Orléans 1429: France Turns the Tide

great maps showing the continent and the different and conflicting claims of England and the Frankish kingdom and about a dozen others.Apparently there was not much enthusiasm by the English in enforcing their territoral rights on the continent and the numbers engaged in most of these campaigns were less than 5,000 apiece.It seems from reading this book that the French campaign was more or less an English sideshow and there was trouble in recruiting for the English army,whereas the French considered themselves as being invaded so the "moral" factor may have resided with the French and their allies. Joan of Arc seems to add an additional morale factor that pushes the French cause "over the top",although her military judgements seem to be at times unwise and were overrided.Still according to this book she comes off at times with some remarkable foresight.Was she sent from God or merely a "team mascot"?Each person must answer that themselves.

Dr. David Nicolle, a prolific writer on medieval military history, provides an excellent summary of the campaign of Orléans in 1429 that changed the course of the Hundred Years War. After years of smashing and humiliating defeats, a deeply divided France was able to achieve a military revival that turned the tide against the English invaders. Although the impact of Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc) is often over-stated in many accounts of this revival, Dr. Nicolle puts the famous French heroine in proper perspective and delivers a well-rounded campaign summary. Orléans 1429 is written in the standard Osprey campaign series format and begins with short sections on the origins of the campaign as well as opposing commanders, armies and plans. A single 2-D map depicts the confusing French political boundaries in 1429. The section on opposing commanders is quite detailed, and highlights the role of professional soldiers like the Gascon La Hire, who was just as necessary to the campaign as Joan. Interestingly, the composition of the armies of both sides had changed significantly since Agincourt fourteen years before; noblemen had largely been replaced by mercenaries, non-knight professionals, foreigners and assorted roughnecks. Evidently, the war was no longer the game of kings by 1429. It is also interesting that both sides employed artillery to great effect in this campaign - a distinct change from earlier campaigns in the war. The campaign summary itself consists of 56 pages, divided into sections on the beginning of the English siege, the arrival of Joan, the storming of Les Tourelles, the abandonment of the siege and the Battle of Patay. Three 3-D maps depict various phases of the siege, while there are five 2-D maps that cover initial campaign movements, the layout of the town's defenses, the French relief effort, the French recapture of the Loire castles and the Battle of Patay. There are also three battle scenes that depict Joan's crossing of the Loire, Sir William Glasdale taunting Joan from the battlements and the Battle of Patay. The Battle of Patay is particularly interesting since it was one of the few occasions that the vaunted French cavalry actually showed what it was capable of doing on a battlefield; in about one hour the English army retreating from Orléans was thoroughly smashed by a vigorous French pursuit. Although there are numerous photographs and illustrations, many are only slightly relevant to the campaign; this is partly due to the paucity of medieval supporting material and partly due to the author's preference for including material of dubious relevance. Nevertheless, the campaign summary is lucid and interesting, if a bit devoid of intensity. This is both a strength and a weakness in Dr. Nicolle's work; he has the scholarly ability to thoroughly research medieval military history but as in his previous Constantinople 1453, he lacks the literary ability to bring out the drama and passion in history. The Orléans ca