It is easily one of my favorite historical fiction novels of this year. I can’t believe it took Dan Jones this long to write historical fiction, but I cannot wait for the next book in this trilogy. I honestly did not know what to expect when I ordered this book back in February, but it was a masterpiece. Even the fights between companies were thrilling and will stay with me for a long time ( I am looking at you, chapter 12). The battles and skrimmages Jones included were so believable that I had to collect my breath after each battle before I went back to ensure the Essex Dogs were okay. However, one area in which Jones excelled was portraying the brutality of war.

Each soldier’s struggles, from injuries and drug use to strategies and the punishments for not following royal commands, were written brilliantly. I love the colorful interactions that the Essex Dogs had between one another and with the actual people who were involved in the campaign to Crecy. We also have crazy priest Father, the young and naive archer Romford, and their fearless leader, who will do anything to keep his group together, Loveday FitzTalbot. Some Essex Dogs include the pint-size fighter Pismire, the strong Scotsman, and the loyal Millstone. Each man has a past that they are trying to run away from, but their loyalty to each other unites them to finish their forty days of service to King Edward III. This story, from the landing in France to the Battle of Crecy, is told through the eyes of Essex Dogs, a rag-tag group of men from England, Scotland, and Wales. I was pleasantly surprised by how this amazingly gripping novel. When Dan Jones announced that he would dive into the world of historical fiction, I was fascinated to see how well he could handle the transition from historical nonfiction to fiction. I have read nonfiction books by Dan Jones for years now, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the amount of detail he puts into each book.

In the horrors of war in a foreign land, can the Essex Dogs keep their promise and stay alive? Dan Jones introduces the world to these ten men and the early stage of the Hundred Years’ War in his first historical fiction novel, “Essex Dogs.” They do not fight for money or glory they fight for each other. One company of men consists of ten men known as the Essex Dogs, led by Loveday FitzTalbot. Amongst the English royalty, nobility, and regular soldiers, are companies of men who came of their own accord for money and glory. King Edward III, his son Edward of Woodstock, and his lords launched the first stage of what would be known as the Hundred Years’ War. The year is 1346, and numerous English ships have landed on the shores of France.

Essex dogs dan jones