Encyclopedia of the Hundred Years War

The Hundred Years War is the name historians have given to what in reality was a series of bloody but intermittent conflicts between France and England in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. This encyclopedia provides clear, concise descriptions and definitions of people, events, and terms relating in some significant way to these conflicts. The volume focuses on the war itself - what caused it, how it was fought, and what effects it had on the political, social, economic, and cultural life of England and France - providing a specialised treatment of the Anglo-French warfare that occurred during those centuries. Entries cover battles, leaders, truces and treaties, military terms and tactics, and sources for the war, including the plays of William Shakespeare, an important if not always reliable source that has shaped our perception of the Hundred Years War. Written primarily for students and non-specialists who have an interest in this period of European history, the encyclopedia provides an accessible reference resource, and an excellent starting point for classroom or personal research on subjects relating to the course, causes, and consequences of the Hundred Years War. All entries conclude with suggested further readings. A comprehensive bibliography completes the encyclopedia, which is also fully indexed.