enjoyed it,
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jeff
- 27-09-22
crécy
Complex story but extremely well narrated and researched.
Would like to hear more from this author.
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