Historical writer Bernard Cornwell’s latest epic, Agincourt, just entered the New York Times Best Sellers List at Number Four. For most readers, Agincourt is just a battle in Shakespeare’s Henry V. But in the history of warfare, Agincourt holds a special place. Agincourt is one of those rare battles where a smaller force defeated a much greater force. In 1415, the English army of 6000 achieved victory over the French army of 30,000! Although they were outnumbered 5 to 1, one of the deciding factors was the English use of new military technology: the long bow. Cornwell tells his story of Agincourt through the eyes of an English archer named Nicholas Hook. If you’ve read any of Cornwell’s previous works, you know Cornwell does not glamorize warfare. Quite the opposite. Cornwell dwells on the brutality, butchery, sickness, and terror that are the byproducts of battle. Battle tactics, weapons, and strategy are convincingly presented within the storyline. Cornwell doesn’t pick sides, the English commit as many atrocities as the French. Yet it’s nearly impossible for a reader not to hope Nicholas Hook and his archer friends survive the horrors of this terrible battle. Cornwell’s Agincourt captures a classic moment of warfare in a most suspenseful fashion. Historical fiction doesn’t get much better than this. GRADE: A-.