The Battle of Crecy 1346 | Hundred Years War [Episode 4] 

This is the one I’ve been waiting for. I managed to con, persuade, my wife into stopping off at Poitiers and Crecy on a drive from Bordeaux to Calais in the summer of 21. She doesn’t see the appeal of a muddy field like we do. It felt incredible to stand in the tower, built on the site of Edward’s windmill, and play the battle out in my mind.

Outstanding story from a master storyteller. A very engaging insight into medieval history. Thank you

Am so glad I found this channel. I was raised by my grandfather who committed suicide when I was 12. Am 42 now and finding Mr Hicks was like finding my grandfather. Mr. Hicks reminds me of my grandfather so much even though my grandfather wasn’t English. Thank you so much Mr. Hicks from Kentucky.

Kevin, you make us proud to be English with your wonderful storytelling and keen eye to historical accuracy. Thank you.

It's finally here! I've been refreshing the page every 5 minutes for 3 weeks.

I decided to watch this video because the Queen just died. I’m American, but I still hold her in high esteem. She was the Queen my whole life and I’m not a young man. This will be a big change I feel.

that was so engaging - loved the map and all the figures. A very well done team Hicks :-)

Really goes to show what a great commander Edward the 3rd was. From last video, King Philip wanted a pitched battle on his terms near Paris, but Edward refused, got away, resupplied and found a place on his own terms, that suited his army best, and reviewed all the troops and placed them himself. What a incredible tactician in the face of losing it all

My favorite telling of this event that I've seen on RU-vid, I can feel your pride in our heritage as well as reverence for what happened. Enjoying going through and binging your videos!

History was my favorite class in school growing up, but if this man was my teacher, I would have loved it even more

Something about the way you recount the stories brings it to life. Stories from so long ago often feel like fairytale, so it's nice to be able to picture it and see the people as actual people!

Thank you for covering that steep cliff or cut, on the French right. So many presenters, writers and historians never mention it at all. It is crucial as to why the French charged the way they did. Great presentation! Cheers!

Kevin Hicks, has there ever been a better storyteller and student of history, I think not. From the first I ever saw him I could not wait for his next video. Kuddos, BRAVO, BRAVO! KEEP THEM COMING!! The miniatures really helped carry the day! Thank you so much.

I'm in Tennessee and I've always been fascinated by knights and the medieval era. Your discriptions of and zeal for English history brings the past out of the musty pages of vague knowledge into the present as seemingly current events. Thank you

And the moral of the story is, don’t rush into something you have no idea about. What a brutal loss for the French. Thank you kindly for sharing this.

You are an amazing storyteller Kevin and it strikes me how the french didn't learn their lesson from an earlier battle called '' The Battle of the Golden Spurs '' in Flanders 1302 . Keep up the good work.

Another great video. I understand that horses had to be used for war in those days and in all centuries of history. What I find impossible to forgive is the absolutely stupid way cavalry have been used, especially during the 100 Years War. If they had been used properly their slaughter would have been so much smaller and the loss of human life as well. These wonderful creatures deserve better.

I'm off to see Dan Jones do a talk about his new book, Essex Dogs, about a group of Essex soldiers, travelling through France en route to Crecy, in a few weeks, so this video is invaluable. Cheers, Kevin!!

This is a really good telling of the battle of Crecy. This really reinforces the fact that battlefield awareness if very important. The French in this case acted without knowing the enemy's position or situation. When engagement occurs they have no idea what is going on and instead keep sending men into the fog of war. A huge tactical mistake.

I enjoy your videos so much! You surely know your history and are an excellent story teller. I am a history buff myself. My family are descended from Edward 111. I agree that he was a brilliant soldier and an equally brilliant King! Thank you for teaching the viewers about history. Please keep your videos coming1

Ah YES !!! The 1st REALLY good video on the battle of Crecy on RU-vid. Husah ! I am positively thrilled. And the story telling is compelling, as always. Happy me, cheers !

Waited for minis to arrive and paint them, just for one battle, that’s true dedication and love put into this, which makes your channel such fun to watch

If Cresey has one lesson for a modern commander, it's the stunning value of good reconnaissance & resource management.

I've just discovered this gem of a channel and I feel as if you bring something totally different to storytelling here, engaging would be an understatement!!

Kevin does a superb job telling the story! Really glad I discovered this channel. 10/10!

Great dioramas as well as storytelling in these series.

Ripping good tale. I am learning more English history from RU-vid than in school.

