{"title":"Series: The English Monarchs Series","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe English Monarchs Series offers a richly detailed exploration of Britain's royal heritage, inviting readers to delve into the lives, reigns, and legacies of monarchs who shaped the nation’s history. Combining rigorous scholarship with accessible narrative, these volumes illuminate political intrigue, cultural shifts, and personal stories behind the crowns.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIdeal for enthusiasts of history and politics alike, the series balances academic insight with engaging storytelling, providing context for the evolution of the British monarchy within broader historical landscapes. Whether newly curious or deeply knowledgeable, readers will find a compelling journey through England’s royal past.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"henry-iii-by-david-carpenter-9780300279337","title":"Henry III","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"There are few historians working today who know so much and write so well. Taken together, the two volumes of \u003cem\u003eHenry III\u003c\/em\u003e . . . set a gold standard for medieval royal biography.\"—Dan Jones, \u003cem\u003eTimes\u003c\/em\u003e (UK)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"A superb work of scholarship, the fruit of a lifetime's study of the subject. It is elegantly written, consistently shrewd and always good-humoured.\"—Jonathan Sumption, \u003cem\u003eThe Spectator\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe second volume in the definitive history of Henry III's rule, covering the revolutionary events between 1258 and the king's death in 1272\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter coming to the throne aged just nine, Henry III spent much of his reign peaceably. Conciliatory and deeply religious, he created a magnificent court, rebuilt Westminster Abbey, and invested in soft power. Then, in 1258, the king faced a great revolution. Led by Simon de Montfort, the uprising stripped him of his authority and brought decades of personal rule to a catastrophic end. In the brutal civil war that followed, the political community was torn apart in a way unseen again until Cromwell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRenowned historian David Carpenter brings to life the dramatic events in the last phase of Henry III's momentous reign. Carpenter provides a fresh account of the king's strenuous efforts to recover power and sheds new light on the characters of the rebel de Montfort, Queen Eleanor, and Lord Edward—the future Edward I. A groundbreaking biography, \u003cem\u003eHenry III\u003c\/em\u003e illuminates as never before the political twists and turns of the day, showing how politics and religion were intimately connected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46796317458668,"sku":"9780300279337","price":40.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24791113482294.jpg?v=1757090483"},{"product_id":"cnut-the-great-by-timothy-bolton-9780300243185","title":"Cnut the Great","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA seminal biography of Cnut, the underappreciated eleventh-century Scandinavian warlord-turned-Anglo-Saxon monarch who united the English and Danish crowns to forge a North Sea empire.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"A gripping and revelatory biography of Britain's Danish conqueror.\" — Simon Sebag Montefiore, \u003ci\u003eThe Week\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHistorian Timothy Bolton offers a fascinating reappraisal of one of the most misunderstood of the Anglo-Saxon kings: \u003ci\u003eCnut the Great\u003c\/i\u003e, the powerful Danish warlord who conquered England and created a North Sea empire in the eleventh century. This seminal biography draws from a wealth of written and archaeological sources to provide the most detailed accounting to date of the life and accomplishments of a remarkable figure in European history, a forward-thinking warrior-turned-statesman who created a new Anglo-Danish regime through designed internationalism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855745503468,"sku":"9780300243185","price":30.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780300243185.jpg?v=1759275815"},{"product_id":"edward-ii-by-seymour-phillips-9780300178029","title":"Edward II","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe latest definitive biography in the acclaimed Yale English Monarchs series\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEdward II\u003c\/em\u003e (1284–1327), King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine, was the object of ignominy during his lifetime and calumny since it. Conventionally viewed as worthless, incapable of sustained policy, and significant only for his sporadic displays of ill-directed energy or a stubborn adherence to greedy and ambitious favourites, he has been presented as fit only to be deposed and replaced by someone more worthy of the throne.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis definitive biography, the fruit of a lifetime’s study, does not present Edward II as a heroic or successful king: his deposition after a turbulent reign of nearly twenty years is proof enough that it went terribly wrong. But Seymour Phillips’ scrutiny of the multitude of available sources shows that a richer picture emerges, in line with the complexity of events and of the man himself. 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Revered by his subjects as a chivalric dynamo, he initiated the Hundred Years' War and gloriously led his men into battle against the Scots and the French.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this illuminating biography, W. Mark Ormrod takes a deeper look at Edward to reveal the man beneath the military muscle. What emerges is Edward's clear sense of his duty to rebuild the prestige of the Crown, and through military gains and shifting diplomacy, to secure a legacy for posterity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNew details of the splendour of Edward's court, lavish national celebrations, and innovative use of imagery establish the king's instinctive understanding of the bond between ruler and people. 