The Chronicles of Enguerrand De Monstrelet, Vol. 05 [Of 13]: Containing an Account of the Cruel Civil Wars Between the Houses of Orleans and Burgundy, of the Possession of Paris and Normandy by the English, Their Expulsion Thence, and of Other Memorable Events That Happened in the Kingdom of France, as Well as in Other Countries

France is dying, and every nobleman is sharpening his knife. The early fifteenth century finds the kingdom torn between the Houses of Orleans and Burgundy, cousins locked in a civil war so vicious it makes mere political tension look like a family dinner dispute. While the French tear each other apart, England sees its opportunity: Paris falls, Normandy falls, and a foreign king sits in the heart of France. This fifth volume of Monstrelet's chronicle captures a pivotal moment when cardinals and diplomats attempt one last peace, only to watch their fragile truces shatter against the rock of mutual betrayal. The narrative follows the breakdown of negotiations, the skulduggery in key cities, and the inevitable return to warfare. Monstrelet wrote as a man who lived through this catastrophe, and his account offers meticulous, granular detail on the political maneuvering, the shifting allegiances, the personal vendettas that kept France bleeding for decades. This is history from inside the wound.