Although we share a profession, my first encounter with Jonathan Sumption and his work came through a mutual love of late-medieval history, nurtured at different times in the same Oxford college. Noting my interest, my newly wed wife bought me the first volume of his work on the Hundred Years’ War to read on honeymoon. Both the honeymoon and the book were a delight, and I have remained happily married and a fan of this masterpiece of narrative history ever since. We recently celebrated our thirtieth wedding anniversary but she is still waiting for the last volume to come out.
