Agincourt 1415: a new history

For many commentators then and now, it was the English archers who won the day for Henry V.

This lavishly illustrated history re-tells the story of the battle and Henry V's Normandy campaign from the perspective of the commander of the English archers, Sir Thomas Erpingham.

Sir Thomas, an experienced warrior with military experience dating back 40 years is known for his brief but pivotal appearances in Shakespeare's Henry V, where he is correctly portrayed as an elderly, white haired veteran.

At 57 he was one of the oldest there and a close personal confident of the King.

But what was his background? How did he command his archers to such a place in history? And what role did the longbow and battlefield tactics play in the final analysis of victory?