"To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society."
                -- Theodore Roosevelt

Author Topic: 2 excellent Plantagenet Books!  (Read 6962 times)

LionPride32

  • New Forum Member
  • *
  • Posts: 49
  • New Member
2 excellent Plantagenet Books!
« on: 2014-04-04, 23:29:47 »
Greetings to all,

I recently got my hands on 2 books specifically about the Plantagenet family of monarchs, who , in my opinion, were the greatest of all kings and the true stars of the High Middle Ages.

The first book I acquired is "The Plantagenet Chronicles", by Derek Wilson which covers every king from Henry II to Richard III. This book is AMAZING!! It has tons of detailed info and a LOT of pictures from manuscripts over various centuries in the middle ages.

The second book is simply titled, "The Plantagenets" by Dan Jones, which is a bestseller if I'm not mistaken. Not as many pictures in this one, but it's a slightly easier read and packed with information.

I definetly recommend checking them out!






The second b

Ian

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 2,994
Re: 2 excellent Plantagenet Books!
« Reply #1 on: 2014-04-05, 00:21:40 »
Also my favorite line of Royals!  I'll have to check these out.
My YouTube Channel - Knyght Errant
My Pinterest

Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum

Sir Douglas

  • Artificer of Stuff and Things
  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ****
  • Posts: 815
  • In principio creavit Deus caelum et terram.
Re: 2 excellent Plantagenet Books!
« Reply #2 on: 2014-04-05, 00:47:09 »
I think I may have recently seen The Plantagenet Chronicles at the Half Price Book store. I'll have to see if it's still there the next time I'm up that way.
Per pale azure and argent, an eagle displayed per pale argent and sable, armed and langued or.

So a Norman, a Saxon, and a Viking walk into England....

Sir Rodney

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,118
  • Inquit Corvus
    • The Mercenary Company Nevermore
Re: 2 excellent Plantagenet Books!
« Reply #3 on: 2014-04-05, 03:18:49 »
I’ll second your recommendation of “The Plantagenet Chronicles" by Derek Wilson.

I was familiar with just bits and pieces until this book helped me put it all together chronologically.  There were some messed up dudes in that bunch!   :o
"Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say Ni at will to old ladies. There is a pestilence upon this land, nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history." - Roger the Shrubber

Sir Nate

  • Nathan
  • Yeoman of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • **
  • Posts: 1,702
Re: 2 excellent Plantagenet Books!
« Reply #4 on: 2014-04-05, 22:12:26 »
Do These books at all cover how the kings of that time Lived? Daily lives and things of that sort. Ive recently Decided I need to Learn more on medieval culture and overall Lifestyle, Not just Crusades, Battles in Eras, Arms and armor, etc.
Ill also get these to expand my knowledge of Kings of that time.
Nathan Phillip Max
Knight of the Order
"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil"

Don Jorge

  • Learning is living...
  • Yeoman of the Order
  • Forum Follower
  • **
  • Posts: 480
  • He who fears death is already dead...
Re: 2 excellent Plantagenet Books!
« Reply #5 on: 2014-04-07, 13:36:52 »
Hapsbergs all the way? Sorry I am biased...one of my favorite professors taught a whole class on them...

Ian

  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 2,994
Re: 2 excellent Plantagenet Books!
« Reply #6 on: 2014-04-07, 15:08:23 »
Do These books at all cover how the kings of that time Lived? Daily lives and things of that sort. Ive recently Decided I need to Learn more on medieval culture and overall Lifestyle, Not just Crusades, Battles in Eras, Arms and armor, etc.
Ill also get these to expand my knowledge of Kings of that time.

For material culture and daily lives of all three estates (if you're unfamiliar, the three estates of medieval culture are the Nobility, the Church and Everyone Else), I would recommend these two books for Anglo-Centric 14th c study:

Daily Life in Chaucer's England
The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England
« Last Edit: 2014-04-07, 18:31:34 by Ian »
My YouTube Channel - Knyght Errant
My Pinterest

Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum

Mike W.

