Amazing book, gripping, well written, amazing characters.

The story is non-stop from start to finish, the interactions between the team are enjoyable.

Read this book!

I was so excited to be given an ARC of this, I am huge fan of Jones’ work generally but I am genuinely sorry to say I just couldn’t get into this. The descriptions were vivid, violent and evocative but I just never believed in the Essex dogs as a band of brothers and so I didn’t care. Not one for me I’m afraid, but it is excellently researched so I’d still say give it a go if you’re interested in the period.

Dan Brown has written a gripping, fast-moving novel about the invasion of France by Edward III and his son the Black Prince, climaxing in the Battle of Crecy.

The Essex Dogs are a motley selection of disparate soldiers thrown together to fight an overseas war, for a cause that they don't really understand or care about. Their only aim is to survive the campaign, steel & trade war booty along the way, and eventually collect their promised pay. The characters are all well-rounded and have various fascinating personality flaws as well as some caring traits for their comrades in arms.

The battle scenes, as expected, are quite gory and explicit. The language used by the soldiers (including knights) may offend some readers, but I found it added spice and realism to the story. Soldiers throughout the centuries, up to the present day, use barrack-room language with each other. without ever getting offended.

To summarise, I cannot praise this book highly enough and look forward to exploring some of Brown’s other historical novels.

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.
Swept up in the bloody chaos, a tight-knit company from Essex must stay alive long enough to see their home again. With sword, mace and longbow, the Essex Dogs will fight, from the landing beaches of Normandy to the bloodsoaked field of Crécy.
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.
Some men fight for glory. Others fight for coin. The Essex Dogs? They fight for each other.

Dan Jones is one of my top favourite historical authors so “Essex Dogs” was a hugely anticipated release for me. I was delighted to be granted an ARC. This novel is Dans historical fiction debut novel, and is to be part of a trilogy of the same name.

I loved this book - I am already anxious to get my hands on the next book of this series. Dan Jones is an amazing writer, so it’s no surprise that his fiction work is as good as his non fiction work, all of which I’ve read. His character portrayal is fantastic and he just writes history so damn well. Fast paced, thrilling, I literally ate this book up. There really is nothing negative to say about this book. The characters, the setting of a bloody and violent period in time, the atmosphere, the pacing - I cannot fault it. If you are familiar with Dans non fiction work, you will appreciate this book. I’d highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys history, historical fiction and well written books. I’m already Jonesing for book two (see what I did there?).

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

A wonderful story of a group of freebooters during Edward 111’s invasion of France at the start of the 100 years war. Real and fictional characters and events are all skilfully intertwined with violent battle scenes graphically described. The Black Prince is described not as the heroic character I’ve always assumed him to be but as a whining teenager while the heroes of the piece are the gritty soldiers known as the Essex Dogs. It all builds towards the battle of Crecy at the climax too this stupendous yarn. One hopes that another chapter is too come for these fascinating men.

I knew nothing about this book until I scrolled past its incredible cover on NetGalley. Within a few hours I had immersed myself in the Hundred Years War and the story of the Essex Dogs. And what a story it is.

It may seem cliched, but Dan Jones has burst onto the fiction scene like Bernard Cornwell reborn. This tale is gritty and humorous, thoughtful and exciting. All the hallmarks of historical fiction at its best.

I loved the group of men who call themselves the Essex Dogs, and Jones cleverly drops hints about their past into the narrative, a sure way to draw readers back into any future books, with the potential for both sequals and prequals.

One stand out point in this book is the portrayal of Edward, the Black Prince. Hes normally portrayed as an almost mythical figure, a war leader to inspire thousands. Jones, a noted historian in his own right, presents a snivelling whelp of a prince, which was a joy to read.

I cant wait for book 2.

What a rip roaring, gripping, and fast paced adventure.
I've always enjoyed Dan Jones' history books because of his skill for writing captivating, transporting prose, and those talents are on full display here.
Somewhere between Saving Private Ryan, Henry IV and Band of Brothers - a tour de force and a brilliantly exciting start to a series

I would love to read this and give feedback but have been unable to access it, I’ve downloaded it a couple of times but it only says “title already exists” rather than “read.” I have no readable version..

1346. 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.

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.

The opening when they land on the beach is engaging, but once over, very little happens in the first half of the book. It picks up in the second half, but what lets down the story are the passive characters. It is scene after scene of the Dogs receiving orders/acting out orders, and luck (good and bad) drives the outcome. Rarely did I get the impression the Dogs were acting in their own interests or showing initiative to improve their situation. None of the Dogs seem to be very proactive. Yes, it’s war, and they must follow orders. But it feels like they’re being dragged through the entire ordeal (and the reader with them).

The book is part of a trilogy, but the ending stops with a character (who disappeared for a good chunk of the book) reappearing to drop a minor cliffhanger. The book didn’t have a clear beginning/middle/end, and the character arcs never really appeared.

Another gripe is the poor dialogue. It was great to see the religiously-themed curses thrown in and they were amusing in the first few instances. Unfortunately, they are a consistent feature in the dialogue and quickly lose any of their initial punch. I can say the same for the general swearing. The F-word is overused to the point it lessens its effectiveness, makes the dialogue repetitive and makes everyone sound the same. The one distinct character voice in the story is Northampton, but his voice is so over the top that he ends up sounding like some post-watershed character from Blackadder.

I noticed one reviewer compares Essex Dog's to Bernard Cornwell's writing style, but none of Cornwell's characters passively let fate lead them. They were proactive. You had a sense their presence made a difference to the plot. In Essex Dogs, you could have picked any company in the army because they never did much.

An ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Net Galley in return for an honest review.

I was lucky to receive an ARC of ‘Essex Dogs’ by Dan Jones from NetGalley, thank you!

King Edward III and his invasion force embark on a killing and pillaging tour of France in 1346.

Among the hell unleashed is a close-knit company of warriors known as ‘Essex Dogs’ who must fight for each other.

I thoroughly enjoyed!

Great characters set in a bloody time and place brought to life.

The locations were vividly word-painted, managing to weave many historical details into the fabric of the story without it ever getting in the way.

The ‘Dogs’ were a great crew of eclectic characters recruited from every corner of Britain. Each have their own secrets, backstories, quirks and skills that fleshed them out into killers with heart and soul instead of mindless machines.

It opens with a medieval ‘Private Ryan’ scene and doesn’t stop from there. It’s a harsh and bloody business and each step of the way was intriguing. I’m not the biggest Kindle fan, but this kept me reading until I finished 😄

As the English army murder, rape and pillage like a black wave destroying everything in its path, the ‘Dogs’, despite their many years of spilling blood and thievery together, feel a little long in the tooth for the events surrounding them and the trouble that comes their way.

The side characters are excellently done and there’s plenty of action to be found, but I was more impressed with how much I cared for the ‘Dogs’, making me eager to read book 2 of this planned trilogy of adventures.

⚔️

If you enjoy reading Angus Donald, Bernard Cornwell, James Wilde or Robert Low’s ‘Oathsworn Series’ then you’ll dig this 👍