Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
This intriguing book illuminates England's great Angevin dynasty through a series of chapters focusing on the experiences of one man or woman, well known or obscure, who became embroiled in events when Henry II, Richard I, and John were kings.
Synopsis
This intriguing book tells the story of England's great medieval Angevin dynasty in an entirely new way. Departing from the usual king-centric narrative, Richard Huscroft instead centers each of his chapters on the experiences of a particular man or woman who contributed to the broad sweep of events. Whether noble and brave or flawed and fallible, each participant was struggling to survive in the face of uncontrollable forces. Princes, princesses, priests, heroes, relatives, friends, and others--some well known and others obscure--all were embroiled in the drama of historic events.
Under Henry II and his sons Richard I (the Lionheart) and John, the empire rose to encompass much of the British Isles and the greater part of modern France, yet it survived a mere fifty years. Huscroft deftly weaves together the stories of individual lives to illuminate the key themes of this exciting and formative era.