Book Review: Agincourt-Henry V and the Battle That Made England

English: King Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt, 1415 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Why should you read a book on a battle in France in 1415 to learn anything about start ups or supply chain? Here are a few reasons:

1. Juliet Barker has written a book on Agincourt that's hard to put down--From Henry's clouded ascension to the English throne, through incredible domestic intrigues by others who believed the throne to be theirs, to border wars with those pesky Scots, to marshaling a thousand ships to get his army to France, and to winning a battle with exhausted and starving men against a French Army at least six times his size, the book never disappoints with insights and carefully researched facts that make it impossible to not stay up late reading.
2. Henry V was a Master Logistician--No detail about preparing for the 1415 campaign in France to take back what he considered his rightful lands was overlooked by the King. He poured over account books with his paymasters, determining exactly who should be paid what for specific services. He determined how much weaponry, food, horses, support staff, clerics, wagons, etc. etc. would be needed to support his troops on the campaign. He argued with his armorers about how many and what type of arrows should be made and brought to France. He personally guaranteed all war debts with his own funds, lands and treasure. In sum, Henry made sure that he went into battle with an advantage--that being sufficient supply to keep his army well fed without raiding the local farms (and alienating his "subjects") and well equipped to move quickly on horseback across France (he brought more horses than men to France in 1415).
3. Henry was a Military Genius--He made any archer who was proposed to join the campaign to pass a test--firing 10 arrows accurately in a minute--and left behind those that could not pass. Eventually, over 5000 archers were recruited, and then required to practice every Sunday for a year in advance. He stayed up late at night in France planning the next day's march or offensive with his knights. He out maneuvered and developed better battle strategies than the French for the entire campaign. (In truth, the French were basically leaderless and fighting among themselves when he invaded, but that was another aspect of his military genius). He scouted the Agincourt battlefield the night before and discovered that heavy rains would make it a quagmire for advancing French knights, making then easy targets for his archers and their armor piercing arrows.
4. Henry was a Gifted Leader of Men--Henry consistently lead from the front, both in war preparations and in battle. He lead the council meetings for years before the war, planning where to land, how to secure their beach head, how to thwart French defenses, and his route of march to regain his "lost" territory in France. He oversaw the big picture strategy, but left the implementation to his knights and staff, but he constantly audited their operations to make sure things were being done to his satisfaction. He did not do "second best", spending extra to import the best gunners from Germany and the Netherlands to fire his artillery--a relatively new phenomena in medieval warfare. The book is full of useful leadership examples that can help an entrepreneur understand all the details involved in running a successful campaign--whether a war in France or a startup in 21st century America.