Written in the early 1970’s, Rofheart makes use of multiple first person narrations to relate the events of Henry V’s life (a technique she also uses in her book about Richard I, Lionheart). A couple of her choices for narrators and the accompanying story they tell seemed to have little relevance to Henry, although the narration of one of the knights from Agincourt was rather interesting. ( )

Narrated by five characters (one fictional), this is a fascinating account of the period in English history leading to the regency of Henry V. From his childhood to his death, Henry V was neither eulogized nor denigrated.
I really enjoyed this book. The picture of the king's fool with a carved smile was sympathetically drawn. The interplay of Owen Glendower and the English, the siege of Rouen, the battle of Agincourt, and the realistic descriptions of living conditions of the medieval made it a good read. ( )