Customer Reviews

The Three Edwards

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All history books should be written as well as Thomas Costain's "The Three Edwards." A comprehensive guide to the lives and labors of the great warrior kings Edward I and Edward III and the screw-up, Edward II, who ruled in between them, this book unfolds more like an easy-to-read and hard-to-put-down novel. Divided into short, easily manageable and well-organized chapters, it covers everything from the marriages of the kings and their children, the political highs and lows of their reigns, the manner of their deaths and the major battles of their wars. Many books about this era are hard to follow if you don't already have a good working knowledge of the time period. Costain avoids this problem by telling you who the people are, what they looked and acted liked, and why they are important to the story, helping you keep track of them by reminding you when he's spoken of them before, and generally describing the people so well that they don't just become a series of names that you can't keep track of. Although he obviously admires Edward I, has disdain for Edward II, and seems to be neutral toward Edward III, to whom about half the book is devoted, he is careful to point out both the good and bad in each of their characters and to place their actions in the context of their times. Plenty of space is given to the kings' ministers, merchants, wives and families, and to those of the Scottish and French rulers with whom the Edwards were at constant war, including Robert the Bruce, William Wallace, John Balliol, Philip the Fair, Jean the Good, and Charles the Bald.

One of the things I love about this book is that Costain shares so many of the great rumors and stories that passed down over the ages (such as Edward I promising the Welsh that he will give them a prince that speaks no English or French and then appointing his newborn son to the post), simply because they are great stories, while taking pains to point out why they can't be true. You can almost feel Costain winking at you as he relates the tales. Another great aspect of the book is that he devotes substantial time to the women of the period, who are generally ignored in most books on the middle ages. Edward II's wife, Isabella of France, is examined in detail, as is Eleanor of Castille, the first and beloved wife of Edward I whose death moved him to erect eleven costly stone crosses to her memory.

This book presents a very comprehensive overview of the lives and works of the three kings and is a great starting place for those who know very little about their lives, or a great review for those who've read much about them. You won't get every tiny bit of detail about Edward III's famous battles of Sluys, Crecy and Poitiers here that is found in, for instance, Jonathon Sumption's books on the Hundred Years War, but they are all well-summarized, and Costain includes many important details such as numbers of foot and mounted soldiers on each side, terrain, battle tactics and formations, and number of casualties as well as political motivations. Given the length of the book, there is a surprising wealth of detail packed into every page, including such wonderful tidbits as the origin of the word "blanket," which came from the name of Thomas Blanket, an early English manufacturer of the item.

In the last few months I have read over two dozen books on the middle ages, and this had been by far the most informative and enjoyable, the one book that really makes the events of the period come alive and the people seem to be actual people of flesh and blood, rather than just an amalgam of their deeds and accomplishments. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

This is one of a quartet that Costain wrote describing the monarchs and key events in European history from William the Conqueror to the War of the Roses. The history is accurate. It is always clear where Costain is speculating and where he is drawing on traditional sources, such as the various chronicles of the era. However, he weaves them together so smoothly that the reader needs concern her/himself with documentation only when it pleases. Costain is first and foremost a good story teller and an elegant writer.

Costain does a great job with this overview of the first named Edwards to lord it over the English throne. From the fierce but just Edward I ("Hammer of the Scots") to the effete and ineffectual Edward II to the long-reigning and erratic Edward III, the author sustains our interest with anecdotes and thorough reporting of the times. Costain has a delightful habit of suddenly focusing on a historical figure one doesn't generally hear about and then presenting the reader with yet another biography to get excited about. Well done, well written. well read.

