‘In my youth, those Britons called English were regarded as the most timid of barbarians. Today they are a very bellicose people.’ So wrote the Italian poet Petrarch after the Black Prince’s victory at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356.

English Armies in France during the Hundred Years’ War, 1337–1453: ‘A Very Bellicose People…’ examines the English armies that established such a formidable reputation in France during the Hundred Years War. It explores English strategy and tactics, the raising of armies, the men who served in them, the composition of expeditionary forces and garrisons, the weapons employed, and the maintenance of discipline.

The roles of peers, men-at-arms, archers, and other soldiers are considered, as is the evolution of army composition. Major expeditionary forces and selected garrisons are used as case studies, illustrating how the proportion of archers increased steadily throughout the war.

The book also examines the English system of recruitment through indentured service, which in the early years of the con flict produced armies that were far more professional than those raised under the French system, which relied largely upon feudal obligations. It further considers the reforms introduced by the French, especially those of Charles VII, which gradually eroded the English advantage and contributed significantly to the final English defeat at Castillon in 1453.