The Plantagenets: History of a Dynasty

by Jeffrey S. Hamilton

The story of the Plantagenet dynasty is the story of one of the pivotal ages in English history. Attitudes and outlooks were formed with regard to a vast array of profoundly important issues. Such fundamental issues as the relationship between church and state, the nature of government/governance, the interaction of social and economic classes, and ultimately the idea of what it means to be English were all shaped to a great degree by the events of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The story of the Plantagenet dynasty is the story of one of the pivotal ages in English history. Attitudes and outlooks were formed with regard to a vast array of profoundly important issues. Such fundamental issues as the relationship between church and state, the nature of government/governance, the interaction of social and economic classes, and ultimately the idea of what it means to be English were all shaped to a great degree by the events of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval History

246 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 2010

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seems that every historian has his or her own delineation of the Plantagenet line. Hamilton begins with Henry III, skipping the Angevin Plantagenets, and calls Richard II the last Plantagenet even though his successor (usurper) Henry IV was his cousin. I prefer the longest view possible because they are such a fascinating bunch.

Thus I wonder that it was such a chore for me to get through Hamilton's history of the dynasty. But it was ...

[Pia]

diane rehm