Osprey Campaign 71 : Crecy 1346 : Triumph of the Longbow

The Battle of Crecy was the first major land battle of the Hundred Years war. It pitted the French army, then considered the best in Europe, and their miscellaneous allies against the English under King Edward III and the 'Black Prince', who as yet had no great military reputation. The Genoese crossbowmen were outshot by the English longbows and the charges of the French Knights were then forced back with appalling losses. Crecy is of special importance because it pitted large numbers of English longbowmen against a massed charge of armoured knights. This battle established the longbow as one of the most feared weapons of the medieval period. Text by David Nicolle with illustrations by Graham Turner.

Contents

• Introduction
• Opposing Commanders
• Opposing Armies
• Opposing Plans
• Normandy
• The Trap Closes
• Crossbow versus Longbow
• The Arrow Storm
• Aftermath
• The Battlefield Today
• Chronology
• Guide to Further Reading