Can’t Wait Wednesday: Henry V The Astonishing Triumph of England's Greatest Warrior King by Dan Jones

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm  featuring, Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England's Greatest Warrior King by   Dan Jones. Not only do I not find many books devoted entirely to this King, Dan  Jones is one of the best with biographies and history events. I am excited to see this  one coming in October! I hope you have found something you can't wait to read this week!

October 1, 2024

History/ History of U.K.

Henry V reigned over England for only nine years and four months and died at the age of just thirty-five, but he looms over the landscape of the late Middle Ages and beyond. The victor of Agincourt, he is remembered as the acme of kingship, a model to be closely imitated by his successors. William Shakespeare deployed Henry V as a study in youthful folly redirected to sober statesmanship. For one modern medievalist, Henry was, quite simply, “the greatest man who ever ruled England.”
 
For Dan Jones, Henry V is one of the most intriguing characters in all medieval history, but one of the hardest to pin down. He was a hardened, sometimes brutal warrior, yet he was also creative and artistic, with a bookish temperament. He was a leader who made many mistakes, who misjudged his friends and family, but he always seemed to triumph when it mattered. As king, he saved a shattered country from economic ruin, put down rebellions, and secured England’s borders; in foreign diplomacy, he made England a serious player once more. Yet through his conquests in northern France, he sowed the seeds for three generations of calamity at home, in the form of the Wars of the Roses.
 
Henry V is a historical titan whose legacy has become a complicated one. To understand the man behind the legend, Jones first examines Henry’s years of apprenticeship, when he saw the downfall of one king and the turbulent reign of another. Upon his accession in 1413, he had already been politically and militarily active for years, and his extraordinary achievements as king would come shortly after, earning him an unparalleled historical reputation. Writing with his characteristic wit and style, Jones delivers a thrilling and unmissable life of England’s greatest king.

Stacking the Shelves #36

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Kindle purchase with digital points: $1.99

This is the first in the Lady Darby mystery series. I just reviewed the latest book by Anna Lee Huber, The Cold Light of Day, and want to try out her series set in a time and place I find a bit more interesting.....19th century Scotland. So this is the first one for this set. It is a very unique premise. Lady Darby will use her knowledge of human anatomy to help in a murder case. Should be a good read as I found Huber's other book very well written and complicated. This was because I'd started at the end. But it was a good book still so I'm hoping this one will be even better!

Library Borrow:

I really enjoy non-fiction books that are structured like this one. When they take several people in history that relate to a topic and give a short synopsis of each one. I can see a snapshot of a timeline or historical persons and then if one really appeals to me I can get a biography of just that person or time period. But I don't have to wade through lots and lots details I might not be interested in. This one includes Kings from Charlemagne to Robert the Bruce and are personalities that don't necessarily get a lot of attention. I will probably read it slowly and even skip around to the ones that are most appealing. 

Kindle Purchase with digital points: $1.99

I honestly was drawn to this book for its unique cover and title. I also love these reissued British Mystery Classics. This is a new to me author which is always good and I love trying out new mysteries anytime. The Amazon synopsis says it is an "exploration of morality, justice, and human nature." I like that added layer of depth and the classic authors really know how to write about those topics well. Hoping it's a good one!

Ordeal By Innocence by Agatha Christie (Read Christie 2024 September Selection)

 

Publication Date:

November 3, 1958

Length:

256 pages

Summary:

I have had a hard time keeping up with Read Christie this summer. So despite my post from two years ago about not liking audiobooks I'm fast changing my mind! I listened to this one. And it was a great break from reading in that the narration by Hugh Fraser from Poirot made it a lot of fun. I have missed out on reading the March, July, and August selections so it was nice to get back to my commitment of reading them each month.

Dr. Arthur Calgary is an explorer who has been away for some time in Antarctica. When he discovers he is the sole alibi for a man named Jacko Argyle in a murder conviction, he realizes he must contact the man's family and clear his name. Jacko was accused of murdering his adoptive, overbearing mother, Rachel Argyle. Unfortunately, when Dr. Calgary arrives at the family home, they are not receptive to his good news. It seems Jacko was convicted and died in prison, seemingly guilty of the crime. And the family feels that everyone should leave well enough alone. Jacko was not beloved by them, always in trouble, and causing mischief. No one seems to care if he was innocent of this particular crime as he was the cause of so much strife in their lives anyway. They also realize that if Jacko was innocent, then one of them might be the guilty party. And that is another burden no one wants to deal with.

But Dr. Calgary is not so sure the "leave well enough alone" scenario is acceptable. He feels a duty to get to the bottom of the question: If Jacko didn't murder the mother, then who did? And why? And so he sets out to discover motive, opportunity, and the reason behind it all. He meets resistance at every turn from the children and father and knows he is treading in dangerous territory.