Henry V, "the first real English king," had a short but remarkable life. At 14 he was "already a dangerous seducer and fighter." At 28 he had won his great victory at Agincourt. At 35 he was dead, worn out by his own ambition. Here in a grand historical novel, is the story of his life, "a splendid full-scale portrait of a mighty man."
- "A book one hates to put down...the
people live." -Granville Hicks, *New York Times Book Review*
- "Martha Rofheart has used her historical knowledge and her creative imagination to give us a splendid full-scale portrait of a mighty man."
-Gilbert Highet, *The Book of the Month Club News*, Feb. 1971
- "One of the year's best historical novels." -*Boston Herald Traveler*
- "Marvelous feeling and flavor...remarkable...a marvelous story." -*Providence Journal*
- "Dazzling...a sort of literary son et lumiere". -Mollie Panter-Downes
**Fortune Made His Sword** is spellbinding reading, and the picture Martha Rofheart paints of the hero-king, Henry V, is totally hypnotic in it's appeal. The book brings Henry magically to life in a multifaceted novel filled with turmoil, violence and romance, and it marks the debut of a major new talent in the arena of historical fiction.
This is an entertaining and skillful recreation of the life and times of a man whose charm and military genius -- and concern for his subjects -- made him one of the most popular kings in English history. The story brings to life not only the man, but one of the most fantastic periods in the fifteenth century.
Among the last of the great medieval rulers and the first of the ardent nation builders, Henry V is seen from several perspectives: his queen; his beautiful Welsh mistress, Morgan; his court jester, the fool; a comrade-in-arms; and his own point of view as both boy and man.
As actors in this immense drama, they illuminate the many sides of Henry V's personality -- the devil-may-care prince portrayed by Shakespeare, the bold hero of Agincourt, the husband of Katherine of Valois, and the warrior-peacemaker who welded England, Wales and France into a single kingdom.
**FORTUNE MADE HIS SWORD** will prove a compelling reading experience for everyone who enjoys a good story told with felicity and a fine regard for historical accuracy.
