Essex Dogs Series

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We start with the landing on the Normandy beach, heading ever deeper into enemy territory toward Crécy and trying to survive. The Essex Dogs and their leader try to survive the harsh conditions and pillage and loot their way to France. Long marches, the waiting, the suffering of the peasants who see their harvest destroyed and their houses robbed - I guess nothing has changed very much since then. Much of the story concerns the progress of the army across northern France, where villages and towns are routinely plundered and pillaged in the most ruthless manner. Rape is heavily implied too by the author without gratuitously dwelling on this dark aspect of medieval conquest. The ordinary warriors and their ‘superiors’, the knights and lords, are all painted as trained killers. No doubt this uses the author’s historical knowledge - there was no romance and, it seems, little chivalry in these medieval wars. It was all about ruthless conquest.

Dan Jones' debut novel is an impressive work of historical fiction set in the Hundred Years' War and, more particularly, during the Crecy Campaign. It bears all the hallmarks of the meticulous historical research we have come to expect from this author. 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. 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. An historical fiction that I was initially attracted to by the title, as most of my in-laws live in the county of Essex, now an overflow area popular with Londoners looking to live outside the conurbation. Not quite as superficial as this maybe. I saw the author is a famed historian and the medieval period covered here provides the framework for so much ‘sword and sorcery’ fantasy.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! The book follows the Essex Dogs during their involvement in the 1346 Crécy campaign. In addition to viewing the conflict through their eyes, we also get the perspectives of renegade priests, the ever-scheming aristocrats and merchants, and the ordinary people who are caught in the conflict mostly against their will. As always, it is these ordinary people caught in the middle who bear the brunt of the abuse resulting from the fighting. The soldiers' lives are rather brilliantly recreated – the kit, the fighting, the boredom and discomfort.' The Times

Dan Jones is an excellent historian. I enjoy his books and his tv shows, but his foray into historical fiction isn't quite to his normal superb level. Is it bad? By no means, it was entertaining and a good read-but perhaps too much time is spent on the Essex Dogs and their misadventures than on the historical big picture. A work of craft perhaps unrivalled in its presentation of medieval warfare. Compelling characters, an engaging plot and the perfect dose of immersion that allows you to feel like you are accompanying these characters on their odyssey, through all the blood, grit, trials and tribulations that tie them together. Swept up in the bloody chaos, a tight-knit company from Essex must stay alive long enough to see their home again. With sword, axe and longbow, the Essex Dogs will fight, from the landing beaches of Normandy to the bloodsoaked field of Crécy.

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. 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.

There's Pismire, small enough to infiltrate enemy camps. Scotsman, strong enough to tear down a wall. Millstone, a stonemason who'll do anything to protect his men. Father, a priest turned devilish by the horrors of war. Romford, a talented young archer on the run from his past. And Loveday FitzTalbot, their battle-scarred captain, who just wants to get his boys home safe. Whilst we are shown the repetitive nature of warfare, Dan Jones inserts a whole variety of interactions and conflicts. We are shown the minds of those from the top to the bottom of the army, and also small scale action and the storming of castles. The sheer diversity of content in Essex Dogs is astounding, because it does not feel rushed or unbalanced. I should state right up front that Essex Dogs is really not my cup of tea. It is a war story and I generally try to avoid stories that take place in a war setting. But I have read and enjoyed books by Dan Jones in the past and so when the title came up I added it to my TBR list. And now I can cross it off that list!The dawn of The Hundred Years’ War, and King Edward’s army is on the march through France. The Essex Dogs, led by Captain Loveday Fitztalbot, must stay alive if they stand any hope of returning home again. The plot is nonexistent, save for what happened in history. This would have been fine had the characters been rich and interesting, but they were not and thus I found myself just waiting to be shuffled from set piece battle/siege to set piece battle/siege. The historical details were lovely as to be expected from a prominent historian, but these alone do not make an interesting fiction book.

Visceral, thrilling, gripping, this is a wild ride into the hearts and minds of men fighting to the death—and each other. The battles that shaped Europeare seen from the point of view of the soldiers and the lives of ordinary people. Searing.” —Kate Williams, author of The Pleasures of Men and Becoming Queen Victoria 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. As always with a Dan Jones novel, you know that the historical facts mentioned will be true to actual events and along with his very intelligent imagination (due to his love and passion for history) it’s assured any story by him will be fantastically written and instantly gripping. 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 Similarly, the plot seemed to have little drive, and I do wonder if this is a series that’s meant to be read all at once, where the plot is one that covers three books, rather than each book having its own self-contained plot. The ending of this one, which seems to work to set up the series as a whole more than anything, certainly points to that.

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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. I know Dan as a historian through his non-fiction books and documentaries, but this is his first foray into historical fiction. And what a debut it is. The writing and storyline are top notch and the language used is authentic to the times; which is not always the case with some historical fiction. Ahigh-stakes, immersive war story. . .Highly recommended for fans of Bernard Cornwell or Ken Follett.” —Library Journal *starred review* 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.