I first read this book, oh gosh, maybe thirty years ago. In fact, it was the very first book I ever ready about the Plantagenets, and one of the first I ever read about the middle ages. What a good choice! His writing style is so smooth (I guess you would call him Popular History) that the book a...
I am enjoying Costain's Plantagenet series. Lots of information as I travel through the Middle Ages. I got a bit bogged down in places; there seemed to be a lot of unfamiliar "side trips" that were slower to digest.Of particular note as the U.S. debates whether to raise the debt ceiling or defaul...
The "Magnificent" Century? Is that meant to be ironic? This second in Thomas B. Costain's books on the Plantagenets covers the 13th century, the 1200's, and the reign of Henry III... not the most spectacular period for the dynasty. Although a bit more historical in feel than the first book "The C...
I was lucky enough to come across this treasure at a charity shop, and having a passionate interest in English history eagerly snapped it up.And I am glad I did. With a novelists flair , Thomas Costain creates both a detailed history of England and its monarchs from the declining years of Edward ...
Non-fiction isn't my usual fare, but having read Costain before, I was pretty sure this would be OK, which it was. The only reason I gave it just 3 stars is that it doesn't really compare to good fiction (but it's pretty darn good non-fiction!). The first 80 years of Canadian history was a swashb...