Customer Reviews

The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-Made King

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Henry IV is known primarily for grabbing the throne and holding on to it long enough to pass it on to his more famous son. Nevertheless, he is a pivotal figure in English history, and I can think of no better introduction to him than this vivid biography. When I started it, I had just finished a biography of Richard II, the king he replaced. It was fuill of typically academic hedging like "some sources say he was in York at this time, others that he was in Calais." Mr. Mortimer quotes the conflicting sources in a case like this, then tells you that his credit card receipts (or the medieval equivalent) place him in Calais. The breadth of his sources, and his willingness to select from them to create a coherent narrative and compelling psychological portraits of his characters make this one of the best biographies I have ever read. Whether you are reading for pleasure or information, you can't go wrong here.

For many of us, Henry IV is the king who deposed Richard II, fathered Henry V and features in three of Shakespeare's historical plays. He reigned as King of England from 1399 to 1413 and while the significant events of his reign are documented in history, the man himself largely remains in the shadows.

In this book, Ian Mortimer sets out to bring Henry IV out of the shadows by providing both context and perspective for his actions. Mortimer's research and energetic writing do shed light, but it is not quite enough to infuse Henry IV with personality and life. The people around Henry IV largely remain in the shadows and it is their perspectives that would enable us to get a clearer picture of the man who was the king.

Ian Mortimer has provided comprehensive notes and a wealth of information in his select bibliography. This book is a wonderful starting point for those who want to know more about the life and times of Henry IV. I hope that at some stage someone will write a book that will be able to shed more life on the man himself.

Was Henry IV a usurper or a saviour? Ian Mortimer has a view, and while I largely agree with him I'm not entirely convinced. Yet.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Ian Mortimer creates a readable and thoroughly researched biography of Henry IV, the first English monarch since the Norman conquest to overthrow the sitting monarch and successfully assume kingship in his place. Mortimer attempts to explain Henry the man as well as Henry the king, resulting in a nuanced and fascinating look at a king often overshadowed by his more glamorous son. The narrative is enjoyable and well-paced, with occasional stops to explain an obscure or often-misunderstood point. Mortimer also explains his conclusions clearly; specific textual evidence is always cited and explained. Not exactly a light read, but a treat for anyone with an interest in medieval history.

For years, indeed centuries Henry IV has been thought of as the dastard who took poor Richard II's throne away from him and then brutialy suppressed every opposition that rose in England.

Mortimer takes a very different approach, one that most historians have to agree on. First he tells us that Richard II was no poor, pitaful king. He was a self-obsessed tyrant, unstable, and above all a murderer we begin to understand Henry's situation. Add the facts that Henry was intelligent, brave, religious, could play the lark, and read and we see that the story has been told wrong for almost five hundred years. Henry wasn't a murderer, but a savior.

Mortimer did a great job balacing scholarship and adventure in The Fears. I widely recommed this book.

On the back cover of Mortimer's Henry IV, the author is described as a "narrative historian" by the BBC History Magazine. Mortimer uses this style of writing in both this book and his book on Edward III. It ties events together into a story format and tries to get inside the thought processes of the participants much more than many history books. As such there is always the danger of making fact what the king "might" have been thinking. On the other hand, it makes for smooth and engaging reading. I enjoyed this book a great deal, more than his earlier work on Edward, because I found the narrative less biased in favor of the subject and the claims about Henry's "fears" were, to me, well-documented. The book is an excellent read that delves into the complexities of this man and his time. It is objective about the main character while at the same time generating sympathy for the man - a tough combination to pull off. Henry overcame more than a half dozen attempts to overthrow him after he started out being called a "savior" by the people. I especially enjoyed Mortimer's description of Henry's complex relationship with Richard II, Henry's close friendship with Archbishop Arundel and the father-son conflicts and resolution with the future Henry V. Mortimer does an impressive job of bringing these to life. The book would make an excellent introduction to someone interested in the joys and fears, the triumphs and failures, of a medieval king.

Mortimer is becoming one of my favorite authors. He tells a great story in the absence of a lot of documented facts and really makes the historic figures come alive. After you read this, you will feel like you went through the entire ordeal with Henry IV.

If you are a fan of The Tudors but failing to understand the undercurrents of the political intrigue at court, then this book is for you. Ian Mortimer's book is expertly researched as always. He brings us closer to understanding the consequences Henry IV set in motion by his actions to cease the throne.

Ian Mortimer has done it again.
Taken what is usually a very dry topic, about an ignored historical figure and set the record straight.
Yet again I've really enjoyed reading about a figure in history that I knew very little about.
Well researched and more importantly well thoughtout. He not only presents the facts but also gives reasonable interpretations of events or the meaning of personal financial accounts and royal record keeping.
With attention to detail and considered arguements, he really opened my eyes to a real man, not just a notation in the Lancastrian family tree or the historical list of English monarchs.
I also appreciated that he didn't try to condemn or canonize Henry - instead he stated the known facts, gave opinions but left it up to the reader to draw your own conclusions.
I'm from Lancashire and have always been interested in the history of the Houses of Lancaster & York, and find it ironic that his motif/motto is "Remember Me"(flower, forget me not) - knowing how Henry IV was not remembered.