Tag: Helen Carr

Book Review: “Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century” by Helen Carr

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

The Plantagenets, a dynasty that ruled England for over three hundred years. At least that is if you include the Lancastrian and Yorkist kings. Otherwise, the reign of the Plantagenets ended with Richard II being overthrown. So, how did the Plantagenets fall? How did wars, favoritism, and the plague factor into the fall? Helen Carr examines these questions and the rule of three kings over the fourteenth century in her latest book, “Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century.”

I have really enjoyed Helen Carr’s insight into medieval English history in her book, The Red Prince, so when I heard she was writing a book about the Plantagenets again, with a focus on the fourteenth century, I was excited to read it. The idea in this book that caught my attention was the idea that the Plantagenet dynasty ended when Henry of Bolingbroke overthrew Richard II. As someone who believes that the Plantagenet dynasty ended with the death of Richard III, the concept that it ended almost a century earlier is intriguing.

We begin our adventure with a double reburial of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, the idea of King Edward I and his wife Eleanor of Castile. It was a kind gesture, but the prophecy that was left behind would be almost prophetic. With the death of King Edward I, the Hammer of the Scots, the throne passed to his son Edward II. While Edward I was a strong warrior, Edward II was a handsome prince who only cared about his favorites, Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despenser the Younger. It would cause those around him, including his wife, Isabella of France, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, to take action against him. Isabella and Mortimer placed Edward III on the throne, but they would soon learn that Edward III was not as passive as his father.

Edward III would return to the warrior state of mind like his grandfather Edward I. With his wife Philippa of Hainault, they would have a large family with many sons, including John of Gaunt and Edward the Black Prince. It would be Edward III who would try to take the French throne for England in a conflict known as the Hundred Years’ War (not the quickest war, and it didn’t go the way Edward III envisioned it). And to top it all off, Edward III had to deal with the emergence of the Black Death and how it affected not only his own family but England and Europe as a whole.

Before Edward III died, his heir, the Black Prince, died, which meant that the Black Prince’s son, Richard II, was destined to be the next king. However, youth and favoritism failed the king as chaos reigned ever since the start of his reign, with the Peasants’ Revolt, and ended with Henry of Bolingbroke becoming the first Lancastrian King, Henry IV.

This was another wonderful book by Helen Carr. It demonstrates Carr’s ability to balance extensive research with a narrative format to create an accessible history book that novices and experts will equally enjoy. My only qualm with this book, if you can call it an issue, is that I wanted it a bit longer so we get more analysis of how this one century affected English and European history as a whole. If you want a book that dives into the history of one of England’s most tumultuous centuries, I highly recommend you read “Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century” by Helen Carr.

Book Review: “The Red Prince: The Life of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster” by Helen Carr

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

55710502When one studies the history of the English monarchy, we tend to consider those who ruled and those who advised the ruler as significant characters. We rarely study the family members of the monarch who did not win the right to rule the kingdom. Yet, they are often either extremely loyal or they desire the crown with such ferocity that they rebel against their own family. It seems like a rather cruel world, but that was the life of a medieval monarch. True loyalty for one’s family was a rare feat. One man showed the depth of his loyalty to his family, even when the people despised him. He was the son of King Edward III, the brother of the famous Black Prince, the uncle of King Richard II, and the father of Henry Bolingbroke who would become King Henry IV. Gaunt’s reputation and legacy have been marred by his wealth and the role that he played with the Peasants’ Revolt, but was he such a bad person? In Helen Carr’s brilliant debut biography, “The Red Prince: The Life of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster”, she looks to uncover the truth about the man behind the throne and why he never desired the crown for himself.

Carr has chosen to call John of Gaunt “The Red Prince”, which makes a lot of sense for someone who understands the significance of his legacy in history. His son by his first wife Blanche of Lancaster, King Henry IV, was the first Lancastrian King of England. Obviously, they were represented by the red rose in the rather poetic sounding Wars of the Roses in the 15th century and their half-siblings, the Beauforts (who were descended from the children of John’s third wife and former mistress Katherine Swynford) would continue the legacy in their own way. There would be no Lancastrian Kings of England or Wars of the Roses or Tudor dynasty without John of Gaunt.

I am getting a little ahead of myself. After all, during John of Gaunt’s lifetime, none of this happened. He was just the son of Edward III and the brother of the Black Prince when he earned the title of the first Duke of Lancaster. He earned his reputation as a loyal soldier fighting alongside his brother and father in the conflict with France that would be known in history as the Hundred Years’ War. His loyalty to his brother and father and his bravery as a knight was legendary. He gained vast amounts of wealth from his marriages to Blanche of Lancaster and Constance of Castile. He was a patron of the arts, especially to Geoffrey Chaucer, and championed those who wanted to challenge the way religion was understood during the 14th century.

He had everything he could ever want until his world came crashing down around him. The Black Prince died of illness and his father King Edward III would soon follow, leaving the throne to his nephew King Richard II. To say things got off to a rocky start would be an understatement as John of Gaunt and other government officials were accused of raising taxes so high that it triggered what we know as the Peasants’ Revolt. On top of all of the problems in England, John of Gaunt decided to become King of Castile with his wife Constance. John of Gaunt led a life full of adventure, risks, and above all, loyalty to his family.

Carr does a magnificent job of bringing Gaunt’s life into focus. So much of his reputation has been tainted over time, but Carr did not shy away from the challenge. This is one of the best biographies that I have read this year so far. John of Gaunt deserved to have his story retold and Helen Carr was the perfect historian to tell his story for a newer generation. Carr’s writing style is engaging with meticulous attention to detail. This is a gorgeous debut biography and I cannot wait to see what Helen Carr will write next. If you want to read a biography about the founder of the Lancastrian dynasty, “The Red Prince: The Life of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster” by Helen Carr is a must-read.