Joan, the Fair Maid of Kent: A Fourteenth-Century Princess and her World - Hardcover

Goodman, Anthony

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1783271760 ISBN 13: 9781783271764

Publisher: Boydell Press, 2017

Synopsis

"Anthony Goodman's brilliant yet accessible scholarship draws in the reader in the most entertaining and vibrant way. He was one of our greatest historians of the later medieval period, whose warm humanity shines forth in his writing. He has given us, as a parting gift, the definitive biography of an exceptional, intriguing woman. I cannot recommend it highly enough." ALISON WEIR Joan Plantagenet (1328-1385), acclaimed in her youth as the "Fair Maid of Kent", became notorious for making both a clandestine and a bigamous marriage in her teens and, in her thirties, a scandalous marriage to her kinsman, Edward III's son and heir, Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince. Despite these transgressions, she later became one of the most influential people in the realm and a highly respected source of stability. Her life provides a distinctive perspective of a noblewoman at the heart of affairs in fourteenth-century England, a period when the Crown, despite enjoying some striking triumphs, also faced a series of political and social crises which shook conventional expectations. Furthermore, her life adds depth to our understanding of a time when marriage began to be regarded not just as a dynastic arrangement but a contract freely entered into by a couple. This accessibly written account of her life sets her in the full context of her world, and vividly portrays a spirited medieval woman who was determined to be mistress of her fate and to make a mark in challenging times. The late Anthony Goodman was Professor Emeritus of Medieval and Renaissance History at the University of Edinburgh. His numerous publications include John of Gaunt; The Wars of the Roses; and Margery Kempe and Her World.

Table of Contents



Loosened Bonds

Tragic Beginnings

Bigamy

Married Bliss

A Whirlwind Romance

Princess of Wales and of Aquitaine

Deaths of Princes

The King's Mother

Terrors and Tribulations

Venus Ascending?

Bibliography

About this title

Review:

I have huge pleasure in warmly endorsing Anthony Goodman's outstanding book. As always, his brilliant yet accessible scholarship draws in the reader in the most entertaining and vibrant way. He was one of our greatest historians of the later medieval period, whose warm humanity shines forth in his writing. He has given us, as a parting gift, the definitive biography of an exceptional, intriguing woman. I cannot recommend it highly enough. --Alison Weir

About this edition

• Publisher: Boydell Press
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1783271760
• ISBN 13: 9781783271764
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 270