Essex Dogs

A Novel

By: Dan Jones

Narrated by: Ben Miles

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2023

The New York Times bestselling historian makes his historical fiction debut with an explosive novel set during the Hundred Years' War.

July 1346. Ten men land on the beaches of Normandy. They call themselves the Essex Dogs: an unruly platoon of archers and men-at-arms led by a battle-scarred captain whose best days are behind him. The fight for the throne of the largest kingdom in Western Europe has begun.

Heading ever deeper into enemy territory toward Crécy, this band of brothers knows they are off to fight a battle that will forge nations, and shape the very fabric of human lives. But first they must survive a bloody war in which rules are abandoned and chivalry itself is slaughtered.

Rooted in historical accuracy and told through an unforgettable cast, Essex Dogs delivers the stark reality of medieval war on the ground–and shines a light on the fighters and ordinary people caught in the storm.

©2023 Dan Jones (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Swashbuckling

Swashbuckling entertainment, unfettered by character development. I would’ve appreciated had historical characters been identified as this does make a difference in how one appreciates a novel. Also, it was not clear that this is part one of an intended trilogy, which I would have not begun until the entire series had been released.

Amazing

This was my favorite book in a long time. I can’t wait for the next one!

A wonderful piece of historical fiction.

This book's a great reminder that before D Day there were other invasions on those beaches. A great story and a fresh perspective following a band of man at arms at the start of the Hundred Years War.

Highly recommend!

Wonderfully written

Very much enjoyed this tale and becoming friends with the characters. Looking forward to book in the series.

Realistic portrayal of the harsh times

I loved this book’s take on the historical time period and how the ordinary soldiers would have experienced them.

Raw and Real

Enigmatic chunk of history brought to life with wonderful description, dialogue and details and anchored in firsthand sources. Real -feeling men. Felt I was there with all the hard asses in the raw and oddly ordered chaos. Fabulous delivery.

Mixed feelings, but a wonderful first!

Dan Jones could write a book about paint drying and I would read it. Particularly impressive was the fact that this was Jones’s first attempt at writing historical fiction. I look forward to the next two books.

That said, there are numerous mentions of "white powder" which is unquestionably cocaine. Unfortunately, cocaine in the middle ages only came in the form of theriac treacle—exceedingly expensive and pretty disgusting stuff!—with the powdered form not being introduced to Europe for another hundred years. While I accept it's a way of bringing the story together, I would also question whether or not simple yeoman archers and footsoldiers would have come into close proximity with the knights of the realm, let alone formed any sort of bond with them.

Another oddity is Jones’s portrayal of the prince himself. Think King Joffrey and less England’s warrior prince. But I’m not nearly the expert on medieval history that Dan Jones is, so it’s very possible he simply knows something that I don’t.

Lastly, as much as I enjoyed this book, the final act left me feeling a bit cheated. I’m not sure what happened there. Either Jones got bored/ ran out of steam or, as I suspect, an over zealous editor butchered the original manuscript. If this is so then they have done Jones a real disservice. I mean the Battle of Crécy is over in the blink of an eye. This was a significant battle and deserved more than just a part of a chapter. Moreover, we only see the battle through Romford in a scene reminiscent of the Battle of Agincourt from the film The King. We see nothing of Loveday or the other characters in this most pivotal sequence. This should have been the book’s best moment but instead it feels rushed and incomplete. Medieval combat would have been highly confusing and disorienting and this is portrayed well enough at Crécy with Romford. But it could have—no, should have—been so much more. Especially after the fights at Caen and Blanchetaque, which were described beautifully (if that is even a word that can be used to describe a battle).

Nevertheless, this was a very—very—good book. If you are interested in British history, this is definitely one to check out.

Essex Dogs in the house!!

I love historical fiction because it entertains and it teaches. Dan Jones’s debut in this genre was outstanding. It was entertaining from the beginning to the end and it gave me a better understanding of the 100 years' war. I loved Northampton! He had me cracking up. He may need to have his own book. I recommend this book highly for fans of historical fiction. I hope Jones makes Essex Dogs a series. I'll be the first to listen. I'll end with this: “What in the name of St Mary’s nipple rings is going on here?”
- the Earl of Northampton- Essex Dogs 😂😂

Epic!!!

Epicnessess. Followed along in traffic and made my drive through every battle. Bought the book and started quoting the dogs in my daily life. Meow.

Quite the tale!

This book desperately needs a sequel! (Which is why i gave it 4 stars). I hated for it to end. Very well narrated. Felt like I was right in the story at times. If you like this kind of historical fiction, you will love this audiobook.