THE PLANTAGENETS, THE WARRIOR KINGS AND QUEENS WHO MADE ENGLAND is a marvelous read. Full of intrigue, drama, and human emotion it is a pretty darn good overview of the 245 years of the Plantagenet dynasty and the politics of medieval Europe. great grandparents Matilda of Scotland and Henry I, 25th great grandfathers Geoffrey count of Anjou and King David I of Scotland, 24th great grandfather Henry II, 2nd cousin Edward I, 1st cousin Louis the Fat, and many more are colored in full context by way of Jones' informed storytelling. Their circumstances and living conditions might've been quite different compared to contemporary times, but their human natures are all too recognizable. This book was well-researched and went into great detail on the major players of the Plantagenet dynasty. Some parts I skimmed over, while others sections I spent a lot of time on. I enjoyed Empress Matilda's story of how she battled her cousin Stephen of Blois for control of England. While she was never officially crowned queen, she succeeded in getting her son on the throne as the first Plantagenet king. Eleanor of Aquitaine was another fascinating woman who made a huge impact on Europe during her long life. And I can't forget the Edward II/Isabella of France/Piers Gaveston/Hugh Despenser drama! It was drama to rival the Tudors. Never enjoying military successes as his brother or father had, John found his form in the dynastic… I don't think a single Plantagenet died without a certain amount of dramatic irony, or some variety of contention over the succession.

The Plantagenets by Dan Jones – review | History books | The The Plantagenets by Dan Jones – review | History books | The

What I learned from this book: the Plantagenets were so batshit crazy that they make the situations in Game of Thrones (ASoIaF) look comparatively mundane.

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Dan Jones’s great accomplishment is in taking ye olde tale and making it feel modern. He does this by using an unabashed narrative style that seldom pauses to quibble about documentation, and by focusing on personalities and climatic moments while maintaining a headlong pace. Revolt and upheaval in medieval Britain by a brilliant new narrative historian, 'Summer of Blood' breaks new ground in its portrayal of the personalities and politics of the bloody days of June 1381. As for the effective ones, John’s grandson Edward I, in his restless imperial ambitions, was to poison relations between England and Scotland for centuries. Before that we have the example of Richard I, who cared little for England, other than as a mortgageable asset, to be used in financing the pursuit of a crusading chimera. It ushered in much more; it ushered in the devil’s brood. It ushered in the best of kings and the worst of kings. It ushered in the Plantagenets. Reputedly descended from a daughter of Satan, they were set to become England’s longest reigning dynasty. There is a story worth telling. It’s a story told with enthusiasm, insight and panache by Dan Jones in the recently published The Plantagenets: the Kings Who Made England. From the saviour of the realm to the subject of multiple attempted assassinations in the space of six years. King Henry IV's reign was characterised by his fear and paranoia, but above all a continued quest for survival.

The Plantagenet Prelude: (The Plantagenets: book I): the The Plantagenet Prelude: (The Plantagenets: book I): the

Throughout Richard’s reign he would face accusations of seeking to usurp the throne, and as a result fluctuated in and out of favour for the rest of his life. I enjoyed the book, but I deeply disagree with the author's contention that Richard II was the end of the Plantagenets. Not! The Lancasters and Yorks were Plantas also, but I get the idea that the book should end with the downfall of another wonky family member (and so Jones can write separate books on that Roses thing). In fact, I found my knowledge of Richard II was not that good, so the last chapter was rather enlightening. Ashley wrote: "Alice wrote: "A few years ago I read a good novel of Owain Tudor and Katherine of Valois. I forget the title and the author. No it wasn't the Jean Plaidy book." I love how the English kings, like our presidents, try to wrap their own reigns into the myth and history of their predecessors.

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Jones' area of expertise seems to be the history of medieval England and especially the time period covered by this book. He takes a subject that in scholarly hands is usually brain numbingly boring and not only brings it to life he makes it enormously entertaining. He is also not above having a little fun with the subject and poking a little fun or joking about the conduct of his forebears. Scholars don't usually do this and that is why history is a subject most students try to avoid and we are the poorer for it.

