John Hawkwood’s reputation, and the little we know about his upbringing and origins, and his introduction to was in the glory days of Edward III
The 100 Years War
Hawkwood 3 To War - Members Only
The way from hearth son to captain of war
Hawkwood 2 Sible Hedingham - Members Only
The life of a hearth son beckoned. But John Hawkwood was not content with the idea.
Sea 4 Pirates and Privateers - Members Only
The seamen of Devon and Cornwall will be one of England's secret weapons. But in Scotland came a development which would change the face of England's navy.
Shedcast 11b The Tournament: Rise and Fall - Members Only
The tournament grew in sophistication until it was focused around the individual challenge of the Joust. But the fundamentals of warfare and society changed and tournaments lost their relevance.
Shedcast 11a The Medieval Tournament: Beginnings - Members Only
The original melee was preparation for war. And like war, it was fought between two teams, was violent and resulted in death - and was banned by the church.
181 The 15th C Rural Economy
We know that the Magnates and peerage made some cutbacks and prettified fewer of their residences – but what of the Gentry, who by and large would have 1 or 2Read More
180 Lives and Loves of the Gentry
Through the 15th century the Gentry become firmly established as the real rulers of the localities; and an enterprising part of England's economy. So it seems worth finding out a bit moreRead More
179 The New Farmers
After a period of grace, the 15th Century posed serious challenges for Magnates and the rural economy – prices fell, wages rose, Magnates had to cancel parties. But every cloud hasRead More
160 The Fall of Suffolk and Normandy
B y 1445, William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk was clearly Henry's most trusted adviser. He faced a difficult task – to steer a bankrupt nation into the harborRead More
159 From Arras to Tours
Through the late 1430's and early 1440's the situation in Normandy got no better, until a failed expedition convinced Henry and Suffolk that peace was required at any price. AndRead More
158 Catastrophe at Arras
In December 1431, Henry VIth became the only king of England crowned king of France in France. Which sounds great. But in fact it was a sign of English weaknessRead More
157 Joan of Arc
In 1428, the English were still sweeping all before them. Then came a figure so famous, that she was selected by Bill and Ted for their history project – andRead More
155 Henry VIth – The Wonder Years
While Bedford and talented commanders like Salisbury were alive, the cause of the English in France was far from dead. But in 1423, buoyed by the arrival of the Scots,Read More
154 Henry VIth – A Weak King
An introduction to a new reign – Henry VIth, a name to make grown men tremble – and to the political leaders that dominated it. 154 Henry VIth – ARead More
152 The Death of a Conquering Hero
Henry's talents ran as much to managing his back yard as it did to war; this week how Henry organised his kingdom for war, and the last days of hisRead More
151 The Bridge at Montereau
In 1420, Henry faced an uphill battle again; his negotiations had failed with both Dauphinists and Burgundians, and instead they'd patched it up. So he faced an alliance – Dauphinist,Read More
150a Grace Dieu and Henry Vth’s Proto-Royal Navy by Brandon Huebner
Henry Vth was the first monarch since Richard the Lion Heart to pay much attention to the English fleet. The experience of putting maybe as many as 1,500 ships ontoRead More
150 Conquering Hero
By 1417, Henry had sorted out his support in England, and was able to launch a war of conquest in Normandy. After butchery at Caen, castles and towns fell, andRead More
146 The Agincourt Campaign – Part III: The Battle
And so at last to one of England's most famous battles. Outnumbered and trapped, Henry and his English and Welsh faced the cream of the French warrior class. The DukeRead More
145 The Agincourt Campaign Part II
Henry probably now intended to be King of France or Duke of Normandy as a minimum. So what he planned was a war of conquest, not just the traditional chevaucee.Read More
144 The Agincourt Campaign – Part I
There is little doubt that Henry Vth always intended to fight in France – unless they completely rolled over. Which was unlikely; the French were perfectly ready to fight andRead More
143 The Champion of Christ
In 1413, Henry's friend John Oldcastle very probably celebrated the arrival of his prince on the English throne – now at last, surely, the Lollards would have their chance toRead More
142 Greatest Man – or Monster?
Henry Vth is a man who has a reasonable claim to be the greatest of English kings. But what did contemporaries think of him? Successful he was no doubt –Read More
131 The History of Europe Part V: Economic change and technology
Ths episode is the first of 3 to bring us up to date with the history of Europe to the time of Henry IVth. This week it's all about theRead More
117 The Medieval Year
The rhythm of the year would have been far more important to most medieval people that the goings on at Westminster and the court of the king. The stream ofRead More
115 The Rotten Apple
From 1371 to 1375 the army went from bad to worse. An English fleet was destroyed at La Rochelle and Poitou and the Saintonge fell to the French. The greatRead More
114 The Worm in the Apple
On the face of it, the 1360's were a continuation and celebration of the great victories of the 40's and 50's. In 1364, Charles of Blois was defeated and killedRead More
112 On the Crest of a Wave
After the victory at Poitiers and capture of the French King, the English seemed to hold all the cards, and the Treaty of Bretigny in 1360 for a while maintainedRead More
111 Poitiers
1356 saw one of the greatest exchange of arms of the war. Early in the year, the Duke of Lancaster attacked into Normandy and with lightening marches ran rings roundRead More
110 Fire and Sword
In 1354 – 1355 Edward and his court wavered between optimism that a negotiated settlement was within their grasp – and determination to continue to prosecute the war. The TreatyRead More
106 Calais and Neville’s Cross
By the end of the march across Normandy in 1346, Edward had accepted that he was not going to be able to hold French territory. But he had a clearRead More
105 Crecy
In 1346 Edward invaded finally launched the invasion he had hoped to lead in 1345. The target was Normandy a devastating raid through northern France, a glorious victory in battleRead More
104 Lancaster and the Battle of Auberoche
Edward had little intention of keeping the truce for long. After a brief period of reconstruction, he repudiated the truce a year early. And so enters one of the mostRead More
103 The war in Brittany
1341 saw a serious political crisis – Edward returned home determined to put his English administration, parliament and particularly Archbishop in their places. In fact it's Edward who is forcedRead More
102 Highs and Lows
In 1340 against all the odds – of numbers and quality – Edward defeated Philip VIth's Great Army of the Sea at Sluys. The impact on morale, English and FrenchRead More
101 King of France and England
Edward faced a weary time, a weary time. His allies demanded money, he had none to give them. So they refused to fight, while the French closed in on GasconyRead More
100 Theatres of War
This week, a bit of a scene setter; Edward and the development of consent from the commons in his parliaments, the theatres of the 100 years war ahead – andRead More
99 Year One of a Hundred
Edward had traditionally received much of the blame before the start of the Hundred Years War. But in fact there were many reasons why France and England ended up goingRead More