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Michael Jecks
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Fields of Glory: A wickedly action-packed, historical read by Michael Jecks (The Vintaine) Kindle Edition

by Michael Jecks (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 2,022 ratings

The first book in the stunning Vintaine series by Michael Jecks. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden.

'His best book yet. A cracking read in the best style of Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell, this will delight existing fans and bring many more to the fold’ - Manda scott

1346. France. King Edward III is restless. Despite earlier victories the French crown remains intact. Determined to bring France under his own rule, Edward has devised a new plan of attack – one which he believes will finally bring the French army to its knees: a final, cataclysmic battle ...

Berenger Fripper, Vintener of a pox-ridden mob of sixteen who make up the Vintaine of Sir John de Sully, storms the beaches of Normandy to bring victory to their king. But the French are nowhere to be seen…

And so Berenger leads his Vintaine through France and onward to battle - the Battle of Crécy – one which will both bond and break his men and be a decisive turning point in the Hundred Years’ War.

Praise for Michael Jecks:

'Marvellously portrayed' C. J. Sansom

'Michael Jecks is the master of the medieval whodunnit' Robert Low

'The most wickedly plotted medieval mystery novels' The Times

'Classic Jecks – and that's as good as it gets' Susanna Gregory

'Vivid imagination and gripping prose' Anthony Riches

'Another fantastic series from Michael Jecks' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reader review

'All I can say is roll on the next one. I could not put this book down!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reader review

'A brilliant read whatever your normal genre.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reader review

'Another masterpiece by Michael Jecks. Whatever you do, do not miss reading this novel it is amazing!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reader review

'All action!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reader review

'Outstanding! A terriific read.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reader review

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  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Vintaine
  2. Print length
    402 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Boldwood Books
  5. Accessibility
    Learn more
  6. Publication date
    April 25, 2025
  7. File size
    1.6 MB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Jecks gave up a career in the computer industry to concentrate on writing and the study of medieval history. A regular speaker at library and literary events, he is a past Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association. He lives with his wife, children, and dogs in northern Dartmoor. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DRF2GH96
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boldwood Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 25, 2025
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.6 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 402 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1837032556
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 3 ‏ : ‎ The Vintaine
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 2,022 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Michael Jecks

Michael Jecks

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After thirteen years in the computer industry, I decided I needed a change.

Since 1995 and The Last Templar, I have been a full-time author. In the last thirty years I have written some fifty two novels, six novellas, a series of collaborative novels, including The Sinking Admiral with the Detection Club, and the Medieval Murderers stories, one "How To" book, Howdunit, also with the Detection Club, and multiple short stories.

What else? Well, in 2007 I was proud to be asked to collaborate with Conway Stewart to produce the Michael Jecks fountain pen. Other honours include being invited as the International Guest of Honour at the Bloody Words gala 2014 - and being the Grand Master of the first parade of the 2014 Mardi Gras in New Orleans!

You can follow me on Twitter/X at @michaeljecks, on facebook, Bluesky and Instagram and Youtube where I'm writerlywitterings, or you can go to my website for information on my books and events coming up or sign up for my newsletter.

I hope to see you there.

Happy reading!

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
2,022 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise the book's historical accuracy, particularly its superb background and wealth of detail. Moreover, the writing quality receives positive feedback for its great characterization.

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Historical accuracyWriting qualityCharacter development
19 customers mention "Historical accuracy"19 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the historical accuracy of the book, describing it as great historical fiction with interesting reading about the time period and superb historical background.

"...development, relationships, ebbs and flows, consistency, climactic parts and resolution, tick tick tick, all great...." Read more

"...wrong though, while Jecks is a good author and is fairly knowledgeable about the Hundred Years War, read this only AFTER you've read Bernard Cornwell..." Read more

"...I loved the story of the cannons and the "guynner" who cared for and fired them...." Read more

"...the perspective of the common fighting men, great characters, incredible action, plenty of twists and turns...." Read more

17 customers mention "Writing quality"17 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its great characterization and wealth of detail, with one customer highlighting its outstanding descriptions.

"...It sets the scene nicely, as does his thoughts and interaction with young Ed, a probable, but useful, mascot...." Read more

"...Don't get me wrong though, while Jecks is a good author and is fairly knowledgeable about the Hundred Years War, read this only AFTER you've read..." Read more

"...and I found to much of the same a bit tedious, but the characterization seemed reasonable, especially the PTSD attacks the archers suffered...." Read more

"...robust characters, turn into great detail about events, and written a book on war. If you’re interested in medieval battles, this is the book for you." Read more

9 customers mention "Character development"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book.