The Plantagenets by Dan Jones: 9780143124924

For the first time I feel like I have a grasp on the Crusades. Before this my understanding of them was pretty vague. Author Dan Jones writes in an accessible, yet still scholarly, manner and his love and obvious affectionate interaction with the historical period comes across in the writing. The text is chronological in its overview, moving from ruler to ruler and I am a more well rounded student of history for having read it. The fact that it is a darn good read is just icing on the cake. Hardyment, Christina (26 May 2012). "The Plantagenets, By Dan Jones". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022 . Retrieved 16 August 2020. Long before I started my career in journalism I was a voracious reader of historical novels. I devoured epic adventure about medieval Europe and eventually got involved in European martial arts: fighting in full armour in tournaments and melees. My love of history finally won out over my day job of defence reporting and I began penning novels. The books I most enjoy are more than just battle tales, they’re about people. Good historical fiction isn’t just about the history. It needs more than volleys of arrows and swinging swords, it needs characters you care about. These books combine authenticity with passionate, compelling writing and unique characters you won’t soon forget. However, therein lay Henry's weakness. Upon assuming the crown, he found himself surrounded by men who would only support him as long as…And don't forget Richard II, whose early life and revenge schemes are so dramatic and bizarre that they make Joffrey and Littlefinger look like conservative amateurs. Jones is also guilty of filling his text with speculation and phrases divulging what figures “thought”. Unless he has access to top-secret diaries, he does NOT know what anyone thought. Not to mention, information which does sound solid is not properly sourced with facts mentioned similar to, “A contemporary stated…” but the contemporary is never detailed. To say the least, much of “The Plantagenets” is an overview and one which doesn’t even feel credible. Full disclosure—I undoubtedly read this book too soon after finishing The Tudors. While the overlapping content is minimal, and the authors differ somewhat stylistically, both books are broad sweeping histories featuring lots of kings and queens (many of whom shared the same names). Given that this was my first time encountering much of this material since high school, characters and events inevitably began to blur together. So, my take on Dan Jones and The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England is likely suffering a bit from sequential bias. Onward ho!

The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made…

In telling the story, the author makes good use of sources from the time of the various Kings, from which he quotes liberally. I found that these quotes made the narrative more interesting for me. When quoting from the sources, Mr. Jones is careful to say if they supported or were against the King. There are so many points in the Plantagenet era when they should have lost power. John, Henry III, Edward II, and Richard II are all legitimately bad kings who could have ended the reign of the Plantagenet family. Fortunately, there are strong kings, such as Henry II, Richard I, Edward I, and Edward III, who prove to be powerful, capable rulers who, especially in the case of the two Edwards, overcome the incompetencies of their immediate predecessors. And then there's Edward II, who gave so many honours and jewels and important jobs to his "dear friend" Piers Gaveston that everyone else in the kingdom, including his wife, started to feel left out. Jones takes the conservative view that Edward and Gaveston might just have been Really (Really) Good Friends, but I have my doubts. If only the lords had taken the sensible course advised by Mitchell and Webb, yet another civil war might have been avoided.Larman, Alexander (3 June 2012). "The Plantagenets by Dan Jones – review". The Guardian . Retrieved 15 August 2020. Most of us, however, not having grown up with English kings and queens as part of our national history, can only name a few of them. There's good old King George, of course. And Henry VIII. And the king from Robin Hood. And the guy in Shakespeare's play... And, umm.... no, King Arthur doesn't count. Look, English kings are a long string of Henrys and Edwards and Richards and Johns. Who can differentiate between them? 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. In assessing the 8 Plantagenet kings, the author pretty much accepts the standard judgment of who was a good king and who was not. The good kings include Henry II, Richard I, Edward I and Edward III while John, Edward II and Richard II are listed as bad kings. The primary determiner of who was a good or bad king seems to be whether they were good generals or not. Our next Edward, Edward of Caernarfon, had a BFF by the name of Piers Gaveston. It's not clear whether Gaveston was a “brother figure,” as Edward claimed, or if there was something more to their relationship, but everyone thought the Edward-Gaveston bromance was just too much.