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Often cast as a reluctant ruler, easily manipulated by his in-laws, he has been blamed for causing the invasion of 1066—the last successful conquest of England by a foreign power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTom Licence navigates the contemporary webs of political deceit to present a strikingly different Edward. He was a compassionate man and conscientious ruler, whose reign marked an interval of peace and prosperity between periods of strife. More than any monarch before, he exploited the mystique of royalty to capture the hearts of his subjects. This compelling biography provides a much-needed reassessment of Edward’s reign—calling into doubt the legitimacy of his successors and rewriting the ending of Anglo-Saxon England.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855764967660,"sku":"9780300260823","price":30.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780300260823.jpg?v=1759276260"},{"product_id":"edward-vi-by-jennifer-loach-9780300094091","title":"Edward VI","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis new biography of \u003cem\u003eEdward VI\u003c\/em\u003e, the boy king who died at 15 after ruling England for only six years, reveals for the first time his significant personal impact on the history of his country.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJennifer Loach portrays Edward as healthy and vigorous (contrary to previous views), precocious, highly educated, and decisive, and she details the dramatic context in which he played out his reign.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855765098732,"sku":"9780300094091","price":40.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/ff913406c7b01ecaa513337b57aea5b8.jpg?v=1759277866"},{"product_id":"george-ii-by-andrew-c-thompson-9780300187779","title":"George II","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite a long and eventful reign, Britain's George II is a largely forgotten monarch, his achievements overlooked and his abilities misunderstood. This landmark biography uncovers extensive new evidence in British and German archives, making possible the most complete and accurate assessment of this thirty-three-year reign. Andrew C. Thompson paints a richly detailed portrait of the many-faceted monarch in his public as well as his private life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBorn in Hanover in 1683, George Augustus first came to London in 1714 as the new Prince of Wales. He assumed the throne in 1727, held it until his death in 1760, and has the distinction of being Britain's last foreign-born king and the last king to lead an army in battle. With George's story at its heart, the book reconstructs his thoughts and actions through a careful reading of the letters and papers of those around him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThompson explores the previously underappreciated roles George played in the political processes of Britain, especially in foreign policy, and also charts the intricacies of the king's complicated relationships and reassesses the lasting impact of his frequent return trips to Hanover. \u003cem\u003eGeorge II\u003c\/em\u003e emerges from these pages as an independent and cosmopolitan figure of undeniable historical fascination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855777026284,"sku":"9780300187779","price":47.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780300187779.jpg?v=1759276716"},{"product_id":"henry-i-by-c-warren-hollister-9780300098297","title":"Henry I","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis biography, written by one of the most distinguished medievalists of his generation, paints a new portrait of \u003ci\u003eHenry I\u003c\/i\u003e, son of William the Conqueror.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNot the brutal, greedy, and repressive king that has been supposed, Henry was the ultimate pragmatist and a man of keen intelligence who desired peace, C. Warren Hollister shows.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHe vividly describes Henry's life and reign in a time of fundamental change in the Anglo-Norman world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855783547116,"sku":"9780300098297","price":59.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/22980713482294.jpg?v=1759277076"},{"product_id":"henry-ii-by-wl-warren-9780300084740","title":"Henry II","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHenry II\u003c\/em\u003e (1133-1189) was an enigma in his own time and has continued to excite widely divergent judgements ever since. His quarrel with Archbishop Becket, his troubled relationships with his sons and with his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and other dramatic incidents of his reign present rich material for historical novelists, playwrights, and filmmakers, but with no unanimity of interpretation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis masterful biography provides a comprehensive reappraisal of Henry II, the man and king. W. L. Warren explores a full range of contemporary sources to illuminate the king's policy and personality as well as the events of his reign.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHenry II's greatness as a king is not in doubt. From an early age, he impressed his will on a turbulent realm and established new standards of law and order in seemingly ungovernable territories. He fought and won the first great war over the balance of power in western Europe, laid the foundations for the growth of English Common Law and of royal administration, and destroyed the possibility that the realm might disintegrate into feudal principalities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWarren focuses on the actions of the king and, while not underrating the importance of the famous crises of Henry's reign, gives equal attention to incidents that are little-known but equally revealing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855783710956,"sku":"9780300084740","price":59.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/22845143482294.jpg?v=1759277100"},{"product_id":"henry-iii-by-david-carpenter-9780300259193","title":"Henry III","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe first in a ground-breaking two-volume history of Henry III’s rule.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“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, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNine 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 honour 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEminent 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855783842028,"sku":"9780300259193","price":42.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24589673482294.jpg?v=1759277117"},{"product_id":"henry-iv-by-chris-given-wilson-9780300229714","title":"Henry IV","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis definitive biography of England's Henry IV reassesses the adversities of his reign, his ruthlessness and extravagance, and his previously unrecognised successes.