The Plantagenets: The Kings Who Made England

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This book ends with Henry IV taking power and initiating the divide in the monarchy that would become the Wars of the Roses, the subject of Jones' next book. That Richard II was a poor king is undoubted, but Henry of Bolingbroke could not have envisioned the course that he had set his family upon when he determined that right to kingship came from ability rather than solely bloodline. Fair cousin, since it pleases you, it pleases us well," said Richard. Then he formally surrendered himself to his cousin. He and Salisbury were given two very poor horses to ride, and they set out with Bolingbroke, under armed guard, for Chester. The castle was no longer the military stronghold of a paranoid king but his prison.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Some chapters, as I said above, really held my interest but others didn’t really engage me. I was disappointed to discover that Jones was often very biased, his love or hate for the monarch in question was really obvious. John is described as a ‘delinquent’, Henry III ‘feather brained’ and Edward II as ‘England’s worst ever king’; sweeping, judgmental statements I found very off putting and made it seem as though Jones literally hated these kings (perhaps he does, and that's his right, but I like my books a bit more neutral). I especially found with Edward II there was no attempt at all to be neutral; he was even blamed for the failings of Richard II. On the other hand, Edward III and Richard II’s chapters were very good reading. The author certainly knows his stuff where these two monarchs are concerned, but, more importantly, he seems to like them and to want to tell their stories. I think that made all the difference to the reading experience, for me. a tall, bumptious teenager [who] liked to wear a sprig of bright yellow broom blossom (Planta genista in Latin) in his hair...Despite all this [his bride, Henry I's daughter] Mathilda was underwhelmed. Geoffrey was eleven years her junior, and Normans saw Angevins as barbarians who murdered priests, desecrated churches, and had appalling table manners. As Jones shows, the men and women in The Plantagenets were playing a very high stakes game, and the consequences of failure could be quite steep. Meanwhile, the ordinary people of the realm, the unnamed and faceless masses who served as mere pawns in this life-sized chess match, remain unfortunately hidden from our view.I would have loved to learn more about the powerful spouses and confidants behind each reign, but this book has done well in whetting my appetite for more. Combined with some of the other histories I've read, I've come to one firm conclusion: never, ever name a prospective British monarch "Arthur." He won't make it to his twenties. It's actually impressive how many Arthurs have failed to make it to the throne. In writing this volume, Mr. Jones has done an excellent job of recounting the events that both led to the House of Plantagenet and the events that occurred in the approximately 250 years that they ruled England. He has a very reader friendly writing style and this book is written for a general audience. He does not footnote, but has a fairly extensive bibliography/recommended reading list following the text.

Richard the Lionhearted," who rebelled against his old man, then took his crown upon Henry's death, then went off crusading in the Holy Lands, leading England to be ruined by his younger brother, King John, who was openly treasonous and by all accounts a coward and a weasel pretty much his entire life. And yet, when Richard returned, he forgave his brother, and John assumed the throne after his death. This wasn't great for England. Richard is the Robin Hood guy. He also exchanged correspondence with his arch-rival in Jerusalem, Saladin, but the two never actually met, counter to various historical fantasies. The publishers have managed to stamp the book with the imprimatur of some impressive heavyweights, including David Starkey and Simon Sebag-Montefiore. These things always seem slightly over the top to me - clearly solicited in advance rather than drawn from a published review - , almost hysterical in their approbation. The latter, for example, describes The Plantagenets as ‘outstanding’, a judgement echoed by Helen Castor, the best-selling author of She Wolves. (It must be so: it says so on the cover!)

I don't think a single Plantagenet died without a certain amount of dramatic irony, or some variety of contention over the succession. Also interesting is how Jones points out that the bloody violence we associate with the Tudors began with a few pivotal executions during this time period that forever changed the way the monarchy interacted with the peers of the realm. This book also makes obviously clear that the Plantagenet rulers as a collective were key players (not always willingly) in the idea that “the king should govern within his own laws and with the advice of the worthiest men of his kingdom.” of the most beautiful and powerful men and women of England and Normandy board The White Ship to travel from Normandy to England. They are exuberantly drunk, and the crew of the ship is also three sheets to the wind. Out of all of these important people, there is one who is head and shoulders more important than the rest...William the Aetheling, named for his grandfather William the Conqueror. He is the heir apparent to the throne of England.

Norman England might be said to have died that night also; for the drowned included William Adelin. The grandson of William the Conqueror, he was the only surviving legitimate son and heir of Henry I. Henry, who was to rule for another fifteen years after the tragedy, had no choice but to leave the throne to his daughter, Matilda, a kind of forlorn hope in a militant male-dominated world. And so it proved. No sooner had the king died than the throne was seized by Stephen of Blois, Matilda's cousin, ushering in a long period of civil war, known subsequently as the Anarchy.Guttman, Robert (2014). "Book Review: The Plantagenets, by Dan Jones". HistoryNet. World History Group . Retrieved 16 August 2020. As far as I could tell, every Plantagenet story has a fitting twist to the tale. For example, take the story of Stephen and Matilda (well, Empress Matilda. Confusingly, there are at least four important Matildas in the full story). When Henry I realized he had no male heir, he chose his daughter Matilda as his successor. After all, she was already an empress and an experienced administrator, even if she did have the undeniable character flaw of being female. Henry I, sensing storms ahead, made all his barons swear fealty to his daughter Matilda--twice. Even so, as soon as he died, Cousin Stephen stepped in, and, being male, promptly swayed the lords to his banner. After a decades-long civil war, Matilda retreated to France--and sent over her son, Henry II, who had the sterling qualifications of not only being the rightful heir, but also of being male. After a few brief and decisive victories, Stephen was forced to take the humiliating course of naming Henry II as heir over his own children. He died knowing his attempt at dynasty had failed, and that Matilda's long game had paid out. Even though the Tudors are known for their drama-filled (albeit, somewhat short) dynasty; there was already a family making waves before them: the Plantagenets. Dan Jones explains those historical figures who paved the road for England in, “The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England”.