Battle of Poitiers 1356

Book excerpt: This is the story of one of the great battles of the Hundred Years War, often ignored in favor of its more celebrated siblings, Crecy and Agincourt. The victory at Poitiers by an English force outnumbered two-to-one as led by Edward the Black Prince was one of the most significant of the Hundred Years War. The consequences of the battle resonated throughout the remainder of the century and influenced the war to its end in 1453. David Green has researched the battle and the raids that preceded it exhaustively and details the strategy, tactics, arms, and armor used by both sides. He reconstructs the battle using an array of contemporary sources and discusses the protagonists, setting, course, and outcome of the encounter and considers the implications of the capture of King Jean II of France and many of the most important members of the French nobility.