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  • Essex Dogs

  • By: Dan Jones
  • Narrated by: Ben Miles
  • Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (309 ratings)
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Essex Dogs cover art

Essex Dogs

By: Dan Jones
Narrated by: Ben Miles
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Summary

Globally bestselling historian Dan Jones makes his historical fiction debut with Essex Dogs, the explosive first instalment in an epic new trilogy set during the Hundred Years War.

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.

©2022 Dan Jones (P)2022 Head of Zeus

Critic reviews

"Jones is certainly an entertainer, but also a fine historian." (The Times)

"When it comes to rip-roaring medieval narratives, Jones has few peers." (Sunday Times)

"Dan Jones writes with pace, wit and insight." (Helen Castor)

What listeners say about Essex Dogs

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A medieval D-Day

Quite a struggle to finish but detail of the way of war in that time was interesting.

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5 people found this helpful

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Amazing

I absolutely loved this story can’t wait for the sequel and hopefully more about the Welshman

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5 people found this helpful

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Cracking!

Put simply, in the style of CORNWELL, a superbly written and read story that entertains and informs, builds characters, weaves history & makes you want the second instalment…

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

An alternate tale

Dan has done well to spin a tale of the forgotten, those who may have lived the battle beyond the banners and chivalry.

The gritty band of brothers paints a vivid story of the life of a mercenary in 1346, the rise and fall of characters from familiar folk tales but with a realism and grit that is seldom seen beyond Spielberg's "saving private Ryan"


An abrupt end and I hope a sequel is underway for our hardened Smith, reluctant commander, errant squire and Welsh friends.

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3 people found this helpful

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Excellent

For lovers of historical "fiction" this is right up there. Fantastic story that keeps you wanting more right till the end. Will definitely be getting the next two when they're out.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Really gripping

It’s a good story well told, and I trust the author’s well known historical expertise, so I am counting this as simultaneously enjoyable and educational. One thing that surprised me was archers and other ordinary soldiers living together in a company; I’d always assumed that archers stuck together as a breed apart.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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You know you want to! Does not disappoint.

Northampton has made it to my list of Historical/Fictional characters from the past you'd invite to a dinner party.

Can really tell the fictional narrative is rooted in historical fact. We're so used to Dan Jones' history books being entertaining, this was always going to be a winner.
How refreshing to have this genre tackled by a historian rather than a novelist.

Sequel 👏🏻 sequel 👏🏻 sequel 👏🏻

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliantly gruesome and thrilling

Exciting, easy to follow and I felt like I was learning about a part of history I didn’t know.
Bought for my dad to listen to but tried it myself and loved it.
Glad there are more!

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Top quality stuff!

If you like your historical fiction as gritty as it is gripping you'll love this book! Very much in the vein so masterfully mined by Bernard Cornwell, Patrick O'Brien and Simon Scarrow, Essex Dogs is a soldier's story told with wit, compassion and intelligence. It features utterly believable characters in a vividly described situation doing and thinking the kind of things ordinary people do and think. The plot isn't perfectly tight; a disagreement with another company on the English side seems a bit superfluous, BUT there is some fantastic characterisations; the Earl of Northampton is so vividly and hiliariously written and performed that he's worth buying this book on his own. Ben Niles does a superb job all round in fact. I loved this!

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Gripping and savage

I was totally hooked. Read beautifully by Ben Miles. Can’t wait for the next instalment. Savage medieval warfare.

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