The Angevin Kings

Book categories: Angevins, Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, William Marshall, Thomas Becket, Richard I, King John, Crusades, Fiction, Children's Books, DVDs, Plantagenets, Normans, English History

The Angevin Dynasty

Angevin England: 1154-1258 by Richard Mortimer. Covers the reigns of Henry II, his sons Richard the Lionheart and John, and much of that of his grandson Henry III. Includes maps, genealogies, and illustrations.

The Angevin Empire by John Gillingham. The Angevin Empire stretched from the Scottish border to the Pyrenees. Its rulers -- Henry II, Richard I and John -- were the most powerful people in Western Europe. How were these territories brought together? How were they ruled? This book offers answers about the empire and why it eventually fell.

England and Its Rulers, 1066-1272: With an Epilogue on Edward I (1272-1307) by M. T. Clanchy. This authoritative account of English history brings the chronicle sources to life and makes original assessments of kings and political events.

The 12th and 13th Centuries: 1066-C.1280 edited by Barbara F. Harvey. Provides a readable account of the history of the British Isles from the Norman Conquest to the eve of the Welsh rebellion against Edward I in 1282. From Oxford University Press.

England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings, 1075-1225 by Robert Bartlett. Provides a vivid picture of everyday existence in Norman and Angevin times.

More Books About the Angevins
Books About the Plantagenet Family
Books About the Normans

King Henry II & His Court

Henry Plantagenet by Richard Barber. This readable and accessible biography offers both a study of Henry's character and an estimate of his work as a ruler.

Henry II by W. L. Warren. Biography that examines Henry both as a man and a great king. From the Yale English Monarchs series.

Henry II: A Medieval Soldier at War, 1147-1189 by John D. Hosler. Examines the English king's military career, arguing that he sought to expand his empire by direct confrontation and was a proficient commander.

The Devil's Crown: A History of Henry II and His Sons by Richard Barber. A vivid historical survey of three of the most striking characters among the kings of England: Henry II and his sons Richard and John. A tie-in with a BBC2 series, the book includes extensive genealogical charts.

More Books About Henry II
Books About Henry's Wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine

William Marshall

William Marshal: The Flower of Chivalry by George Duby, translated by Richard Howard. This biography of William Marshal, earl of Pembroke, vividly brings to life the era of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Marshal was an adviser to king Henry II, Richard I, and John, and regent for Henry III.

William Marshal: Court, Career and Chivalry in the Angevin Empire 1147-1219 by David Crouch. Written in an engaging style, this text shows that William Marshal was not a bone-headed warrior. He lived in a sophisticated world, and threaded his way through the minefield of the royal courts with courage and panache.

Thomas Becket

Thomas Becket by Frank Barlow. Becket, a friend of Henry II, became the Archbishop of Canterbury. Murdered by a group of knights for failing to cooperate with the king, he was regarded as a martyr and quickly canonized.

More Books About Thomas Becket

Richard I (Richard Lionheart)

Richard I by John Gillingham. Biography from the Yale English Monarchs series.

The Three Richards: Richard I, Richard II and Richard III by Nigel Saul. Richard I was a crusading hero; Richard II was an authoritarian aesthete; Richard III was the most famous villain in English history. This joint biography shows how much the three kings had in common.

Richard the Lionheart: The Mighty Crusader by David Miller. King Richard I demonstrated a brilliant grasp of military strategy and tactics. He was the only Crusader commander who managed to get an army to Palestine without going bankrupt in the process.

Richard the Lionheart by Jean Flori. This biography examines Richard I's roles as a prince, a king, and a model of chivalry.

Richard and John: Kings at War by Frank McLynn. Shows how incompetent a king John really was, and how impressive his brother Richard the Lionheart was, despite his long absence from the throne.

The Troubadour's Song: The Capture and Ransom of Richard the Lionheart by David Boyle. On his journey home from the Third Crusade, Richard the Lionheart was shipwrecked and eventually taken hostage by Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI, who demanded a majestic ransom.

A History of the Life of Richard Coeur-de-lion, King of England by G. P. R. James. Analyzes Richard's life and its relation to the feudal system in England, chivalry, knighthood, and the Crusades.

Warriors of God by James Reston Jr. is about Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade.

More Books About Richard the Lionheart
Books About the Crusades

King John (John Lackland)

King John: England's Evil King? by Ralph Turner. Biography of the ill-tempered man who is reputed to be the worst of England's kings.

King John by W. L. Warren. This biography is a study of the king, his political misfortunes, and his times.

Magna Carta and the England of King John by Janet S. Loengard. What was England like in 1215? How was King John perceived by those who knew him? Essays analyze earlier Angevin rulers, John's court, baronial fear of the king, discontent over the royal forests, and more.

King John: New Interpretations edited by S. D. Church. A collection of essays about the king.

The Household Knights of King John by S. D. Church. The royal household comprised men from most ranks of society, from the great magnates of the realm to servants who looked after the day-to-day needs of the king and his court.

The Northerners: A Study in the Reign of King John by James C. Holt. A study of the origins of the rebellion which culminated in the events at Runnymede.

Magna Carta: Text and Commentary by A. E. Dick Howard. Provides the full text of the Magna Carta in English, as well as a chapter-by-chapter discussion of its history and provisions.

More Books About King John

Historical Fiction

The Greatest Knight: The Unsung Story of the Queen's Champion by Elizabeth Chadwick. A penniless young knight, William Marshal is plucked from obscurity when he saves the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine. But being a royal favorite brings danger.

Queen Without A Country by Rachel Bard is a novel about Richard the Lionheart's wife, Berengaria.

Isabella: Queen Without a Conscience by Rachel Bard. Novel about Isabella of Angoulême, wife of England's King John.

King John by William Shakespeare. A 16th century play.

Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman is a gripping and emotional novel about King John's daughter Joanna, who married a Welsh prince who was her father's enemy. I have read this novel, and I highly recommend it. It's the first book in a trilogy; the other two books are Falls the Shadow, about England's Henry III, and The Reckoning, about Edward I's conquest of Wales.

Novels About Eleanor of Aquitaine
Novels by Jean Plaidy

Children's Books

King Richard the Lionhearted and the Crusades in World History by Craig A. Doherty and Katherine M. Doherty. Biography for children ages 9 to 12.

Richard the Lionhearted and the Third Crusade: The English King Confronts Saladin, AD 1191 by David Hilliam and Lee Hancock. For young adult readers.

Richard the Lionheart: Crusader King of England by Thomas Streissguth. Biography for children ages 9 to 12.

Richard the Lionheart by Susan Harkins. Biography for children ages 9 to 12.

Richard the Lionheart: The Life of a King and Crusader by David West. Nonfiction for children ages 9 to 12.

If All the Swords in England: A Story of Thomas Becket by Barbara Willard, illustrated by Robert M. Sax. A fictional account of Becket's murder, for young adult readers.

Children's Books About Eleanor of Aquitaine

---

Movies and Documentaries

These DVDs are formatted for North American audiences.

The Lion in Winter stars Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine and Peter O'Toole as Henry II. Both were nominated for Academy Awards. (She won, he didn't.) Also stars Timothy Dalton and Anthony Hopkins in their feature film debuts. (Review © Amazon.com.)

Becket starring Peter O'Toole as Henry II and Richard Burton as his friend the Archbishop of Canterbury. This is one of my favorite movies. It won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay.

Becket or the Honor of God by Jean Anouilh. Read the play on which the movie was based.

DVDs About the Normans
DVDs About the Plantagenets