About book The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings And Queens Who Made England (2013)
A very interesting review of the Platagenet kings (and, to a MUCH lesser extent, queens) who ruled England for over 200 years and transformed it into a global power and player. My knowledge of English royal dynasties generally begins with the Tudors, so it was fascinating to go further back and see the formation of some of the most enduring institutions–and enduring mythologies–from the British Isles. Occasionally the book veers into florid descriptions of what "must have been" felt or occurring; but largely this is a well-written and accessible history. I picked this book up as a counterpoint to the historical fiction I read avidly. I know very little about the Plantagenets and wanted to read an accessible book to give me a grounding in a piece of history which was anchored for me only by diagrams of the battle formation at Crecy, which we were made to draw by our eccentric history teacher in secondary school. Dan Jones' style is informative and easy at the same time. He obviously knows his period, and I love the quotes from, and references to, contemporary sources (especially Gerald of Wales, who I have just come across on In Our Time. Good old Melvin Bragg! ). The author packs a great deal of history into 530ish pages and I never once thought that the book was condescending or pompous. I admit to being fascinated by the bad kings, John, Edward II and Richard II; but also the women who married into the dynasty. I know about Eleanor of Acquitaine, but now want to learn more about the other Eleanors, Isabellas, and Joans; so "The She Wolves" by Helen Castor is next on my non-fiction list.All in all a satisfying book for me, well researched and written but not at all " text-booky" - Four Stars.
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An excellent, readable history. I can't wait to get onto the next volume on the War of the Roses.
—lenny
Nicely written, describing one period of english and western european history
—leeda
A very insightful and historically-accurate work. It's also an easy read.
—zuros
A good overview of English history from Henry II through Richard II.
—daniGrj