Perry miniatures are such great sculptors. Loved their minis from back in the days when they were at Games Workshop. Now with their own historical range too.

In the United States we learn the bare minimum about European history. Tour Channel shows me the personal side, the thoughts and the tactics of each battle. I Love knowing these things. I pray God will continue to bless you and your channel

The way you tell these stories makes them very interesting. I appreciate your attention to accurate detail. Cheers sir and God bless!

I really wish you was my history teacher Kevin I love your story telling. Top noch videos.

Love your history story telling Kevin. Sadly some things never change.

I love Medieval history.

Master story teller. I did not realize, story's could be told in such a way. I always heard the story of the master story teller insted.

Love your Channel. Listen to it every night. I love history so much I’m about to get my PhD in it soon. It’s interesting because my great Ancestors are from Normandy, starting with Geoffrey de Lucey during the Norman Invasion of 1066. We have a family book called “The Lucy Millennium”. I was reading through it and saw where my ancestor Sir William Lucy of Warwick fought and died at Crecy in the Princes contingent, he was shot in the armpit by a crossbow bolt, he died some days later. My ancestral line extends deeply throughout English history and I traced it back to a Thomas Lucy of Charlecote park. I do not have any Scottish or Irish ancestry, very much English. Some ancestors eventually migrated to Virginia in 1627 and we have been in Brunswick County ever since. I can honestly say that it’s rare you have a bloodline last so long and have documents and primary evidence to back it up. It’s also rare considering the Lucy’s fought in many horrible wars for and against the British ex. (1775-1781), I still visit every so often to my ancestral homeland. I find it funny that my first documented ancestor invaded from Normandy, then reinvaded during the 100 Years War on many occasions, then invaded again in 1944 with my 2 Great uncles (William and Harvey) to liberate France. So a very very brief history from your old colonial cousin across the pond. 😉 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸

Edward used castle tactics with his lines: overlapping fields of fire and forcing them into narrow corridors of attack…the man transformed fighting in an immovable building into a movable tactic that protected both sides of his lines

Your narrating capabilities are beyond belief Mr. Hicks! Your ability to captivate the audience with nuanced details and historical fact. I am mesmerized! I could listen to these stories all day.

Thank you from England !

Bravo! You are a wonderful 'raconteur', it is such a pleasure to sit back and watch your presentations. I've loved medieval history since before I could even read, oh how I wish I could have seen videos like these when I was young, I would have loved them even more than I do today. Thank you for all the obvious hard work you put into your videos.

You should narrate D&D games, srsly your type of story telling is simply the best!

Great job as usual. You are a gifted storyteller! It makes history that much more fun.

Fantastic video and amazing model. Many thanks for the dedication and kindness to put in so much effort.

I didn't know the story of the Battle of Crécy before watching this video just now. Thanks, you told the tale well.

This man could read the directions on a package of toilet paper and I would still be captivated and immersed by the tale he's telling

Edward certainly understood terrain. I always thought he was a great tactician but your explanations shows how truly brilliant he was…savage and incredibly cold hearted, but brilliant. And reviewing the entire army? The impact that must of had on morale. Those poor Genoese bowmen…betrayal by an idiot commander. He certainly paid for his egoism…too bad he took so many with him. I’ve never fully undrstood this battle until you explained it.

You bring battles to life like no one else, I can hear and see them play out as you describe them. Love your passion and really enjoying your videos!

Man this is brilliant

Thank you for all that you do for us. Your videos as well as your personality are truly wonderful and entertaining. Thank you from Ontario! 🇨🇦

Really enjoying this series; you bring it all to life so well. Looking forward to the rest of the series, and then the rest! Thankyou.

what a genius strategy to dig holes to stop the horses

Great narration. I have stood on the actual line of battle. It is amazing why the French actually wanted to ride up the steep hill in the first place.

Warren Ellis and Raulo Caceres have a comic about this battle called Crecy and it's a fantastic short read.

Excellent narration, Kevin. Think I'll replay it but with a cold brew to hand!

This channel deserves more subscribers.

Good for Edward - time spent on a recce is never time wasted.

Loved the Perry-Miniatures as a visual representation of that battle, your style of storytelling always makes me want to know more.

Wow Kevin, wonderful presentation. These videos could be an hour long and still be utterly captivating start to finish, although I'm sure the time and effort for you on that type of presentation would be fatiguing. Thanks so much for your efforts. God bless, Rob

I love hearing about history and the great battles and strategies thanks your a great story teller

Great storytelling, really liked how you showed it on the map. Would you be willing to cover Mercenaries and their work during medieval times? For some reason I find that field quite interesting

What a scenic and comforting siege with meals and thorough organization

I'm late to this party but I'm enjoying catching up! It sounds like Edward had topological maps and a weather app!