Like the other reviewers, I think this book is terrific, and well-worth reading for anyone interested in medieval English history. Even if you're simply a Mel Gibson fan interested in the real story about William Wallace ("Braveheart"), you might find the book edifying and entertaining. (Mel seems to have taken considerable liberty with the real story, perhaps relying on a poetic rendition of Wallace's exploits written 200 years after his death.) Edward I ("Longshanks") is no modern liberal, of course, but he has redeeming points (being the "English Justinian" -- a lawgiver) not recognized in the movie. Costain's prose is consistently readable and entertaining. The subject matter, far from being dull, is inherently dramatic -- a reminder of how far human society has come since the barbarous Middle Ages. The book also creates appreciation for the unique aspects of English history, which made our Mother Country, for all its faults, the birthplace of modern democracy.

Costain has a touch for history, especially with the Plantagenets. This book follows the fortunes of two of the Plantagenet kings seen in Braveheart-Edward the Longshanks (Edward I) and his son, Edward II. Costain's very thorough work allows you to see the many facets of the larger than life Plantagents. Edward I so deeply loved his wife Eleanor that when she died, he erected "Cherie Crosses" to mark each place where her coffin rested on its way to burial. Edward II's passion for favorites did not end with the notorius Piers Gaveston, the Dispenser brothers were added to the long list of royal favorites. The son Isabella of France gave birth to became the fabled Edward III, the great Plantagenet warrior and victor of Crecy and Poitiers. (Isabella went on to a less than savory career, too.) Interested? Want to how all three Edwards were really shaped by their environment? Treat yourself to this book. It's history that reads like a novel. (Just in case you like it, there are four more books about the illustrious House Plantagenet!)

Why do such great books fall into obscurity? This fantastic narrative, which covers the reigns of Edward I, II, and III, is part of the 4-part Plantagenet series. It's all here: Agincourt, the Templars, Black Death, William Wallace, Crecy, Robert the Bruce... Do yourself a favor, and find a copy today! As you can tell this is one of my all-time favorites. Enjoy

I never could find a copy of this book to call my own but it is one of the best books I've ever read. I just hope no one else at my local library wanted to read it--I used to check it out way too often.

Costain originally published THE THREE EDWARDS in 1958. While he has an easy-to-read style, which as other reviewers have remarked, makes him as fun to read as a good novel, his opinions sometimes come off as pompous - even absurd - by today's standards. For instance, in writing about the love affair between Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer, he says, "When a woman of passionate nature has existed in a loveless marriage and has reached the late twenties before yielding to a clandestine impulse, it may be taken for granted that she will not be guided by anything but the dictates of her love."

Later, about the woman who would become Queen Philippa, he writes, "Queen Philippa [in comparison to Isabella] had seemed rather colorless. She was pretty, sweet, and domestic, a typical Dutch girl."

The short section on Edward II never directly refers to the king's homosexuality. Rather, there are references to his "favorites."

If you can get past these prejudices, you'll learn a lot about 3 reigns - Edward I, II and III - in short order (the 1962 reprint that I read was slightly under 450 pages). Costain does a good job of summarizing the important events as well as the characters of the key men and women. There is also a good summary of the life of Edward III's son, Edward (called the Black Prince for the color of his armor).

I also like the fact that he provides information on his sources - calling rumor, rumor and referring to some contemporary writers as gossipmongers.

What Costain did with these books was to write a series of novels that were based on history but are bad history. Costain writes with purple prose that prejudges his subjects. You cannot do that with history. He constantly says how "bad" King John was. Was he? He had his failings but for a self-styled "historian" to call him "bad" or "evil" at every turn is ridiculous. After all, some base their opinions of King Richard III on Shakespeare's play - which was written to set Richard in a bad light and Edward VII, the first of the Tudors (of which his patron, Elizabeth I, was one) in a good light. History has since shown that Richard III was a fine monarch nor was the deformed hunchback depicted by Shakespeare. Again, bad history, great play. In Costain's books nothing is footnoted, conversations are fabricated, and history is disregarded. For example, he says that King John signed the Magna Carta (which he misspells) and that there was one. Wrong! There were 41 copies and each was sealed by the King, not signed. A small error? No! If he gets that wrong, what about the rest? Again, good novel, bad history so read these as novels but do NOT take them as history.

Costain combines an eye for detail and accuracy in a very readable style