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From: lew@ihuxr.UUCP (Lew Mammel, Jr.)
Newsgroups: net.books
Subject: A DISTANT MIRROR, by Barbara Tuchman
Message-ID: <923@ihuxr.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 22-Feb-84 13:37:39 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxr.923
Posted: Wed Feb 22 13:37:39 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 24-Feb-84 00:18:44 EST
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A DISTANT MIRROR, by Barbara W. Tuchman, is subtitled "The Calamitous
14th Century" - Indeed. The plague, which broke out in 1348, was the most
notable of these, but arguably not the worst. The author makes a case for
war taxes winning that distinction.  She states that these were even more
debilitating than the killing and pillaging which accompanied war itself,
since the taxes were afflicted on the entire society.  These wars consisted
mainly of the English fighting the French, but included French forays into
Austria and Italy, and several late Crusades.

The book is loosely centered around the life of Enguerrand VII de Coucy,
the last feudal baron of Coucy, a huge castle in northern France which
controlled the surrounding region.  He was involved in a number of
significant military campaigns and was a constant figure in the French
court of the time.

Two major battles between the French and the English were at Crecy in 1346
and Poiters in 1355. Both of these were disasters for the French.  In fact,
the French king (Jean) was taken captive at Poiters.  These battles were
similar to Agincourt in 1415, which is the subject of Shakespeare's HENRY V.
All of these were part of the Hundred Years war.  Reading this book
gave me my first real inkling of what this was all about.

Incidentally, the English were led at Poiters by "The Black Prince". There
was also a French knight known as "The Green Duke", who outfitted himself
and all his aides entirely in green. It was a colorful age.

The book contains dozens of fascinating incidents and anecdotes, which
make me wonder why people even bother with STARTIDE RISING.  Needless
to say, I highly recommend it.

	Lew Mammel, Jr. ihnp4!ihuxr!lew