Ruling England, 1042-1217

by Richard Huscroft

A new history of post-conquest England which makes the new kingdom accessible through a focus on its kings and how it was ruled, featuring the empire building dynasties. The central theme of the book is the rise and fall of English kingship during this period and at its heart is the central question of how the ruler of the most sophisticated kingdom in 12th century Europe was eventually compelled to submit to the humiliation of Magna Carta at the start of the thirteenth. The book also reaffirms the importance of high politics in English history. No proper understanding of the wider aspects of medieval history (social, economic, cultural) is possible without a firm grounding in political events, and this book covers these themes in depth.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, British Literature, Medieval History

264 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 2004

Reviews

[Lauren Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a brief but thorough history (200 pages), Huscroft manages great clarity covering a time period that usually confuses the heck out of me. This is an excellent introduction if you don't have much of a background.

[Bill38silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although not a fan of medieval history, I really enjoyed this book. It is divided into three parts (Late Anglo Saxon, Anglo Norman, and Angevin England. Within each part, the material is divided into 4 sections covering the reign of each of the 9 kings, ruling the kingdom (mainly how it was governed at royal and local level), the kings and the law, and the kings and the church.

This structure is fairly mechanical and there is some repetition and overlap. A simple chronological narrative may have achieved the same results. An interesting feature is the 1 page debate at the end of some chapters such as "What was the purpose of the Domesday survey?", "Did Richard 1 care about England?", "What was Magna Carta?"

Overall, this is a well -crafted overview of a period of significant change in English history. It may even lead me to read more about the villain of the peace, King John.

[Felix Adler · Rating 4 out of 5]

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