Henry V's Navy

WITHOUT HENRY VS NAVY, the Battle of Agincourt would never have happened. Henrys fleet played a major if often unrecognised part in enabling the king to come within reach of final victory in the Hundred Years War against France. Henrys navy was one of the most successful fleets deployed by England before the time of Elizabeth I. The royal fleet was transformed in Henrys short reign from a few dilapidated craft into a powerful weapon of war, with over thirty fighting vessels, up-to-date technology and four of the biggest ships in Europe. Drawing from extensive research into documentary, pictorial and archaeological sources, Henry Vs Navy is about the men, ships and operations of Henrys sea war. Maritime historian Ian Friel explores everything from shipboard food to how crews and their ships sailed and fought, and takes an in-depth look at the royal ships. He also tells the dramatic and bloody story of the naval conflict, which at times came close to humiliating defeat for the English.