1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well Researched, Balanced, and Very Readable, Sep 2 2011
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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