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To Win and Lose a Medieval Battle
Nájera (April 3, 1367), A Pyrrhic Victory for the Black Prince
Series: - History of Warfare, Volume: 115
Winner of the 2019 Brigadier General James L. Collins Jr. Prize
In To Win and Lose a Medieval Battle: Nájera (April 3, 1367). A Pyrrhic Victory for the Black Prince, L.J. Andrew Villalon and Donald J. Kagay provide a full treatment of one of the major battles of the Hundred Years War, which, perhaps because it was fought in Spain, is lesser known to scholars and general readers. Drawing information from contemporary European chronicles and the massive documentary collections of Spanish and French archives, the authors have painstakingly investigated the Iberian and European background events to Nájera and have in minute detail laid out how the army of Enrique II of Castile (assisted by Bertand de Guesclin) and that of his half-brother, Pedro I of Castile (assisted by Edward, the Black Prince), clashed at Nájera on April 3, 1367.
Winner of the 2019 Brigadier General James L. Collins Jr. Prize, awarded by the U.S. Commission on Military History for the best book on military history published in 2017 or 2018. The awarding committee praised the volume as âa genuinely original scholarly contribution... comprehensive, balanced, and insightful... this 600-page magnum opus will significantly enhance our understanding of military history during a seminal period of human development.â
See inside the book.
In To Win and Lose a Medieval Battle: Nájera (April 3, 1367). A Pyrrhic Victory for the Black Prince, L.J. Andrew Villalon and Donald J. Kagay provide a full treatment of one of the major battles of the Hundred Years War, which, perhaps because it was fought in Spain, is lesser known to scholars and general readers. Drawing information from contemporary European chronicles and the massive documentary collections of Spanish and French archives, the authors have painstakingly investigated the Iberian and European background events to Nájera and have in minute detail laid out how the army of Enrique II of Castile (assisted by Bertand de Guesclin) and that of his half-brother, Pedro I of Castile (assisted by Edward, the Black Prince), clashed at Nájera on April 3, 1367.
Winner of the 2019 Brigadier General James L. Collins Jr. Prize, awarded by the U.S. Commission on Military History for the best book on military history published in 2017 or 2018. The awarding committee praised the volume as âa genuinely original scholarly contribution... comprehensive, balanced, and insightful... this 600-page magnum opus will significantly enhance our understanding of military history during a seminal period of human development.â
See inside the book.
L.J. Andrew Villalon earned his Ph.D. in history at Yale University and, after a long career at the University of Cincinnati, is now an independent scholar in Austin, Texas. He has published seven books and many articles on military history in major academic journals and has served as the president of the Texas Medieval Association and De Re Militari.
Donald J. Kagay earned his Ph. D. in medieval history at Fordham University, and after a long career at Albany State University, currently serves as a part-time professor at the University of Dallas. He has published twelve books and many articles on medieval legal and military history and is the founder and former president of the Texas Medieval Association.
Donald J. Kagay earned his Ph. D. in medieval history at Fordham University, and after a long career at Albany State University, currently serves as a part-time professor at the University of Dallas. He has published twelve books and many articles on medieval legal and military history and is the founder and former president of the Texas Medieval Association.
Winner of the 2019 Brigadier General James L. Collins Jr. Prize, awarded by the U.S. Commission on Military History for the best book on military history published in 2017 or 2018. The awarding committee praised the volume as âa genuinely original scholarly contribution... comprehensive, balanced, and insightful... this 600-page magnum opus will significantly enhance our understanding of military history during a seminal period of human development.â
"This is an immensely thorough and detailed study of the battle of Najera. The event itself is often dismissed by modern writers as an exotic adventure by the Black Prince, a mere adjunct, and a futile one, to the âreal substanceâ of the âHundred Years Warâ which remains such a focus for historians, and especially those interested in military development. But this book is much more than simple âmetal-bashingâ [â¦] In this valuable analysis of the battle of Najera, its causes and consequences, the authors discuss topics of wide general interest to military historians, notably the problems of logistics and the desirability (or otherwise) of battle. The great virtue of the account is that it is built upon the sources which are discussed and evaluated throughout. But its greatest value undoubtedly lies in the translations of sources in the appendices. This is an important book based on solid and careful scholarship". John France, in De Re Militari April 2019.
