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John of Gaunt

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John, Duke of Lancaster, was the son of Edward III, father of Edward IV, uncle of Richard II, and himself the pretender to the throne of Castile. He was also the richest and most powerful subject in England for most of his life -- and probably the most deeply and widely hated. He was certainly the principal target of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. A key player in the Hundred Years War, he was also on close terms with John Wycliffe and Geoffrey Chaucer. John's controversial career is thus at the very heart of English society and European politics during one of the nation's most turbulent periods, and this semi-scholarly and authoritative examination of the duke's mental processes, institutional goals, and dynastic ambitions is very useful to the understanding of England on the brink of a three-generation civil war.

If you are desperately seeking information about John of Gaunt, then this is one of the few sources for it. The book does have a lot of information, but it is incredibly boring to read. Not really surprising, since most of the info seems to have been gotten from account books and inventories. The majority of the book reads along the lines of "On December 6th, 1373, he was at Pontefract castle with his wife. He wore a red shirt with silver buttons. Two months later he was back at the Savoy, apparently without his wife. He wore green hose and a black tunic." (It should be noted that I just made up that passage, but by my truth, that is how it sounds.) If you have a deep interest in John of Gaunt, then I recommend this book for you.