Customer Reviews

Edward I (The English Monarchs Series)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A bit dull, but likely the best researched volume available on E1. I would recommend this title more for scholarly use than for the "armchair historian", as I think it would fail to hold the attention of any but the most devoted reader. Contemporary documentation dealing with the private Edward must be quite limited, so reliance upon administrative documentation is inevitable, but it makes the work less than personable. Prestwich's, "The Three Edwards", though grander in scope actually seems to hone in better on the personalities of the subject (and his son and grandson, to boot!) That being said, I doubt one could find a more detailed and comprehensive study.

Along with J.R. Maddicott's biography on Simon de Montfort, I would put this biography as one of the best biographies written for historical figures of this time period. Good thing is, they both compliment each other well.

Michael Prestwich's work proves to be superbly researched, highly informative and above all for me, very readable. It does help to have some previous reading on the subject since Edward I had a long career from his teen age years and it kept going until he died. The thick book covers all aspects of Edward's long and colorful life in richness of details and facts.

In this book, you will not see Edward Longshank of that movie, Braveheart, which probably did its outmost to ruined the reputation of this great ruler. In this book, the reader will understand why many regards Edward I as one of England's greatest rulers, easily in the top five, maybe the top three!!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this subject and had read on this material before. Good background reading would be helpful in getting the most out of this book. Written by a great scholar for other scholars or "scholar want to be".

Edward I (Yale English Monarchs) by Michael Prestwich is an extremely well researched, cross-referenced and influential book on the subject of early Plantagenet history. Drawn on the original records of the age (late 13th, early 14th century) is portrays different achievements of the productive reign - Edward a Lawgiver, Edward a Warrior in Scotland and France, Edward a Family Men, Edward a Diplomat, and ... of course Edward loosing his temper. Especially well presented are the accounts of the Household and Exchequer, and a review of Parliamentary activities of Edward. Books somewhat dry tone is justified by extensive reference collection. A great first scholarly introduction to one of the most important reigns in British history.

This books is so rich in historical fact and details, drawn from medieval records of that period. For someone wanting more than the superficial, this book supplies it, showing Edward in a scholarly fashion rather than the usual pro or con look. It's very details in what it cost to run Longshanks' kingship, right down the wars against Wales and Scotland.

Very balanced in presentation and offers us a deep insight into the man who remade England, conquered the Welsh and Irish, fought France and faced the rise of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.

Highly recommended.

Undoubtedly well researched and competently presented, I was left with the wish that the author had leavened his work with an occasional touch of humor. Only my deep interest in English history kept me going to the end, especially through long descriptions of the activities of the king's household that could have cured insomnia. Considering the inglorious end to the reign of his son, Edward II, an epilog chapter to Edward I's biography would have been welcome, or at least more attention paid to the relationship between the latter and his heir.

At times I was very pleased with Prestwich's biography of Edward I. The detail is very precise and complete, leaving you with a very close inspection of Edward I. But this could be one of the reasons I didn't particularly care for this biography. Prestwich went into way to much detail of absolutely every aspect that touched Edward I the slightest in any way. If two kings were going to have a duel or a battle this would be described since Edward wrote a letter of conciliation to the two kings. Furthermore, whole chapters would be devoted to people that worked for Edward I, which meant the chapter was just a continuous list of names.

His descriptive abilities are very dry, leaving the reader uninterested. This biography is a very scholarly, detailed work for someone looking for an exhaustive look at this important English king. This is an amazing task he accomplished, but also casts a negative shadow because it seems that he didn't really know what to write about so he simply wrote about everything. I never thought I would not care for a biography because of too much information but, alas, Prestwich has done it. Unfortunately, biographies need to have more of a structure behind them, more of a game plan.

I would recommend this book to those looking for an exhaustive portrayal of Edward I. Even for those looking for information on Edward I I would recommend, but would advise to not try and read the whole thing, as this may kill your desire to read anything from this book, but instead pick and chose the chapters that interest you. So, to sum it up, a great detailed biography with too much detail. A book meant to reference, not read.

3.5 stars.

Books as long as this one are not popular today--and what a shame, because this rich history is one of the finest I have read. The book is so fully researched that the reader may feel free to skip about, focusing on chapters closest to his interests, without guilt. Like many thousands (perhaps even millions) of other Americans, I am a direct descendant of this extraordinary king; and this book illuminates his life and times every bit as fully as I had hoped. One learns, not only about the personalities of his court, but about the intricate details of daily life, the ways in which war was waged and castles built, the political cross-currents--in short, it is a remarkably informative history of the times. Enjoy!

One thing I like about the Yale English Monarchs Series is they convey a wealth of information about the various rulers of England, starting from William the Conqueror and covering most of the kings and queens to modern times. Most of the books I have read about the lives of English monarchs never reference primary sources as to why historians believe what they do about a monarch; the Monarchs Series books do that and more, though you have to be an "egg-head" to really get in to the book or the writing will put you to sleep.

My son was doing a project on King Edward I and his Welsh castles. This is a thorough biography of one of England's strongest kings. The book arrived on time to be used in the project, and it came in good condition. Thank you for having this in stock!

I absolutely loved this book. Edward I, who of course is my favorite ruler of all time, was fairly covered in this scholarly work. I highly reccomend it to anyone interested in the life of a wonderful king.