Great presentation! "The sky turned black..." - just epic ; ] Thumbs ups folks like english bowmans :)

Let’s get this guy to 100k Followers

Thank you again for this interesting and very lively history lesson! Hard to believe that the French made such serious mistakes.

A very informative description of the battle, Kevin. I appreciate all your hard work in preparing the demonstration for us - there is nothing quite like a visual stimulus to fix the chronology in one's mind. Most enjoyable!

Superb history lesson, great storytelling. Must of been horrific in these battles- clearly feel for the soldiers that lose their lives and the animals of course.

Another excellent video. What an absolute treat it is to watch these historical breakdowns of context and strategy, so fascinating. When you started describing the slaughter of those French crossbow men, I was reeling trying to imagine what it would have been like to be caught in that. I’m surprised the French knights charged as many times as they did without reconsidering their strategy, hindsight is of course 20/20, but you’d think NO ONE coming back from any of the attacks would be a red flag. Easy for me to say in my office chair lol. Wonderful job, per usual!

Carts plus plus, horses smiths, baggage, all kinds of logistics to put an army together

I wish that I had this man as a History teacher when I was growing up.

Kev made another model. We love your models, Kevin

What an amazing account of a great battle! Why wasn't history told like this at school...I would have paid attention instead of looking out the window 🙄

This is the best..

Loved you talking about this battle. But my gateway into the history of the 100 years war I reckon to have been reading Bernard Cornwell's historical novels about the Thomas the archer (there are 4 of them I think) and playing Medieval 2 TW back in the day. Great series, sir. Cheers!

like standing in the center of the english lines, hearing the cries and smelling the blood - thanks a bunch for the enthraling way of telling. take care Ralf

Grim viewing, to say the least. I DID like the map towards the end of the video. That was VERY helpful.

That story sounds like coming around a corner I a sheet of ice only to find a pile of cars and no time to stop.

Love the story time! I wish I had a history teacher of that quality in high school

Thanks Kevin, another wonderful explanation of the battle. 😁👌👌👏👏👏❤️

WOW! What a great model of the battle you've made!!!❤

Greetings once again from nova Scotia, that was great! I think you are a BORN teacher....very well done, thank you for another great video, and thank you for your time and attention to this comment. Best regards Arthur

Thank you Kev n squad ❤

This is so fascinating, but dammit those poor horses!

I have just discovered your channel & enjoy it very much and the passion you put into the story telling. Edward III was indeed a great king and master tactician. The only sad story in his rein is that Edward Prince of Wales never got to show his metal as king.

Here here on king Edward. Bloody brilliant on his part. Thanks for sharing Kevin. Cheers

I love when you use a pointer it gives me chills its quite nice I also really love the kebab stick characters

So glad I found your RU-vid channel! Love hearing your stories. I've always said the longbow is to the English what the katana is to the Japanese. Subscribed, thanks a bunch 👍

It's like you were actually there! Great and gripping video!

I find that the first use of cannon fire to be fascinating. Would be curious to learn more about that. Where did they get the idea? Who made them? How were they made? Who trained them? How they transported them? How effective they really were?

Thank you Kevin outstanding as always, the fascinating part for me is the story of the Genoese crossbow men, to first endure the enemy's archers 🏹 sheildless then to be turned on by your employer 500 miles from home. Unimaginable! Wow, now that's a bad day at work. If anybody ever needed union representatives it was those poor bastards, sure hope the pay was good ;-)

What an amazing video! Even though this is probably my favorite battle ever, i'm still italian and i'm sorry for what happened to those poor Genoese ... Anyway thanks Kevin for your passion in telling us history in this way.

Just a rewatch after listening to Bernard Cornwell's Harlequin and the battle of Crecy

thrilling kevin. thank yew. gary

Love the way you tell these stories

Can you imagine fighting and surviving such battles, then knowing there will be more ahead! Was there such a thing as PTSD back then?

Kevin you got me with that Surgeon video :D, love to listen to your storys!

You are the man excellent stuff 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Oh my goodness, its so glad to see you back! Your videos from years ago helped me get into longbows and flintlocks. I love your presentation style!

Totally loving this series!

I was hanging on your every word. Most enjoyable. Thank you.

Your presentations are great, but your models enhance them fivefold. Such great and realistic colors!