{"title":"Phil Bradford","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into the gripping thrillers of Phil Bradford, master of suspense and intrigue. Perfect for fans of Lee Child and Mark Dawson, discover his page-turning novels and unearth every dark secret.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"worst-medieval-monarchs-book-phil-bradford-9781399083058","title":"The Worst Medieval Monarchs","description":"Stephen. John. Edward II. Richard II. Richard III. These five are widely viewed as the worst of England's medieval kings. Certainly, their reigns were not success stories. Two of these kings lost their thrones, one only avoided doing so by dying, another was killed in battle, and the remaining one had to leave his crown to his opponent. All have been seen as incompetent, their reigns blighted by civil war and conflict. They tore the realm apart, failing in the basic duty of a king to ensure peace and justice. For that, all of them paid a heavy price. As well as incompetence, some also have reputations for cruelty and villainy, More than one has been portrayed as a tyrant. The murder of family members and arbitrary executions stain their reputations. All five reigns ended in failure. As a result, the kings have been seen as failures themselves, the worst examples of medieval English kingship. They lost their reputations as well as their crowns.  Yet were these five really the worst men to wear the crown of England in the Middle Ages? Or has history treated them unfairly? This book looks at the stories of their lives and reigns, all of which were dramatic and often unpredictable. It then examines how they have been seen since their deaths, the ways their reputations have been shaped across the centuries. The standards of their own age were different to our own. How these kings have been judged has changed over time, sometimes dramatically. Fiction, from Shakespeare's plays to modern films, has also played its part in creating the modern picture. Many things have created, over a long period, the negative reputations of these five. Today, they have come to number among the worst kings of English history. Is this fair, or should they be redeemed?  That is the question this book sets out to answer.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49750207496465,"sku":"NGR9781399083058","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52470288417041,"sku":"GOR014533287","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1399083058.jpg?v=1751271714"},{"product_id":"best-kings-of-the-middle-ages-book-phil-bradford-9781399087278","title":"The Best Kings of the Middle Ages","description":"Henry II. Richard I. Edward I. Edward III. Henry V. Five men seen as success stories of Medieval English kingship. Three inherited tarnished crowns and restored their glory. Legal reformers and warriors, they ruled over widespread lands for decades, upholding justice, expanding their authority and changing their realms. Two others are the most famous of warrior kings, their short reigns encompassing crusades and legendary victories. Contemporary writers often waxed lyrical about them as ideals of kingship. Many modern writers have been similarly enthusiastic.  Is this justified? Alongside the story of success are other narratives, ones showing these kings in a more ambiguous light. We have the murder of archbishops, the massacre and expulsion of religious minorities, actions in battles and sieges, which today we would see as war crimes. Claims for their greatness sit uneasily with darker moments and legacies which challenge how we approach their reputations today.  This book looks at the lives of these kings and how those reputations have been shaped across the centuries, from medieval contemporaries to the modern day, in both history and fiction. Having weighed the evidence, it seeks to determine the answer to the question: were these really great kings, the best monarchs of the Middle Ages?","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52518738919697,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52518739050769,"sku":"NIN9781399087278","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}]}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/de-de\/collections\/autor-buecher-von-phil-bradford.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}