Without being a ‘poor relation’, Froissart's Second Book has to date received relatively less attention from critics, editors and translators than either the First, Third or Fourth Books. Anthologies usually include a few extracts from chapters recounting the Flemish Revolt and its suppression; this is partly because they are so dramatically written, but also because they still constitute an acknowledged source of information about the events of 1378–85. A partial translation into Modern French was published some ten years ago under the title Chroniques de Flandre, de Hainaut et d'Artois au temps de la Guerre de Cent Ans. This offers no more than sixty pages’ coverage of events in Flanders between 1380 and 1382, but the editors are to be commended for pointing out that, however partial Froissart's depiction of events in the Low Countries may be, he contrives to adopt such a wide range of viewpoints that essential aspects of the conflict are constantly placed before the reader. They also remind us that Froissart evinces considerable sympathy here for the rebels of Ghent. Worried that modern Flemish readers might take umbrage at the amount of space allotted in this edition to the tragedy of Roosebeke, the author of the Avant-Propos (F. Suard) proffers the following reassurance:

It is refreshing to read Monique Sommé's reminder that Froissart ‘ne put exercer ses activités d’écrivain que grâce à l'appui de protecteurs qui, tous, avaient des liens étroits avec la puissante maison comtale du Hainaut’ (‘was only able to exercise his skills as a writer thanks to the support afforded by patrons who all enjoyed close links with the powerful comital house of Hainault’).