Mr Cornwell,
I just finished reading your book “The Archer’s Tale” and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love books like yours that mix true history with fictional characters like Thomas. I have a degree in history and, because of a recent trip to France (my first), I became interested in the Normans and the Plantagenets. Thus, a book like yours was a fortuitous find. I look forward the reading of the series
I also write with a point of historical accuracy (which you may or may not be interested in) that seems to be ignored in many accounts of the Battle of Crecy. As I have found, walking the battle fields of the American Revolutionary War and Civil War, or the beaches of the D-Day landings in Normandy, you never really understand the battle until you see the ground on which was fought. This was the same for Crecy
There is at Crecy, a huge and steep bank right in the middle of the valley floor that, as you looked across from the French position, you simply would not have been able to see. However, if you are interested (and to keep from having to travel the field yourself), you can Google the TV series “Weapons that Made Britain: The Longbow”, and right at 32:00 minutes they discuss this unique topographical feature that affected the flow of the battle. In your book, you describe how the Prince of Wales battle was struck first. I would tell you that they were struck first because the French mounted knights had to move to their left which would have put them right in front of the Prince’s battle as they came out of this narrow gap created by this wall and the river Maye
Not that any of this small point affected the level of my enjoyment. I merely point it out as a point of interest to someone who may be interested and I hope that you take it in that spirit
Again, thank you for the wonderful book
Respectful,
Dan Beins