  • Squire of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ***
  • Posts: 541
Re: 2 excellent Plantagenet Books!
« Reply #7 on: 2014-04-07, 18:10:34 »
The books by Joseph and Francis Gies are a good introductory source. Though not written by academic historians, the books do provide a very good overview, simple, and short.
D’azur à trois fasces d’argent, et au chef gueule chargé de trois étoiles d’or.

"The first duty of a man is the seeking after and the investigation of truth." - Marcus Tullius Cicero

Sir Nate

  • Nathan
  • Yeoman of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • **
  • Posts: 1,702
Re: 2 excellent Plantagenet Books!
« Reply #8 on: 2014-04-07, 23:25:43 »
Do These books at all cover how the kings of that time Lived? Daily lives and things of that sort. Ive recently Decided I need to Learn more on medieval culture and overall Lifestyle, Not just Crusades, Battles in Eras, Arms and armor, etc.
Ill also get these to expand my knowledge of Kings of that time.

For material culture and daily lives of all three estates (if you're unfamiliar, the three estates of medieval culture are the Nobility, the Church and Everyone Else), I would recommend these two books for Anglo-Centric 14th c study:

Daily Life in Chaucer's England
The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England

Ya, I know the life of the church back then, but have only recently brushed on nobility and commoners. I also want to know more on the cereal they had. I think I may go with the first, eventually both. Yet Im going to be working next week, Ill put it on my list.
The books by Joseph and Francis Gies are a good introductory source. Though not written by academic historians, the books do provide a very good overview, simple, and short.

Sounds good for me.
« Last Edit: 2014-04-07, 23:28:59 by Sir Nate »
Nathan Phillip Max
Knight of the Order
"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil"

Sir William

  • Cogito ergo sum
  • Knight of the Order
  • Forum Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 7,154
Re: 2 excellent Plantagenet Books!
« Reply #9 on: 2014-04-08, 17:49:22 »
The Wilson book is not available for Kindle; grrrrrr.
The Black Knight, Order of the Marshal
'Per Pale Azure and Sable, a Chevron counterchanged fimbriated argent.' 
“Pride makes a man, it drives him, it is the shield wall around his reputation.  Men die, but reputation does not.”

Sir Nate

  • Nathan
  • Yeoman of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • **
  • Posts: 1,702
Re: 2 excellent Plantagenet Books!
« Reply #10 on: 2014-04-09, 02:20:07 »
The Wilson book is not available for Kindle; grrrrrr.
You know I once said the difference between a book and nook/ kindle is that I can't pick up a 100 year old nook, open it has blow dust off of it and begin reading.
Nathan Phillip Max
Knight of the Order
"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil"

Mike W.

  • Squire of the Order
  • Forum Acolyte
  • ***
  • Posts: 541
Re: 2 excellent Plantagenet Books!
« Reply #11 on: 2014-04-09, 16:49:47 »
You also can't get used $30 e-books at a library basement sale for $1.
D’azur à trois fasces d’argent, et au chef gueule chargé de trois étoiles d’or.

"The first duty of a man is the seeking after and the investigation of truth." - Marcus Tullius Cicero

LionPride32

  • New Forum Member
  • *
  • Posts: 49
  • New Member
Re: 2 excellent Plantagenet Books!
« Reply #12 on: 2014-04-11, 23:42:16 »
The Plantagenet books do cover as much as their daily lives as a book on a family empire could. If you want to focus on one specific monarch, there are countless biographies on most of the best ones. Richard I is again my favorite, the facts, not so much the fantasy aspect of him. The Angevin Empire just totally blows me away, being king of england plus Duke of Aquitaine, Normandy, Anjou and Potiers, I believe. So much property, so little time! As far as good factual fiction, the Sharon K. Penman novels are fantastic. I'm reading "A King's Ransom" now and it kicks so much arse.