A Great and Terrible King
Edward I and the Forging of Britain
Ratings4
Average rating4.3
15
Edward I and the Forging of Britain
Ratings4
Average rating4.3
This is the first major biography for a generation of a truly formidable king. Edward I is familiar to millions as 'Longshanks', conqueror of Scotland and nemesis of Sir William Wallace ('Braveheart'). Edward was born to rule England, but believed that it was his right to rule all of Britain. His reign was one of the most dramatic of the entire Middle Ages, leading to war and conquest on an unprecedented scale, and leaving a legacy of division that has lasted from his day to our own. In his astonishingly action-packed life, Edward defeated and killed the famous Simon de Montfort in battle; travelled across Europe to the Holy Land on crusade; conquered Wales, extinguishing forever its native rulers, and constructed - at Conwy, Harlech, Beaumaris and Caernarfon - the most magnificent chain of castles ever created. After the death of his first wife he erected the Eleanor Crosses - the grandest funeral monuments ever fashioned for an English monarch.
Reviews with the most likes.
If you are looking for a great book on Edward I, then you have to check this one out! I absolutely loved it! Full of great information, it leads you through his life, the ups, downs and more!
One that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys medieval history!
Marc Morris's biography of Edward I is an immensely readable look at one of Britain's greatest kings. Using a variety of sources, both ancient and modern, Morris tells the story of Edward from his birth, his tempestuous youth as a Prince alongside his father, King Henry III, to the very end of his reign, just short of his 70th birthday.
Edward forged a kingdom, conquering Wales, expanding into Ireland and, in the last decades of his reign, fighting the Scots to a standstill. He ruled one kingdom in the end and deserved the epithet a Great and Terrible King.
Morris is very even-handed in his account, detailing Edward's triumphs as well as his disasters. He was one of the greatest monarchs of his time, fighting on a Crusade in the Holy Land, defending what was left of the Crown's lands in France (Gascony) and fighting long and hard to subdue the British Isles. Yet he was also demanding, especially when it came to funding his various wars.
A very good account of an important time in the history of Britain.