Acknowledgements
Authorsâ Academic Biographies
List of Maps, Tables and Genealogies
Introduction
1 Intersecting Conflicts
â1âIntroduction
â2âThe Reconquista
â3âHundred Years War
2 Three Who Ruled
â1âIntroduction
â2âPedro âthe Cruelâ
â3âPere âthe Ceremoniousâ
â4âEnrique âthe Bastardâ
3 A Clash of Kings
â1âIntroduction
â2âThe Spark
â3âA War of Words
â4âAragonâs Attempt to Avoid Conflict
â5âOpening Stages
â6âFailure of Papal Diplomacy
â7âCastilian Motives
â8âEscalating Hostilities
â9âThe Castilian Exiles
â10âPedroâs Alliances and the Role of Granada
â11âAn Increasingly Brutal Conflict
4 Foreign Policy and Foreign Intervention (1365â1366)
â1âIntroduction
â2âCollecting Foreign Enemies: France and the Papacy
â3âAn English Alliance
â4âThe French Intervention That Wasnât
â5âThe Rise of the Free Companies
â6âThe Companies enter Iberia (1365â1366)
â7âA Royal Loss of Nerve? (Spring, 1366)
â8âAragonese Reclamations
â9âA Triumph and a Flight
5 Preparations for Invasion (1366â1367)
â1âIntroduction
â2âJourney to Aquitaine
â3âAn English Welcome
â4âWinning English Aid
â5âRecruitment and Preparation
â6âEvents at Angoulême
â7âThe Diplomatic Chessboard: Trilateral Negotiations
â8âAragonese Indecision
â9âThe Muster at Dax
â10âEnglandâs Strategic Conundrum
â11âCastilian Moves and Countermoves (1366âSpring, 1367)
6 The Campaign (FebruaryâApril 2, 1367)
â1âIntroduction
â2âA Mountain Crossing
â3âCampaigning in âthe Hungry Seasonâ
â4âMarching to Vitoria: Feint or Blunder?
â5âA Royal Defection
â6âEnglandâs Hour of Discontent
â7âFacing Starvation
â8âTo Fight or not to Fight: The Crucial Question
â9âEnd Run To Logroño
â10âThe War of Words
7 The Battle of Nájera (April 3, 1367)
â1âIntroduction
â2âThe Castilian Army
â3âEnglish Advantages and an âEnglish Bowâ
â4âThe Numbers Game
â5âEnglish March to the Battlefield
â6âChivalric Niceties and Knightly Housekeeping
â7âThe Battle Begins
â8âThe Wager of Battle
â9âThe Role of the Longbow
â10âThe Face of Battle
â11âLearning from Discrepancies?
â12âDefeat, Pursuit, and Massacre
â13âThe Reason Why
8 Defeat from the Jaws of Victory
â1âIntroduction
â2âAn Unusual Court of Chivalry
â3âThe Initial Quarrel
â4âNon-Payment of War Debts
â5âLive to Fight Another Day
â6âThe King is Dead/Long Live the King
â7âThe Hundred Years War Renewed: The First Period of English Defeat
â8âThe Turning Wheel of Fortune
Conclusion
Appendix A: Lists of Participants from Five Sources
âA.1âPedro López de Ayala, Crónica de Pedro I
âA.2âThe Chandos Herald
âA.3âJean Froissartâs Chronicle
âA.4âJohn of Reading
âA.5âAnonymous Canterbury Chronicle
Appendix B: Document Translations
âB.1âTreaty of Alliance between Pedro I of Castile and the Crown of England (June 22, 1362)
âB.2âPere IIIâs Secret Agreement at Monzón to Support Enrique de Trastámaraâs Bid for the Castilian Crown (March 31, 1363)
âB.3âRoyal Letter of Pedro I Conferring upon Fernando de Castro the Lands and Titles of Count of Castañeda, Lemos, and Sarria (June, 1366)
âB.4âAgreement between Pedro I of Castile, Edward, Prince of Wales and Aquitaine, and King Charles II of Navarre allowing an Anglo-Gascon Army to Traverse Navarre (Fall, 1366)
âB.5âLetters of Pedro I to the City of Murcia (Spring, 1367)
âB.6âLetter of the Black Prince to his Wife, Joan of Kent, Concerning the Victory at Nájera (April, 1367)
âB.7âEnglish Response to Pedro Iâs Appeal for Renewed English Aid (1368)
Appendix C: Chronicle Translations
âC.1âPedro López de Ayalaâs Crónica de Pedro I
âC.2âThe Chandos Heraldâs Life of the Black Prince
âC.3âThe Chronicles of Jean Froissart
âC.4âCrónica of Pere III [Pedro IV]
âC.5âThe DuGuesclin Memoirs
âC.6âChronique des Quatre Premiers Valois
âC.7âThe Anonymous Chronique Normande
âC.8âChronique des Regnes de Jean II et Charles V
âC.9âLatin Poem by Walter of Peterborough
âC.10âLatin Poem by an Anonymous pro-English Author
âC.11âChronicle of King Fernando by Fernão Lopes
âC.12âMonastic Chronicles
Appendix D: Western European Royal Dynasties of the Fourteenth Century
âKings of England
âKings of France
âKings of Castile
âKings of Crown of Aragon
âKings of Navarre
âKings of Portugal
Bibliography
Index
Authorsâ Academic Biographies
List of Maps, Tables and Genealogies
Introduction
Part 1: Background
1 Intersecting Conflicts
â1âIntroduction
â2âThe Reconquista
â3âHundred Years War
2 Three Who Ruled
â1âIntroduction
â2âPedro âthe Cruelâ
â3âPere âthe Ceremoniousâ
â4âEnrique âthe Bastardâ
3 A Clash of Kings
â1âIntroduction
â2âThe Spark
â3âA War of Words
â4âAragonâs Attempt to Avoid Conflict
â5âOpening Stages
â6âFailure of Papal Diplomacy
â7âCastilian Motives
â8âEscalating Hostilities
â9âThe Castilian Exiles
â10âPedroâs Alliances and the Role of Granada
â11âAn Increasingly Brutal Conflict
4 Foreign Policy and Foreign Intervention (1365â1366)
â1âIntroduction
â2âCollecting Foreign Enemies: France and the Papacy
â3âAn English Alliance
â4âThe French Intervention That Wasnât
â5âThe Rise of the Free Companies
â6âThe Companies enter Iberia (1365â1366)
â7âA Royal Loss of Nerve? (Spring, 1366)
â8âAragonese Reclamations
â9âA Triumph and a Flight
Part 2: Campaign and Battle
5 Preparations for Invasion (1366â1367)
â1âIntroduction
â2âJourney to Aquitaine
â3âAn English Welcome
â4âWinning English Aid
â5âRecruitment and Preparation
â6âEvents at Angoulême
â7âThe Diplomatic Chessboard: Trilateral Negotiations
â8âAragonese Indecision
â9âThe Muster at Dax
â10âEnglandâs Strategic Conundrum
â11âCastilian Moves and Countermoves (1366âSpring, 1367)
6 The Campaign (FebruaryâApril 2, 1367)
â1âIntroduction
â2âA Mountain Crossing
â3âCampaigning in âthe Hungry Seasonâ
â4âMarching to Vitoria: Feint or Blunder?
