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Essex Dogs Series

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This book disappointed me so much that I made a goodreads account specifically to review it. I am a lover of Dan Jones’ non-fiction work, and was excited to read his foray into fiction. I was dismayed to find that unfortunately his skills do not lie in this area. July 1346. The Hundred Years' War has begun, and King Edward and his lords are on the march through France. But this war belongs to the men on the ground. EDIT: My initial review now complained about some unexpected revelations at the very end of the story which were left hanging. This confused me as I didn’t see any indication that this book is the start of a series but I now understand it will be a trilogy. Which explains the apparently unfinished ending! I don't know how much liberty Dan Jones has granted himself when it comes to historical accuracy. A medieval meth-head? I don't know. The nobility is presented as just as any regular army officer - i don't know if this was the way it was at that time. But for me one of the captivating aspects is the strong sense of brotherhood that mirrors the renowned "Band of Brothers" narrative that emerged from World War II, where - almost 600 years later - soldiers of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment also landed in Normandy. The relationships between characters in "The Essex Dogs" are reminded me of the deep connections formed between soldiers in the 506th Regiment. The Essex Dogs" taps into the universal emotions of friendship, sacrifice, and resilience.

Historian Jones’s first foray into fiction is battle-bloody, brutal and perfectly pitched. . . . Meticulously researched and vibrantly told. . . It’s a slaughterous, sweary, swaggering debut.” —The Daily Mail Written by historian Dan Jones, it is wondrously peppered with historical details from the period. Unfortunately, this is the Essex Dog’s one good merit. Where it falls down is the story and the characters. This book starts out brilliantly following a small group of ten soldiers (Englishmen, Scotsmen, Welsh folk and others), the Essex Dogs, as they arrive on the shores of Normandy in 1346 to storm the beaches and take France for King Edward III. This is the Hundred Years War of course, but the setting is familiar and Jones evokes the feeling of WW2 and Saving Private Ryan, while keeping the flavor distinctly medieval; this time it isn’t lead balls and MG42, it’s arrows, swords and flame. After this, the King’s army continue their march inland and we get to know the Dogs personally. There isn’t much of a plot in this book; it’s more a slice of life kind of deal. We meet our main characters, and spend a few months with them as they burn through the French countryside towards Paris, leaving a swath of destruction in their path. There’s more to it than just fighting and plundering though. If an author is going to start a historical fiction series I could think of no better era for such an endeavor than the Hundred Years War between England and France and that is what is delivered in this Essex Dogs series. The Essex Dogs are a group of medieval English soldiers for hire. In this book they are recruited by an English noble for 40 days fighting in France on behalf of King Edward III. The story is told primarily from the perspective of the common soldier in such time and in such a campaign and the telling is crude, vulgar, and assorted other unpleasant adjectives and is probably entirely accurate to the reality of war at this time. The story ends with the Battle of Crecy, the first major battle of the Hundred Years War and there are a couple of minor teases about plot threads for the probable next book but no cliffhanger ending thank God.The plot is very much character-driven. The Essex Dogs are a colorful group and probably the thing I enjoyed most about the novel was reading their conversations and banter as they attempt to rally and support each other and keep their spirits up. Although this is the fourteenth century, their interactions seem very modern. Perhaps those who are called on to fight their country's wars never quite change in their responses to the peril in which they find themselves. Dan Jones' first fiction novel is a timeless, incredibly engaging and sweeping odyssey of the summer of 1346 - one that is full of bloodshed and hilarious, medieval cursing. Dan Jones shows us the repetitive nature of this type of warfare, of troops marching through abandoned villages and then coming up to garrisoned castles, whilst keeping the story gripping and entertaining from start to finish. I did not envy the characters at all, but I loved following them through their journey. I loved reading about each and every one of these characters. I loved the setting of this novel so much as well—it was immersive and a blast to read. The writing was direct and easy to read. My reason for not giving full marks? This is Jones’s first real fiction outing, and I think it does show sometimes. Nothing major though—I still would recommend this one to just about anyone. The plot concerns a small experienced group of soldiers, hired by a knight to be his company of foot soldiers in an invasion of France by Edward III in the mid 14th century, part of the Hundred Years War between England and France. This particular expedition led by Edward lasted several weeks as his invasion force pillaged its way across Normandy and culminated in a famous battle at Crecy. That’s the history bit underlying the fiction, the first attempt at fiction, apparently, by this historian.

Immersive, engaging, thought provoking and so much more. This is masterful historical fiction that would appeal to a huge audience. Character driven medieval fiction that engages us in a range of conflict as well as political intrigue. What’s not to love? Perhaps where it was a bit weaker though was the characters. I never really felt like I engaged with them as much, and I never really felt like many of them had personalities. It probably wasn’t much help that, it being war, they were as likely to die within a few chapters of you meeting them as survive. The POV characters, as expected, were a bit more fleshed out than the others, though, and you could still root for them (and also, this is something I expect will be improved on as the series goes on). The many battles in this book were bloody, violently brutal, chaotic and exhausting. Frequently carried out after many days of travelling by foot, in barren landscapes and unrelenting heat. The plundered, burned out and looted towns and villages was written so atmospherically, I could almost smell the rotting stench of excrement and smouldering houses. There is some swearing between the men but there’s also a lot of humour and the one liners are truly funny.I have read several books by Dan Jones and enjoyed them all. He is that rare, very rare, historian that seems to understand that if you want your books to sell then the average reader has to like them and be entertained by them. So while young Mr. Jones may be a scholar he doesn't write like one and aims for a broader audience. I guess Mr. Jones may have come to a point in his career where he has exhausted his wealth of knowledge in the area of his historic expertise and has decided to try something new. In this book Mr. Jones has clearly ventured into the cutthroat arena of commercial fiction and, though not surprisingly, into historic fiction. This book promises to be the first of a series dealing with some 14th century free booters or mercenaries, professional soldiers but not like we would use that term today. I am giving the book 3 stars as it is a good book with promise but there is a difference between writing good history and good fiction and especially if the fiction is historical fiction. Mr. Jones will need to prove himself before I rate him higher in the fiction field. Dan Jones brings his extensive knowledge of this history into play expertly. It would be so easy for one with such grasp on the era to overload the reader with information. Instead, Jones smoothly crafts the tone and atmosphere in a way that by the end feels so authentic and comprehensive, yet does not overwhelm you once. It is a fine line, but Dan Jones appears to have found it effortlessly. However, what starts out as a brilliant premise, a small team of soldiers Fight for fortune and glory and each other in the opening months of the 100 years war, turns into a slog of a read that fails to draw you in.

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