"...Pace, character development, relationships, ebbs and flows, consistency, climactic parts and resolution, tick tick tick, all great...." Read more

"...He’s round it out robust characters, turn into great detail about events, and written a book on war...." Read more

"...Fast paced, told from the perspective of the common fighting men, great characters, incredible action, plenty of twists and turns...." Read more

"...I did like the description of the main characters and the description of the battles...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Judith Plumpton
    5.0 out of 5 stars And reading Heaven.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I loved this book. I am highly interested in this period of history so it was easy for me to pick it up and start reading. Initially I thought it was a bit slow and one dimensional, bit a few chapters in and I was hooked. Never before have I read such a detailed account of the lead up to the battle of Crecy and such a minute by minute description of the battle itself. I felt what it was like to be in throng following Edward the third, as he swept then trudged through France, burning and looting, trying to bring the reluctant French king Phillipe to battle. I felt what it was to be one of the ventine of English archers, cocks of the walk, full of swagger and awful skill. But there are others in the long line of followers as well. The foot sloggers, the donkey(a young boy who fetched and carried for the archers), women who were following their man or "army wives". I loved the story of the cannons and the "guynner" who cared for and fired them. There were celebratory times when they looted their easy conquests, other times of facing dire justice from the king, and almost starved before wading through the mud to Edwards final choice of battlefield when the French finally came out from behind their walls to face the English. We all know how the battle ended but I wish the book hadn't ended. I am keenly waiting for his follow up book, the second of a trilogy I believe. Do hurry up Michael Jacks!
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Carl
    4.0 out of 5 stars While no Cornwell, Jecks excels in historical fiction
    Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A very interesting read. It took me some time to get used to Jecks' writing style (specifically the use of nicknames rather than given names and therefore not knowing who some of the historical characters actually were for a time) but overall it was very good.

    Don't get me wrong though, while Jecks is a good author and is fairly knowledgeable about the Hundred Years War, read this only AFTER you've read Bernard Cornwell's quartet of HYW novels. Cornwell, to me, has by far the better grasp of history; but that doesn't mean Jecks is not good. It is simply comparing very different writing styles and, truly, very different novels.

    I'm a medievalist who specializes in the literature and history of the Hundred Years War so perhaps I am simply being a bit picky about style and historiocity here. Whatever the case may be, I can only read Cornwell so many times and Jecks seems to be a worthy successor.

    While I have read nothing by Jecks previously (like I said, the HYW is my specialty, not the Crusades), I plan on following this trilogy to the end as I've already picked up Blood on the Sand, the second novel.
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  • Melissa AKA LoneCreatureTM
    5.0 out of 5 stars I'm really looking to reading more…
    Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Fields of Glory

    Wow. I've learnt with Michael's stories to curb my curiosity and let the story and characters unfold and I am never disappointed with when and how this happens. I tend to read before bedtime and I'm usually reluctant to read realistic pieces, particularly regarding historic wars, at this time. But as it turned out I read it over a weekend and then a few nights during the week without nightmares. There's realism and then there's fiction realism — Michael knows how to deliver without glorifying or gore—ifying.

    It is pretty evident Michael is an experienced author and knows his subject. His research is evident but not dumped in the book but it weaves in nicely with the characters, who are developed well, and the scenes. Anyway, the story begins on the 12 July 1346 and we're introduced to Berenger who is cursing on a ship. It sets the scene nicely, as does his thoughts and interaction with young Ed, a probable, but useful, mascot. There is a rough tough affection between Berenger's men. This shines through as we live and feel the conflict of the war, the orders they must obey, their internal conflicts and conflicts within their own group. What is also evident is their loyalty to each other, and at times the tough 'love'.

    Pace, character development, relationships, ebbs and flows, consistency, climactic parts and resolution, tick tick tick, all great.

    I actually felt I was one of them…trudging along, grumbling, following orders…
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Harry7
    3.0 out of 5 stars Disjointed
    Reviewed in Australia on February 6, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    An interesting take on a famous (infamous?) English chevauchee into France and its historic battle at Crecy but spoiled by a writing style that flits between characters and situations like a butterfly. A good portrayal of a fighting team and its mixed set of characters, although sometimes descending into a degree of blood and gore that seems a touch gratuitous. I looked forward to this tale but it fell short of the mark.
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  • Lampwicke
    5.0 out of 5 stars Superb medieval read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 15, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Really enjoyed reading this book. How dreadful it must have been back in those days fight with sword and arrows. Recommended
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  • JPS
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Crécy campaign
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 21, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is an exciting and griping book to read, even if the topic – the campaign leading up to the battle of Crecy, and the battle itself – is hardly original. The focus on the “English” archer is not original either. Both have already been “done” by Bernard Cornwell (with his Harlequin series), among others.

    The story of the English invasion and of its very destructive “chevauchée” across Normandy is well-told and generally well-researched, with the various clashes, and the storming of Caen in particular, being quite griping. The murdering, raping and pillaging is unfortunately quite accurate. This king of ravaging was quite deliberate. It was encouraged by the magnates and the King and was a typical and fairly standard tactic during the most of the Middle Ages. As shown in the book, and in addition to allowing the troops to loot, the purpose was to provoke the enemy and force them to give battle or, should they fail to oblige, to destroy part of their economic resources and show their subjects that their lords were unable to protect them and unwilling to fight for them. For the English King and claimant to the French throne, of course, this would also help portray his rival “Philippe of Valois” as unworthy and unfit to rule.

