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Desmond Seward Books

1 book·~10 min total read

Desmond Seward (born 1935) is a British historian and biographer known for his works on medieval and early modern European history. Educated at Ampleforth and Cambridge, he has written extensively on topics such as the Wars of the Roses, Richard III, and the Plantagenets.

Known for: The Hundred Years War

Books by Desmond Seward

The Hundred Years War

The Hundred Years War

world_history·10 min read

A detailed narrative history of the Hundred Years War between England and France (1337–1453), exploring its causes, major battles, political intrigues, and the lives of key figures such as Edward III, the Black Prince, and Joan of Arc. Seward presents the conflict as a defining struggle that shaped medieval Europe and the emergence of national identities.

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Origins of the War

The Hundred Years War began as an argument over legitimacy wrapped in the ambitions of two royal houses. When Charles IV of France died in 1328 without a male heir, his nephew, Edward III of England, claimed the French throne through his mother, Isabella, daughter of Philip IV. The French nobility, ...

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2

Early Campaigns (1337–1360)

The early campaigns of the war brought England stunning victories that shocked the medieval world. In 1346 at Crécy, Edward III’s army, disciplined and well-armed with the deadly longbow, broke the charge of the French knights—a turning point that heralded the end of old-style chivalric warfare. I a...

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About Desmond Seward

Desmond Seward (born 1935) is a British historian and biographer known for his works on medieval and early modern European history. Educated at Ampleforth and Cambridge, he has written extensively on topics such as the Wars of the Roses, Richard III, and the Plantagenets.

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Desmond Seward (born 1935) is a British historian and biographer known for his works on medieval and early modern European history. Educated at Ampleforth and Cambridge, he has written extensively on topics such as the Wars of the Roses, Richard III, and the Plantagenets.

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