Henry V

The Astonishing Triumph of England's Greatest Warrior King

By: Dan Jones

Narrated by: Dan Jones

"Ambitious... With meticulous research and in lively style, Jones presents us with the man beyond the Shakespeare character."—The New York Times

“The best biography yet of England’s greatest king."—Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The Romanovs and Jerusalem

The New York Times bestselling author returns with a biography examining the dramatic life and unparalleled leadership of England's greatest medieval king

Henry V reigned over England for only nine years and four months and died at the age of just thirty-five, but he looms over the landscape of the late Middle Ages and beyond. The victor of Agincourt, he is remembered as the acme of kingship, a model to be closely imitated by his successors. William Shakespeare deployed Henry V as a study in youthful folly redirected to sober statesmanship. For one modern medievalist, Henry was, quite simply, “the greatest man who ever ruled England.”

For Dan Jones, Henry V is one of the most intriguing characters in all medieval history, but one of the hardest to pin down. He was a hardened, sometimes brutal warrior, yet he was also creative and artistic, with a bookish temperament. He was a leader who made many mistakes, who misjudged his friends and family, but he always seemed to triumph when it mattered. As king, he saved a shattered country from economic ruin, put down rebellions, and secured England’s borders; in foreign diplomacy, he made England a serious player once more. Yet through his conquests in northern France, he sowed the seeds for three generations of calamity at home, in the form of the Wars of the Roses.

Henry V is a historical titan whose legacy has become a complicated one. To understand the man behind the legend, Jones first examines Henry’s years of apprenticeship, when he saw the downfall of one king and the turbulent reign of another. Upon his accession in 1413, he had already been politically and militarily active for years, and his extraordinary achievements as king would come shortly after, earning him an unparalleled historical reputation. Writing with his characteristic wit and style, Jones delivers a thrilling and unmissable life of England’s greatest king.

©2024 Dan Jones (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Ambitious... With meticulous research and in lively style, Jones presents us with the man beyond the Shakespeare character."—The New York Times

"Jones is one of our liveliest historians, as well as one of the best informed, and his return to nonfiction after a novel-writing sabbatical elegantly marries the authority and depth of his previous histories with the brio and wit of his fiction. His reappraisal of one of England’s most celebrated but often misunderstood kings is as splendidly readable as ever, full of diverting incident and considered judgment."—The Observer (UK)

"Jones’s prose hums with energy throughout, and his ability to marry realm-scale intrigue with family drama marks this out as narrative history at its best…. He does, indeed, show us Henry’s life from many angles, reaching towards a more complete picture–and the product is an intense, rich account of an 'unusual but utterly compelling' man."—Telegraph (UK)

Brilliant!

I really enjoy Dan Jones’s history books. The author does a great job bringing the medieval age forward for modern ears. This book is slightly different from his other works in that its a biography. His style remains compelling, and the subject warrants the expose.

A comprehensive and engaging study

Dan Jones is one of my favorite modern historians. He doesn’t disappoint here. His impartial reporting of events are presented in a clear and entertaining way without adding superfluous and possibly inaccurate descriptions. He doesn’t give unverifiable information as fact, and points out that the incidents are not substantiated. A very good listen! Mr. Jones has a likable and pleasant personality on screen and in audio.

Worth a listen

Dan Jones is a master of popular history and his books on the Plantagenets and the War of the Roses are excellent entries, especially for Americans like me who didn’t learn these stories in school. This book is intended to bridge the gap between those two book. The first ends with the death of Richard II and the first starts with (if memory serves) the early days of Henry VI. Henry V, one of England’s most enduring monarchs, is mostly absent from the tale and Jones makes up for it here. He rightly says from the beginning that the tale isn’t a trilogy - this book is not of the scope of the other two. He calls it a triptych, which is a fair description. As a bridge between the two stories this book is fine, even really good. But it suffers from what all popular biographies of the era suffer from - lack of sources. Jones still weaves a good narrative, especially in the second half, but it’s a step off Jone’s other works. Still, by no means a waste of your time.

One of Dan Jones’s best

I’ve enjoyed all of Dan Jones’s books and this one in particular stands out as the best so far. Dan Jones is one of those story tellers who can bring a character to life and he doesn’t disappoint in Henry V. Well written, well researched and beautifully narrated by the author.

Another brilliant history from Dan Jones

Interesting perspective, packed with first-hand accounts. Jones’ writing is particularly good for a historian, and the result is a near-novel on Henry that helps us understand the drive behind the man.

This book deserves a space on my hardcopy shelf

Fascinating biography. It perfectly fills a gap in my English History. Author Dan Jones has left me hungry for more of his captivating research, insight, and commentary.

Young prince survives horrific battle injury and becomes England's greatest military leader and King

🏰👑This was quite the education! Prior to listening I knew nothing of this Henry except he was predecessor of the mentally unstable King Henry VI and the bad queen Margaret of Anjou. {And no I had never read the Shakespeare play about him either so this was a totally new topic for me.} Medieval history never ceases to amaze. This subject that I absolutely used to HATE has, in recent years, become a favorite genre of mine. The fact that this particular Henry survived an amazingly horrific arrow injury to the face and endured a number of surgeries and survived is,medically a miracle, and probably what drew my attention to this young man. If you have a spare 15 hours or so (I listen while driving), put this on your TBR!! Bonus: it's read by the author and his accent is so calming! 👑🏰

Dan jones is honestly the best

Amazing book since i was a horrible student dans been my European history teacher the last 3 years

Dan does it again!

Taking as given Dan’s engaging writing style and excellent narration, his prioritization of showing historical figures in the context in which they lived is something that recommends him to me as an historian that I can both respect and enjoy. Well done, Dr. Jones.

A good retelling

Dan’s book is very engaging. I was only familiar with HV through Shakespeare, so I appreciated understanding fact from fiction (albeit very good storytelling from Shakespeare).