    Another interesting point is the description of the archers’ various origins, starting with the hero’s (the vintenier or commander of twenty) own background. Most of them, if not all, are presented as running away from their past, with a least some of them having a rather unsavoury one, including murder. Volunteering for the King’s army to serve abroad in the war in France is clearly shown as a way of escaping, a refuge of sorts for those who no longer fitting in for various reasons, but also as a way to make a living through both pay and plunder. Needless to say, it is rather difficult to believe that they did not take part in the ravaging, raping and murdering entailed by the “chevauchée”. This is particularly the case of the hero, a twenty-year veteran, who comes across as a somewhat unlikely (for the 14th century) “compassionate killer”.

    There are two additional points which I found somewhat questionable and/incredible. One was the speed with which wounds tend to heal in the story. This is particularly the case of Beranger (the hero) who, at one point, receives a crossbow bolt in the shoulder and is back fighting in the field a mere dozen of days later.

    Another inconsistency is the idea that the whole campaign went according to Edward III’s plan. The author even tries to reinforce this idea by having Sir John de Sully and Berenger remember the field of Crecy and remember how this would make an ideal battlefield to defeat the French army. In addition to being pure fiction, it is also hard to believe that they would remember a field they had passed some sixteen years before on their way towards the south and in completely different circumstances.

    In fact, and although Edward III’s campaign did end with the victory of Crecy, the campaign did not at all go according to plan. The initial ravaging of Normandy was intended to force the French King to give battle before he could gather all his (vastly superior) forces. This failed because the French army was not drawn in and, anyway, it took longer than expected to gather. The fact was that when the somewhat depleted and tired English army got to Rouen, it found the city well-defended with the much larger French army on the other side of the Seine. From then one, the English army was in trouble. It could not turn back because it had comprehensively ravaged the rest of Normandy which could therefore not supply it and its way towards the north and friendly Flanders was blocked by the Seine, and then by the Somme.

    The author does show rather well how the English army managed to outwit the French to cross the Seine. He also shows how lucky it was to be able to finish crossing the Somme very shortly before the French forces came up behind it. After that, and with the much larger French forces closing in, the tired and hungry English army had no alternative than to make a stand on the first favourable battlefield that they could find or get caught - and probably slaughtered - by the French heavy cavalry while on the march.

    Finally, the description of the battle itself does show and make all of the essential points, even if the numbers may be a bit questionable.
    The numbers have been disputed by historians for decades, along with just about everything else. While it is very likely that the English army initially had some fifteen thousand combatants altogether with about two-thirds of archers, the numbers present at Crecy would likely have been much reduced (by perhaps as much as third) through losses, desertions and garrisons left behind. Also, it is unlikely that the French forces exceeded thirty to forty thousand. This number, however, is quite misleading because at least half was feudal levy infantry of doubtful quality which did not take part in the battle.

    The English army fought a defensive battle. There is little else it could have done anyway and neither the soldiers nor the King are likely to have been as optimistic as the author makes them out to be, although the later had done just about everything he could to even the odds. The overconfident and ill-disciplined French, however, threw away just about all of the advantages they had. The French nobles forced their (somewhat weak) King to give battle straight away after having marched most of the day (the battle started around 4 pm) rather than listening to the sounder advice of his marshals. Then came the episode of the six thousand Genoese crossbowmen which is also well shown by the author and, finally, they threw away their main advantage – mobility and their ability to attack from several sides – through repeated frontal charges up the sloop against the English archers and men-at-arms who were waiting for them at the top. They could also have waited until the next day, or even blockaded the hungry English forces. Instead, they played right into their hands and gave them the first of their stunning victories against the odds.

    Four stars for an exciting and well documented read, despite the glitches. There are a number of accessible books for those wanting to read more on the historical events. My recommendation is Sumption’s first volume (Trial by Battle) which deals with the first years of the Hundred Years’ War and covers both the Crecy campaign and the siege of Calais which is the topic of the second volume of Berenger’s adventures in France.
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  • George Fieber
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on April 12, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent historical fiction.
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  • Amanda Jones
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another fantastic series from Michael Jecks
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is the first in an amazing new trilogy by Michael Jecks - he also wrote the fantastic series about an ex-Knight Templar. This trilogy covers King Edward III's campaigns to claim the French throne (to which he had a good claim in fact, but as an English King no practical chance of getting).

    Jecks' books are always good - he manages to combine the real humanity of his characters, without making them 21st century people in funny clothes. This is a great example of that, with a good plot, interesting characters, and an impressive but not ostentatious historical accuracy.
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