So, the master of the historical battle has turned his attention to the encounter that’s synonymous with English victory over our old rivals the French. He says it’s the book he’s always wanted to write, and because it’s a standalone novel it’s had a huge amount of media attention, presumably because it’s easier for them to get people interested in a non-series book. As Cornwell himself has said, there’s very little true historical significance to Agincourt (Azincourt is the French version of the name) – it was not a battle that changed anything long-term, and perhaps would not be so well remembered if it were not for Shakespeare’s famous speeches in Henry V. Militarily, it was an unequal contest that the English probably would not have won without a startling lack of French leadership and the effects of the weather on the battlefield – but those facts are not known or remembered. As the 1966 World Cup Final is to England’s relationship with Germany, so Agincourt is to our relationship with the French – but is it worthy of the full novelisation treatment?

The answer is, ‘just about’. The hero of the piece is English archer Nicholas Hook – the name seems to be a clear nod to the archer hero of Cornwell’s Grail Quest trilogy, Thomas Hookton – and like all the main characters in the book, Hook was real, his name having been drawn from the muster rolls of the English army.  Hook is, unsurprisingly, a crack archer and, being a Cornwell hero, a bit of a rogue. When he makes enemies among his local lord’s retinue, he flees his home and find work as a mercenary. In the employ of the Duke of Burgundy, he witnesses the barbarity of the French in the aftermath of the siege of Soissons – in an event that shocked Europe, the French army unleashed slaughter and rape on the inhabitants of the town as well as on the garrison of English archers. During the siege, Nick acquires both a girlfriend and another nemesis (every Cornwell hero needs at least one nemesis).

Nick then finds himself in the English invasion force that Henry V has put together to try and enforce his claim to the French throne. This starts with the siege of Harfleur in Normandy, where disease and stiff resistance from the garrison reduce the strength of Henry’s army by half. When the army sets off to Calais, heading home, a major encounter with the French is the last thing on Henry’s mind, but the English are eventually forced to face the French at Azincourt. As an archer, Nick and his comrades have a huge role to play in the English victory, and the description of the battle is long, vivid and bloody. The outcome is well known, but was clearly not a certainty as the encounter unfolded, and Cornwell does a great job of conveying the muddy desperation and violence involved.

The shadow of Shakespeare is never far away – Cornwell reflects the idea of the king slipping out incognito to talk to his troops the night before the battle, and he does give a rousing speech before the fight though there is no paraphrasing of the Shakespearean version (“we few, we happy few”). Cornwell’s king is a dark and brooding character, physically scarred, capable of cruelty in the name of his god and his mission to reclaim the crown of France, and a nice counterweight to Shakespeare’s version.

Overall, Azincourt contains all the elements that we have come to expect from Cornwell, and for me, that’s actually a bit of a problem – it felt rather formulaic and predictable, exacerbated by the fact that the ultimate outcome of the battle is not in doubt. Readers looking for an introduction to Cornwell won’t find this a problem, and this is probably a very good place to start; established fans should not expect anything radically different, though, and that’s what leaves me with a faint sense of disappointment.

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