The Fall of the House of Percy

The late fourteenth century, from the reign of Richard II to the 'revolution' of 1399, inspired Shakespeare and remains of great interest today. Influential and instrumental in the events of this era was the Percy family of Northumberland. Richard Lomas offers a complete study of the Percys and their strategies, from diplomacy and war to king-making. Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland; his eldest son, Sir Henry Percy, known since as 'Hotspur'; and his younger brother, Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester all played crucial roles in this period. The book examines in compelling detail the rising fortunes of the family, particularly the Earl of Northumberland's expansion of the Percy estate and his brother's successful career as a diplomat and a courtier. It also offers an explanation of the Percys' decision to throw in their lot with Henry Bolingbroke who succeeded the throne as Henry IV, and charts their growing disillusionment and subsequent disastrous, fatal rebellions against the King in 1403, 1405 and 1408.

Richard Lomas has lived in North-East England for most of his life. He was educated at Durham University and worked there for over twenty years as a lecturer in History and College Vice-Principal. Now retired, he has written a number of books, including North-East England in the Middle Ages; County of Conflict: Northumberland from Conquest to Civil War; A Power in the Land: The Percys; and The Fall of the House of Percy, 1368-1408.