Michael Livingston and K elly De Vries (eds), The Battle of Crécy . A Casebook

Abstract

The ambitious aim of ‘gathering together in one place the most important primary
documents’ on the battle of Crécy has produced this welcome collection, consisting
largely of chronicle accounts as very few administrative records are included. The
contrast with George Wrottesley’s Crécy and Calais (London, 1898) is striking, for he
gathered a huge number of writs and other documents to demonstrate how the
English army was recruited, and to identify many of those who took part in the
campaign. This volume is not concerned with such matters, though they do much to
explain the English success. Instead, the sources, impressive in number, located by
the editors show the widespread interest of chroniclers across Europe in the battle,
and the difficulty that they faced in describing it. Admirably, the sources are provided
both in the original language and in translation. The texts are accompanied by half a
dozen explanatory essays.