Cart
Free Shipping in the UK
Proud to be B-Corp

Henry III David Carpenter

Henry III By David Carpenter

Henry III by David Carpenter


£30.00
Condition - Very Good
Out of stock

Summary

The first in a groundbreaking two-volume history of Henry III's rule, from when he first assumed the crown to the moment his personal rule ended

Henry III Summary

Henry III: The Rise to Power and Personal Rule, 1207-1258 by David Carpenter

The first in a groundbreaking two-volume history of Henry III's rule

Professor Carpenter is one of Britain's foremost medievalists. . . . No one knows more about Henry, and a lifetime of scholarship is here poured out, elegantly and often humorously. This is a fine, judicious, illuminating work that should be the standard study of the reign for generations to come.-Dan Jones, Sunday Times

Nine years of age when he came to the throne in 1216, Henry III had to rule within the limits set by the establishment of Magna Carta and the emergence of parliament. Pacific, conciliatory, and deeply religious, Henry brought many years of peace to England and rebuilt Westminster Abbey in honor of his patron saint, Edward the Confessor. He poured money into embellishing his palaces and creating a magnificent court. Yet this investment in soft power did not prevent a great revolution in 1258, led by Simon de Montfort, ending Henry's personal rule.

Eminent historian David Carpenter brings to life Henry's character and reign as never before. Using source material of unparalleled richness-material that makes it possible to get closer to Henry than any other medieval monarch-Carpenter stresses the king's achievements as well as his failures while offering an entirely new perspective on the intimate connections between medieval politics and religion.

Henry III Reviews

[A] monumental, awesome yet highly readable book...Carpenter is the foremost scholar of England's 13th century, and his spectacular erudition shines on every page. . . . Above all, he has narrative gifts that root this history of our medieval country in reality rather than in romance, and makes the lives of our distant forebears feel as comprehensible as our own.-Simon Heffer, Daily Telegraph

Professor Carpenter is one of Britain's foremost medievalists. . . . No one knows more about Henry, and a lifetime of scholarship is here poured out, elegantly and often humorously. This is a fine, judicious, illuminating work that should be the standard study of the reign for generations to come.-Dan Jones, Sunday Times

You are in for a colourful ride. . . . Yale University Press is to be congratulated on allowing Carpenter to explore so many aspects of 13th-century English government at such length. The glorious details-lamprey cooking included-are what make it a pleasure.-Dominic Selwood, Spectator

[A] major new biography.-BBC History Magazine

Carpenter's view of Henry is essentially a benign one: he sees him as a generous and well-meaning man. . . . It is a persuasive view. This is a magisterial biography, authoritative and yet accessible.-Nigel Saul, History Today

[F]ull of good judgment in good prose.-Christopher Howse, Spectator, Books of the Year

A monumental biography . . . written in a blithe and energetic style, its narrative thread tracing the intrigues and intricacies of England's first Plantagenet king.-E. Andrew Darden, Aspects of History

Carpenter's ability to grapple with something so enigmatic as a monarch's character, particularly that of a medieval monarch, is convincing and compelling. . . . Carpenter has crafted something that very many of us can delight in.-Benjamin Linley Wild, Royal Studies Journal

Few biographers of a medieval individual, however, can have got closer to their subject than Professor David Carpenter. . . . Carpenter infuses what will surely become the standard biography of England's longest reigning medieval king with personal insights that add richness, colour and humour to a monumental 763-page study. Indeed, the author's own personality drips from every page as much as that of his subject.-Paul Dryburgh, Mortimer History Society Journal

Carpenter has created a valuable resource for those who wish to advance the scholarship of the period, illuminating new avenues in the study of kingship and thirteenth-century England, through his enduring passion for the topic and considerable expertise. It stands as the most significant modern addition to scholarship on Henry III and to the broader corpus of royal biographies, which will surely inspire others to explore his reign.-Louis Pulford, Journal of Ecclesiastical History of Books

Outstanding. Through sustained scholarship Carpenter provides the reader with all sorts of insights into the decisions and daily experience of this ambitious and complex medieval king.-Michael Clanchy, author of England and its Rulers

This brilliant study by a leading historian of medieval England brings together a lifetime of research in a masterly way. Henry III is treated with humane understanding while his political failings and absence of a proper sense of priorities are emphasised with admirable clarity. Vivid and highly readable, this is a book of major significance.-Michael Prestwich, author of Edward I

Rooted in his unrivalled understanding of the primary sources, Carpenter has created a sparkling and compelling narrative of this little-known English king.-Stephen Church, author of Henry III

A monumental achievement. Never before has England's place in the wider history of medieval Europe been revealed on quite this epic scope, and with so sharp an eye for personalities. Revisiting fifty years of history, Carpenter reveals Henry III-a supposedly 'non-descript king'-as one of the more fascinating failures ever to have sat on the English throne.-Nicholas Vincent, author of A Brief History of Britain 1066-1485

About David Carpenter

David Carpenter is professor of medieval history at King's College London. He is the author of numerous books including a new study of Magna Carta for the Penguin Classics series.

Additional information

GOR011035699
9780300238358
0300238355
Henry III: The Rise to Power and Personal Rule, 1207-1258 by David Carpenter
Used - Very Good
Hardback
Yale University Press
20200512
576
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Henry III