This history of King Henry V of England opens with the author's self-congratulatory note about how he's been critical of Henry V, despite the medieval king's widespread acclaim. And indeed, this book is critical of the otherwise popular king and the author does lay out some evidence that while Henry was victorious on the battlefield (most notably at Agincourt), he lacked the funding, bureaucracy, and affection to translate his victories into long-term success. Furthermore, Henry waged a brutal war on France that did not endear the conquered to their conqueror. While I can buy the argument to a degree (the Hundred Years War began before Henry V and continued after him), I do wish it had been better written - Desmond Seward is no narrative genius and having read some of his other books, I'm skeptical of his sources. Still, this book can serve as a general introduction to Henry V and how England came, for a brief period, to occupy a large portion of France. And finally, I was intrigued, as I often am in histories of this particular period, by Henry V's brother John, Duke of Bedford - more should be written about this man! ( )