Book number 43 of 2024
Simon Fairfax’s 1415 is the sixth and final book in his A Knight and a Spy series. I have thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the medieval world of Sir James de Grispere and his comrades Mark and Cristo. All of the events of the previous five novels come to a head in this thrilling conclusion.
1415 begins where 1414 ended: Jamie is is recovering from the near-fatal poisoning he suffered at the Council of Constance, Germany. As soon as he is able to return to England, he is tasked with infiltrating a possible plot to overthrow King Henry V. Henry would like to wage war in France and reestablish English rule there, but he is threatened with possible rebellion at home. Jamie and Mark travel across the channel to acquire ships for Henry’s planned invasion, and they foil a plot to destroy the fleet.
Returning to London, Jamie, his squire Geoffrey, Cristo, and Mark are sent north to shadow a small force that is escorting Murdoch Stewart, who is going to be exchanged for Henry Percy, being held by the Scots. Stewart’s escort is attacked, and he escapes. Jamie teams up with Sir Ralph Pudsey to recapture Stewart. Jamie then continues north to reunite with his old mentor, Sir Robert de Umfraville. Umfraville’s name has been mentioned by conspirators planning to rebel against Henry and install Sir Edmund Mortimer as king. I have to admit, at this point I’m like Mark who laments, “Tell me all again, for I’m findin’ it right complicated.” (p. 184)
Jamie and his friends join de Umfraville’s and Sir Roger Neville’s forces to fight a Scottish raiding army, and they soundly defeat them at the Battle of Yeavering. Despite the Scots outnumbering the English 10 to 1, the English archers prove to be the deciding factor.
Jamie, Geoffrey, Mark, and Cristo sail back to Porchester, where Henry is preparing his massive forces to invade France. Sir Richard Whittington sends Jamie on an emergency mission to convince Mortimer that his rebellion has fallen apart, and he must come clean to Henry. He does, and the leaders of the rebellion are tried and executed. So ends Part One!
Part Two concerns the English siege of Harfluer. Due to the marshy land around the towns and appalling camp hygiene, the English troops are succumbing to the “bloody flux” (dysentery). The town is slowly being destroyed by the constant bombardment from the English cannons. The indecisive French dauphin won’t send rescue forces, so Harfleur is in dire straits. Cristo is an invaluable resource as he gathers intelligence on the French positions. He even averts a disaster, raising the alarm when the French attack the English camp while they are have a funeral mass for Sir Richard Courtenay, Bishop of Norwich, who succumbed to dysentery. The attack is repelled, but the camp conditions continue to worsen.
After a pitched battle involving Jamie and Mark, Harfleur surrenders to the English, and Henry sends a challenge to the decadent dauphin: face me in one-on-one combat to decide the outcome of this war and end the bloodshed of innocent French and English people.
Part Three is devoted to one of the most famous conflicts in European history: the Battle of Agincourt. After weeks of slogging through rain and playing cat and mouse with the French, the exhausted English army finally faces their opponents at Agincourt. Fairfax does an excellent job of conveying just how overwhelming the odds were in favor of a French victory. They outnumbered the English 10 to 1, and they were so confident of their overwhelming force, that they placed their crossbowmen to their rear. This was a fatal mistake, as this allowed the English archers to advance unharmed into shooting range. Once in position, the archers were able to rain death down upon the French men at arms.
Fairfax also makes a good case that Henry’s victory was due to divine intervention. There were so many times he could have lost everything, yet events always seemed to work in his favor.
Having read all six volumes of the A Knight and A Spy series (2660 pages!), I can say that I really enjoyed getting to know Jamie, Mark, Cristo, and their medieval world. Life was very different then, and Fairfax does a great job describing what it was like, down to the smallest detail. James de Grispere matures from a naïve young squire into a trusted (and deadly) household knight of the king of England. Along the way, he never neglects his friends, and they have some fantastic adventures. It’s hard to believe they are all based on actual historical events. If Amazon or Netflix had any sense, they would produce an A Knight and a Spy miniseries.
I highly recommend the A Knight and A Spy series if you like historical fiction with lots of action. And if you do decide to take the plunge, make sure you begin with the first volume, 1410.
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