The Kings Of Medieval England, c. 560-1485 [Hardcover]

Larry W. Usilton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 30, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0810831945 | ISBN-13: 978-0810831940

Provides a succinct bibliography of the various kings of medieval England, from the Bretwaldas of Bede's day through the short reign of Richard III.

In selecting works to be included, the author has focused his attention on providing annotations of informative and accessible sources, particularly biographical materials, that might be used by a wide range of individuals--scholars, undergraduate researchers, Anglophiles, and others. The annotation for each entry contains a 75-to 150-word analysis of content and other factors, such as bibliography, helpful notes, tables, illustrations, and level of comprehension, which commend the book or article to the reader. With author index.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This slim volume attempts to succinctly encompass the rulers of England for nearly 1,000 years of medieval history, and it succeeds admirably. This work would be a good starting point for both identifying and reviewing materials on the medieval kings... (Arba )

...likely to be well thumbed and frequently consulted...this small volume has much to commend it...Usilton's comments are instructive... (Speculum--A Journal Of Medieval Studies )

About the Author

Larry W. Usilton(Ph.D., Mississippi State University) is Associate Professor and Chairman of the Department of History at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press (August 30, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810831945
• ISBN-13: 978-0810831940
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,606,619 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent starting place for the study of medieval Britain, January 13, 2012

By 

Michael K. Smith (South Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Kings Of Medieval England, c. 560-1485 (Hardcover)

Scarecrow has been publishing the "Magill Bibliographies" series for some time and they're generally quite good. The author of this one is a medievalist at the University of North Carolina who obviously knows his subject well. He provides here a well-considered, highly selected bibliography of monographs (and a few journal articles) on each of the English monarchs from Egbert (who can be regarded as the first "King of England") through Richard III, the last of the Plantagenets. Even though the Anglo-Saxon and Danish period is the longest, it's also inevitably the time for we have the least information, so there's not much available on kings like Edwy and Harold Harefoot, with most of the attention going to Alfred and Edward the Confessor. A great deal has been written about the Conqueror, on the other hand, and the selection here is judicious, though unremarkable. Whomever your "favorite" king might be, whether Henry II or Edward III, you may expect to find the key biographical and analytical works included. Throughout the volume, in fact, one finds the authors one expects to find. There are numerous listings for such 20th-century luminaries as Frank Barlow, Christopher Brooke, R. H. C. Davis, David C. Douglas, John Gillingham, Warren Hollister, Sidney Painter, and Michael Prestwich, as well the classic historians like Freeman and Stubbs, all of whom are synthesists whose work is accessible to most readers. But that is exactly Usilton's goal. The Introduction notes a number of other bibliographies on narrower spans of time that include more specialized academic works, nor does he include primary works. Each annotation notes the book's content, basic approach, importance in the field, and special features. And the introduction to each section of the book provides a good brief overview of each dynasty.

5.0 out of 5 stars Foremost in the historiography on English monarchs., October 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Kings Of Medieval England, c. 560-1485 (Hardcover)

Dr. Larry Usilton, Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington has released a remarkably lucid, engaging, and critically important reference source for anyone interested in the early monarchs of Britain. Any lecturer in the field should feel comfortable recommending this book to their students.