The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-Made King - Softcover
An author with a strong track record now tackles the turbulent reign of Henry IV, the first Lancastrian king.
By 1405, King Henry IV had already survived at least eight plots to dethrone or kill him in the first six years of his reign. Henry had not always been so unpopular. The son of John of Gaunt, he was courteous, confident, well-educated, musical and spiritually fervent. In 1399, at the age of thirty-two, he was enthusiastically greeted as the saviour of the realm when he ousted from power the insecure and tyrannical King Richard II.
Therein lay Henry’s weakness. By making himself King he had broken God’s law and left himself starkly open to criticism. Enemies everywhere tried to take advantage of his questionable right to the crown. Such overwhelming threats transformed him from a hero into a duplicitous murderer: a king prepared to go to any lengths to save his family and his throne.
But against all the odds, what Henry achieved was to take a poorly ruled nation, establish a new Lancastrian dynasty, and introduce the principle that a king must act in accordance with Parliament. He might not have been the most glorious king England ever had, but he was one of the bravest, and certainly the greatest survivor of them all.
From the Hardcover edition.
By 1405, King Henry IV had already survived at least eight plots to dethrone or kill him in the first six years of his reign. Henry had not always been so unpopular. The son of John of Gaunt, he was courteous, confident, well-educated, musical and spiritually fervent. In 1399, at the age of thirty-two, he was enthusiastically greeted as the saviour of the realm when he ousted from power the insecure and tyrannical King Richard II.
Therein lay Henry’s weakness. By making himself King he had broken God’s law and left himself starkly open to criticism. Enemies everywhere tried to take advantage of his questionable right to the crown. Such overwhelming threats transformed him from a hero into a duplicitous murderer: a king prepared to go to any lengths to save his family and his throne.
But against all the odds, what Henry achieved was to take a poorly ruled nation, establish a new Lancastrian dynasty, and introduce the principle that a king must act in accordance with Parliament. He might not have been the most glorious king England ever had, but he was one of the bravest, and certainly the greatest survivor of them all.
From the Hardcover edition.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author:
Ian Mortimer is the author of two other medieval biographies: The Greatest Traitor: The Life of Sir Roger Mortimer and The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III.
From the Hardcover edition.
Review:
From the Hardcover edition.
"[Mortimer] has an instinctive sympathy for the men about whom he writes, a real understanding of the mentalities of late medieval England, and a vivid historical imagination which lends colour and excitement to his pages" * Literary Review * "Mortimer's book is a success and tells an important story very well" -- Richard Francis * Daily Telegraph * "An arresting and original biography" -- Jessie Childs * Sunday Telegraph * "[It] possesses the rare combination of clarity, liveliness, balanced judgement, erudition without pedantry, and scholarship founded on his own research among primary sources" * Scotland on Sunday * "The book is at its most compelling in conjuring a sense of place or occasion" * Guardian *
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherVintage Books
- Publication date2008
- ISBN 10 1844135292
- ISBN 13 9781844135295
- BindingPaperback
- Edition number1
- Number of pages352
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. One of Britain's most gifted historians tackles the turbulent reign of Henry IV, bringing the first Lancastrian king back from obscurityIn June 1405, King Henry IV stopped at a small Yorkshire manor house to shelter from a storm. That night he awoke screaming that traitors were burning his skin. His instinctive belief that he was being poisoned was understandable- he had already survived at least eight plots to dethrone or kill him in the first six years of his reign.Henry IV had not always been so unpopular. In his youth he had been a great chivalric champion and crusader. The son of John of Gaunt, he was courteous, confident, well-educated, generous, devoted to his family, musical and spiritually fervent. In 1399, at the age of thirty-two, he was enthusiastically greeted as the saviour of the realm when he ousted from power the insecure and tyrannical King Richard II.But therein lay Henry's weakness. He had to contend with men who supported him only as long as they could control him; when they failed, they plotted to kill him. Welsh, French and Scottish adversaries also tried to take advantage of his questionable right to the crown. Such overwhelming threats transformed him from a hero into a duplicitous murderer- a king prepared to go to any lengths to save his family and his throne.That legacy of unrest has defined Henry's subsequent reputation. Henry's notoriety in the sixteenth century was such that merely to write about him was to risk imprisonment in the Tower. Shakespeare was forced to downplay his achievements, and instead to present his adversary Richard II as the wronged man. But what Henry actually provoked was a social revolution as much as a political one. Against all the odds, he took a poorly ruled nation, established a new Lancastrian dynasty, and introduced the principle that a king must act in accordance with parliament. He might not have been the most glorious king England ever had, but he was one of the bravest, and certainly the greatest survivor of them all. In June 1405, King Henry IV stopped at a small Yorkshire manor house to shelter from a storm. In 1399, at the age of thirty-two, he was enthusiastically greeted as the saviour of the realm when he ousted from power the insecure and tyrannical King Richard II.But therein lay Henry's weakness. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781844135295
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Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. In June 1405, King Henry IV stopped at a small Yorkshire manor house to shelter from a storm. Against all the odds, he took a poorly ruled nation, established a new Lancastrian dynasty, and introduced the principle that a king must act in accordance with parliament. Seller Inventory # B9781844135295
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