England in the Age of Chivalry . . . And Awful Diseases
The Hundred Years' War and Black Death
-
-
4.1 • 25 Ratings
-
-
- $10.99
-
- $10.99
Publisher Description
A revealing glimpse into the tumultuous history of England’s medieval period, full of knights in shining armor and terrible peasant suffering.
Covering the violent and disease-ridden period between 1272 to 1399, England in the Age of Chivalry. . . And Awful Diseases covers the events, personages and ideas most commonly known as "medieval". This includes Geoffrey Chaucer, the Peasants revolt, the Scottish wars of independence, the Great Famine of 1315, the Black Death and the 100 Years War. Central to this time is King Edward III, who started the 100 Years War and defined the concept of chivalry, including England's order of the garter. His legacy continues to shape our view of England’s history and is crucial in understanding the development of Europe.
Customer Reviews
Don’t take yourself so seriously.
So many great tie-ins to Shakespeare’s Richard II and even a few good ones for Henry IV (who is mostly quickly gone over and dismissed and I genuinely feel he should be. ““Henry was a usurper and a usurper he would remain.”) I was greatly amused by all the bad omens and amusing moments during Hank’s coronation. It just doesn’t get any better than that.
I found the snarky approach to history in this book absolutely lovely. I think if more history books were written this way, more people would enjoy it and see value in it. This makes it very easy to not take oneself too seriously, as many historians generally fall into the trap of doing. I would gladly teach a history course using a text like this. Anyone who has any interest in English history or even Shakespeare’s history plays would be well served to read this book (just remember, don’t take yourself too seriously.)