John of Gaunt

by Anthony Goodman

John of The Exercise of Princely Power in Fourteenth-Century Europe

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, British Literature, Plantagenet, Biography Memoir, Medieval History

437 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1992

About the author

Anthony Goodman (1936-2016) was an English professor emeritus of medieval and renaissance history at the University of Edinburgh. His main field of interest was late medieval England, and he published books on subjects such as John of Gaunt and the Wars of the Roses.

See also Anthony A. Goodman for the author of The Shadow of God

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s hard to believe that a figure as iconic as John of Gaunt had – prior to 2021 – only received two book-length treatments, the first being Sydney Armitage-Smith’s 1904 volume and Anthony Goodman’s John of Gaunt: The Exercise of Princely Power in Fourteenth-Century Europe. They have since been joined by two pop histories, Helen Carr’s confusingly titled The Red Prince: The Life of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster (2021) and Kathryn Warner’s John of Gaunt: Son of One King, Father of Another(2022).

Goodman’s volume is in the style of a political biography and is very academic in tone and style. He begins by placing Gaunt within the context of Edward III and Richard II’s reigns, follows with a historiography of Gaunt’s life before six chapters, roughly 150 pages long, cover Gaunt’s life before turning to analyse different aspects of Gaunt’s “princely power” such as his relationship with the church, warfare, his peers, his finances and estate administration and his diplomacy and relationships with other European kingdoms. The book concludes with a study of Gaunt’s character, though Goodman is unable to offer a real portrait due to a lack of evidence. He does conclude, however, that the negative historical reputation of Gaunt – standing in opposition to far more positive depictions in fiction such as Shakespeare’s Richard II or Anya Seton’s Katherine – is overstated and that if he was haughty or alienating, he was – more or less – a loyal supporter of his nephew.

As I said, this is academic in both tone and coverage and there are parts that are more interesting than others. I can’t fault the information provided – which is comprehensive and thorough (the Lancastrian affinity is not covered but this was a deliberate choice after learning about Simon Walker’s work) – but I did find myself skimming over sections that were less interesting to me. I did wish for a little more focus on Gaunt’s personal life, particularly his relationship with Blanche of Lancaster, but that was not Goodman’s focus and despite this, I did end up with a fuller understanding of Gaunt’s personality. At times, there are some statements that seem a little oversimplified or dated in attitudes. I did really enjoy the focus on Gaunt’s attempt to claim the throne of Castile by right of his wife, Constanza of Castile – it wasn’t something I knew a lot about of and I would wager would tend not to be focused on a lot because it happened away from England so it was nice to get a more fuller picture of that affair. Turns out it was less successful than I thought!

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dense with facts and factoids, this isn't an easy read, but Goodman compiles the data into a reasonable picture: a noble who matured into an ideal ahead of his time. John of Gaunt had the power to strike down his spoiled, vindictive nephew King Richard II, but instead he threw his influence into support of the Crown; only departing to pursue his royal ambitions on the continent during the years when Richard resented him enough that it looked like he might kill him. Richard finally recognized that self-interest required he keep John alive, so back John came to give England a stability that only lasted until his death. As soon as John's controlling hand was gone, his own son deposed Richard, to avoid being killed one by one along with every other enemy Richard had.

I was struck by the study of John's stewardship of his lands. The rest of his family was extravagant to the point of fecklessness, but in his maturity John seemed aware that competent management and prudent generosity were essential to fulfill his goals.

[Michael Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

John, Duke of Lancaster, was the son of Henry 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.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty comprehensive biography, but one mainly focused on the financial and military activities of John of Gaunt, rather than the relationships (which I'm more interested in). To be fair, the subtitle is 'The Exercise of Princely Power in Fourteenth-Century Europe'! The book does live up to its subtitle.