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"This wonderful biography of the first of the Lancastrian kings is no less accomplished than its subject. . . . A vivid and captivating study of England’s most neglected late medieval ruler.\" —David Green, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Hundred Years War\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eHenry IV\u003c\/i\u003e (1399–1413), the son of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, seized the English throne at the age of thirty-two from his cousin Richard II and held it until his death, aged forty-five, when he was succeeded by his son, Henry V. This comprehensive and nuanced biography restores to his rightful place a king often overlooked in favour of his illustrious progeny.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHenry faced the usual problems of usurpers: foreign wars, rebellions, and plots, as well as the ambitions and demands of the Lancastrian retainers who had helped him win the throne. By 1406 his rule was broadly established, and although he became ill shortly after this and never fully recovered, he retained ultimate power until his death. Using a wide variety of previously untapped archival materials, Chris Given-Wilson reveals a cultured, extravagant, and sceptical monarch who crushed opposition ruthlessly but never quite succeeded in satisfying the expectations of his own supporters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855783874796,"sku":"9780300229714","price":52.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24294883482294.jpg?v=1759277134"},{"product_id":"henry-v-by-christopher-allmand-9780300073706","title":"Henry V","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThanks in part to Shakespeare, \u003cem\u003eHenry V\u003c\/em\u003e is one of England's best-known monarchs. The image of the king leading his army against the French, and the great victory at Agincourt, are part of English historical tradition. Yet, though indeed a soldier of exceptional skill, Henry V's reputation needs to be seen against a broader background of achievement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis sweepingly majestic book is based on the full range of primary sources and sets the reign in its full European context. Christopher Allmand shows that Henry V not only united the country in war but also provided domestic security, solid government, and a much-needed sense of national pride. The book includes an updated foreword which takes stock of more recent publications in the field.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"A far more rounded picture of Henry as a ruler than any previous study.\"\u003c\/em\u003e—G.L. Harris, \u003cem\u003eThe Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855784005868,"sku":"9780300073706","price":59.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/22734803482294.jpg?v=1759277174"},{"product_id":"henry-vi-by-bertram-wolffe-9780300089264","title":"Henry VI","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this widely acclaimed biography, Bertram Wolffe challenges the traditional view of \u003cem\u003eHenry VI\u003c\/em\u003e as an unworldly, innocent, and saintly monarch and offers instead a finely-drawn but critical portrait of an ineffectual ruler.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing on widespread contemporary evidence, Wolffe describes the failures of Henry's long reign from 1422 to 1471, which included the collapse of justice, the loss of the French territories, and the final disintegration of his government.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHe argues that the posthumous cult of Henry was promoted by Henry VII as a way of excusing his uncle's political failures while enhancing the image of the dynasty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis edition includes a new preface by John Watts that discusses the book and its place in the evolving literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855784268012,"sku":"9780300089264","price":59.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/22890383482294.jpg?v=1759277199"},{"product_id":"king-john-by-wl-warren-9780300073744","title":"King John","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eKing John\u003c\/i\u003e is a study of a king and his political misfortunes. It is also an examination of a fascinating era—the early thirteenth century, a period of profound social and political change and unprecedented insecurity. W.L. Warren paints a picture of the king not only by assessing his achievements and failures but also by placing him in the context of the society in which he lived, the actions of his predecessors, and the problems posed by continuities independent of his making.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis account of John's reign is revealing and fair-minded, correcting distortions in the accounts of such chroniclers as Rogers of Wendover and Matthew Paris. Warren's analysis of the disputed succession, the conflict with France, the clash with Pope Innocent III, and the events leading to Magna Carta provide an intimate picture of the business of the Crown. Warren is unsparing in his criticism of the king's failings but acknowledges the more remarkable of John's personal qualities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Perhaps the best general treatment of the life and reign of King John which has been published in England during the past forty years.\" — Times Literary Supplement\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"An account of John's life and reign based on modern research and set forth in a manner that will appeal as much to the general reader as to the student.\" — London Daily Telegraph\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Warren deplored the gulf which had developed in history between the 'expert and the public' and aimed to bridge it by writing a narrative of John's career which was both scholarly and accessible... in this he succeeded brilliantly.\" — D.A. 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After years of work on the sources, Edmund King shows with rare clarity the strengths and weaknesses of the monarch. Keeping Stephen at the forefront of his account, the author also chronicles the activities of key family members and associates whose loyal support sustained Stephen's kingship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1135, the popular Stephen was elected king against the claims of the empress Matilda and her sons. 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