This is the first full-length study of the last years of Richard II's reign and the circumstances of his overthrow by Henry of Bolingbroke in 1399. It reviews Richard's early experiences, from his accession, aged only ten, through the troubled politics of the 1380s, placing new emphasis on his own insecurities and the vexed issue of the succession. It offers a detailed examination of Richard's attempts to reassert his royal authority in the 1390s, including his so-called 'tyranny' from 1397 to 1399, and sets them in the context of his personal anxieties and broader ambitions. It shows Richard, all too conscious of his mortality and lack of issue, and all too aware of the vicissitudes of European politics - lashing out at all who had opposed him ten years earlier and crashing through the constraints imposed on his regality in order to prepare himself for some higher destiny in Christendom. This important new book - the fruit of over ten years research - deserves a place on the bookshelves of every historian and student of English history. Covering an episode which has stirred the imagination since Shakespeare first put Richard II on the stage, it will be enjoyed by anyone fascinated by the personalities and the high political drama of the Middle Ages.
| |||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Michael Bennett is Professor of History at the University of Tasmania, Australia. He is the author of Community, Class and Careerism. Cheshire and Lancashire Society in the Age of 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight', The Battle of Bosworth and Lambert Simnel and the Battle of Stoke. He hit the front page of The Times in 1997 with his discovery, during the research for this book, of a formerly unknown charter in which Richard's grandfather, Edward III, sought to bar women from the royal succession.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Thorough, Thoughtful Assessment of Richard II,
By A Customer
This review is from: Richard II and the Revolution of 1399 (Hardcover)
Michael Bennett's new book about Richard II is thorough and thoughtful, much like his previous books on the Wars of the Roses. Many previous studies of Richard II have focused on the possibility of his decline into insanity. Bennett's book does not dwell on this at all, rather focuses on his actions and the consequences. The period around 1399 is very convoluted and Bennett sorts it out well. Since most accounts of the abdication/deposition were writtern by Lancastrian sympathizers, it was very interesting to read a well-reasoned, balanced account. (By the way, the Amazon entry for the book is incorrect; it should be Richard II and the Revolution of 1399 - not 1339!)
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
