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“Marc Morris’s new account of the life of Edward I is a splendid example of the genre. Edward’s life is in many ways an ideal subject for such an approach, full of incident and action. . . . An excellent, readable account of his reign.” – Literary Review
Product Description
This is the first major biography for a generation of a truly formidable king – a man born to rule England, who believed that it was his right to rule all of Britain. His reign was one of the most dramatic and important of the entire Middle Ages, leading to war and conquest on an unprecedented scale, and leaving a legacy of division between the peoples of Britain that has lasted from his day to our own.
Edward I is familiar to millions as ‘Longshanks’, conqueror of Scotland and nemesis of Sir William Wallace (‘Braveheart’). Yet this story forms only the final chapter of the king’s astonishingly action-packed life. Earlier Edward had defeated and killed the famous Simon de Montfort in battle; travelled across Europe to the Holy Land on crusade; conquered Wales, extinguishing forever its native rulers, and constructing – at Conwy, Harlech, Beaumaris and Caernarfon – the most magnificent chain of castles ever created. He raised the greatest armies of the English Middle Ages, and summoned the largest parliaments; notoriously, he expelled all the Jews from his kingdom. The longest-lived of all England’s medieval kings, he fathered no fewer than fifteen children with his first wife, Eleanor of Castile, and after her death he erected the Eleanor Crosses – the grandest funeral monuments ever fashioned for an English monarch.
In this book, Marc Morris examines afresh the forces that drove Edward throughout his relentless career: his character, his Christian faith, and his sense of England’s destiny – a sense shaped in particular by the tales of the legendary King Arthur. He also explores the competing reasons that led Edward’s opponents (including Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and Robert Bruce) to resist him, and the very different societies that then existed in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The result is a sweeping story, immaculately researched yet compellingly told, and a vivid picture of medieval Britain at the moment when its future was decided.
From the Hardcover edition.
Edward I is familiar to millions as ‘Longshanks’, conqueror of Scotland and nemesis of Sir William Wallace (‘Braveheart’). Yet this story forms only the final chapter of the king’s astonishingly action-packed life. Earlier Edward had defeated and killed the famous Simon de Montfort in battle; travelled across Europe to the Holy Land on crusade; conquered Wales, extinguishing forever its native rulers, and constructing – at Conwy, Harlech, Beaumaris and Caernarfon – the most magnificent chain of castles ever created. He raised the greatest armies of the English Middle Ages, and summoned the largest parliaments; notoriously, he expelled all the Jews from his kingdom. The longest-lived of all England’s medieval kings, he fathered no fewer than fifteen children with his first wife, Eleanor of Castile, and after her death he erected the Eleanor Crosses – the grandest funeral monuments ever fashioned for an English monarch.
In this book, Marc Morris examines afresh the forces that drove Edward throughout his relentless career: his character, his Christian faith, and his sense of England’s destiny – a sense shaped in particular by the tales of the legendary King Arthur. He also explores the competing reasons that led Edward’s opponents (including Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and Robert Bruce) to resist him, and the very different societies that then existed in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The result is a sweeping story, immaculately researched yet compellingly told, and a vivid picture of medieval Britain at the moment when its future was decided.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well Researched, Balanced, and Very Readable,
By
This review is from: A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain (Paperback)
Another historical biography on a par with Adrian Goldsworthy...Excellent!! Morris walks us through the life of Edward Longshanks from his youth in the court of his weak father Henry III through his death on his failed expedition to take Scotland back from Robert Bruce in 1307.Morris works hard to help us think in terms of a 13th century European aristocrat, asking us to set aside our 21st century concepts of morality and fairness, that we might better understand Edward I and the times he lived in. His oppression, murder, and ultimate expulsion of England's Jews earned Edward not scorn but esteem in the eyes of his countrymen and others. The same is somewhat true of his brutal and barbaric treatment of the Welsh. The author draws a more positive conclusion on the life of Edward I then I come to. Yes he was a strong leader, able general, and a pious man for his age. Also though... he was a megalomaniac, he did care about his people, but he cared most about being the man who united the entire island under his sole dominion, know matter what the cost. And the cost was massive, leaving his incompetent son with massive debts in addition to the fact that he was complete TOOL. Morris almost presents the Scottish as the 'bad guys', because after conquering them he gave generous terms to conquered lords, and immediately after they rebelled again. Morris fails to show the reader how this looks from the Scottish perspective...being forced to lick the bootheel of an English king after always being an independent power. Edward was brought in to 'mediate' a succession crisis in good faith. Edward treacherously manipulated the situation to attempt to gain sole control of independent Scotland. In the end, Edwards ego and pride ensured that England had not advanced very far; Scotland was lost again, Ireland was being lost, and the Welsh continued to be troublesome. To his contemporaries he was Great, to me he was just Terrible. Great kings made a lasting impact; like Charlemagne or William the Conqueror. I disagree with Morris' conclusions but it was still a great book!
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5.0 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews) 19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Armies, castles, and crusades...,
By Mars Ultor "Eagle" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain (Paperback)
Edward I is the great thirteenth century king who forged Britian into an empire-be it for a short time. It was a great thrill, and I could hardly put the book down. It ranks as a close second to Ian Mortimer's books, if not equal to them. It was great.Edward was obivously a compact subject to cover. Hollywood made him into the ruthless Edward Longshanks, a man who hated freedom and an arrogant thug. The real man was very different. If Edward hated freedom, why did he allow Parliament to florish as it did? If he was arrogant, why did he travel with so many men in the Holy Land. Hollywood protrayed Edward so wrong, it was hard to bring the real man back into the picture. However, Marc Morris succeded where many failed. He picked up on Mortimer's new theory, and analized the man from is own time. He protaryed Edward as the glorius soldier and lawyer, the heroic crusader, and the old lion in the saddle in 1307, when he died at 68, yet on another campaign to conquer Scotland. Scotland was Edward's greatest ambition and the thing that alluded him the most, but it is fair to say that he came the closest to bring Scotland under England before 1707. Edward's was a great personality. Marc Morris's book soared to the heavens. It got me interested in 13th century Europe, and I'm hungary for Michael Prestwich's book on Edward I 15 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
King Edward I,
By Edward E. Westphal "westsongs" - Published on Amazon.com
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This review is from: A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain (Paperback)
One of the best history books that I have ever read. The author has a very casual, informal writing style that immediately engaged me and held my interest to the end of the book. He presented facts & details in a way that was easy to remember.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well crafted history and must read for anyone serious about English history,
By Darrel W. Ray "drdray" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain (Paperback)
As a student of English history all my life, A Great and Terrible King will now have a prominent place on my book shelf. Mr. Morris has done a wonderful job illuminating one of the greatest names in medieval history. It is well written and researched. Having traveled a good deal though northern Wales in the 1990's, I saw many of Edward's castles but had little appreciation for what I was seeing. The haunting Denas Bran made a strong impression on me when I first saw it, now even more so. The massive Caernarfon castle now makes perfect sense. One of the more interesting aspects of this history is how much the Arthurian myth influenced culture, political policy as well as diplomacy for the Edwardian court.If you enjoy a good read that will bring to light one of the most interesting characters in history let alone English history, get this book. |
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