â5âA Royal Defection
â6âEnglandâs Hour of Discontent
â7âFacing Starvation
â8âTo Fight or not to Fight: The Crucial Question
â9âEnd Run To Logroño
â10âThe War of Words
7 The Battle of Nájera (April 3, 1367)
â1âIntroduction
â2âThe Castilian Army
â3âEnglish Advantages and an âEnglish Bowâ
â4âThe Numbers Game
â5âEnglish March to the Battlefield
â6âChivalric Niceties and Knightly Housekeeping
â7âThe Battle Begins
â8âThe Wager of Battle
â9âThe Role of the Longbow
â10âThe Face of Battle
â11âLearning from Discrepancies?
â12âDefeat, Pursuit, and Massacre
â13âThe Reason Why
Part 3: Aftermath
8 Defeat from the Jaws of Victory
â1âIntroduction
â2âAn Unusual Court of Chivalry
â3âThe Initial Quarrel
â4âNon-Payment of War Debts
â5âLive to Fight Another Day
â6âThe King is Dead/Long Live the King
â7âThe Hundred Years War Renewed: The First Period of English Defeat
â8âThe Turning Wheel of Fortune
Conclusion
Appendix A: Lists of Participants from Five Sources
âA.1âPedro López de Ayala, Crónica de Pedro I
âA.2âThe Chandos Herald
âA.3âJean Froissartâs Chronicle
âA.4âJohn of Reading
âA.5âAnonymous Canterbury Chronicle
Appendix B: Document Translations
âB.1âTreaty of Alliance between Pedro I of Castile and the Crown of England (June 22, 1362)
âB.2âPere IIIâs Secret Agreement at Monzón to Support Enrique de Trastámaraâs Bid for the Castilian Crown (March 31, 1363)
âB.3âRoyal Letter of Pedro I Conferring upon Fernando de Castro the Lands and Titles of Count of Castañeda, Lemos, and Sarria (June, 1366)
âB.4âAgreement between Pedro I of Castile, Edward, Prince of Wales and Aquitaine, and King Charles II of Navarre allowing an Anglo-Gascon Army to Traverse Navarre (Fall, 1366)
âB.5âLetters of Pedro I to the City of Murcia (Spring, 1367)
âB.6âLetter of the Black Prince to his Wife, Joan of Kent, Concerning the Victory at Nájera (April, 1367)
âB.7âEnglish Response to Pedro Iâs Appeal for Renewed English Aid (1368)
Appendix C: Chronicle Translations
âC.1âPedro López de Ayalaâs Crónica de Pedro I
âC.2âThe Chandos Heraldâs Life of the Black Prince
âC.3âThe Chronicles of Jean Froissart
âC.4âCrónica of Pere III [Pedro IV]
âC.5âThe DuGuesclin Memoirs
âC.6âChronique des Quatre Premiers Valois
âC.7âThe Anonymous Chronique Normande
âC.8âChronique des Regnes de Jean II et Charles V
âC.9âLatin Poem by Walter of Peterborough
âC.10âLatin Poem by an Anonymous pro-English Author
âC.11âChronicle of King Fernando by Fernão Lopes
âC.12âMonastic Chronicles
Appendix D: Western European Royal Dynasties of the Fourteenth Century
âKings of England
âKings of France
âKings of Castile
âKings of Crown of Aragon
âKings of Navarre
âKings of Portugal
Bibliography
Index
This book, from its fast-moving, though professional style, will appeal to both scholarly and general readers, and will cast a clear investigative light on an important, though understudied, battle of the Hundred Years War: Nájera (April 3, 1367).