Philip Augustus: King of France 1180-1223

Jim Bradbury offers a view of Philip's many different relationships -- with the Angevians, with his vassals, with the French church, with the papacy, with his two wives and his mistress Agnes of Meran, with his fellow crusaders, and his fellow rulers -- as well as an insight into the nature of monarchy in the central Middle Ages.

The shrewdness and military skill shrewdness of Philip Augustus (king of France 1180-1223) transformed the kingdom of France from a minor domain into one of the preeminent powers in Europe, and created the basis for the expansion of Capetian power into all areas of France and French life over the century that followed. Bradbury's work fills an important gap left by previous detailed works based on the extensive historical literature: it is the only book on this seminal king suitable for those needing an introduction to the subject, or who have limited background knowledge.