the Battle of Poitiers (1356): England's Greatest Victory in Hundred Years' War

In The Battle of Poitiers (1356): England's Greatest Victory in the Hundred Years' War, Jack Whitaker tells the dramatic true story of the battle that stunned medieval Europe and brought a king to captivity. In September 1356, deep in the countryside of western France, Edward of Woodstock, the famed Black Prince, found his smaller English army trapped by the vastly larger forces of King John II of France. What followed was one of the most remarkable victories of the Hundred Years' War, a clash that shattered the French royal army and ended with the capture of the French king himself. Drawing on contemporary chronicles, royal records, and accounts from both sides of the conflict, Whitaker reconstructs the campaign that led to Poitiers and the fierce fighting that unfolded among the vineyards and narrow lanes south of the city. He brings to life the commanders, knights, archers, and ordinary soldiers whose decisions shaped the outcome of a battle that would echo across Europe for generations. More than a story of battlefield tactics and military leadership, this book explores the political upheaval that followed the defeat. From the captivity of King John II and the turmoil that engulfed France to the rise of the Black Prince and the lasting impact on the Hundred Years' War, Poitiers emerges as a turning point in the struggle between two kingdoms and a defining moment in the history of medieval warfare.