Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century

by Helen Carr

The death of Edward I in 1307 marked the beginning of a period of intense turmoil and change in England. The fourteenth century ushered in the beginning of the bloody Hundred Years’ War with France, an epic conflict with Scotland that would last into the sixteenth century, famine in Northern Europe and the largest human catastrophe in known history, the Black Death.

Through the epic drama of regicide, war, the prolonged spectre of bubonic plague, religious antagonism, revolt and the end of a royal dynasty, this book tells the story of the fourteenth century via the lives of Edward II, Edward III and Richard II – three very different monarchs, each with their own egos and ambitions, each with their own ideas about England and what it meant to wield power.

Alongside the lives of the last Plantagenets, it also uncovers lesser-known voices and untold stories to give a new portrait of a fractured monarchy, the birth of the struggle between Europeanism and nationalism, social rebellion and a global pandemic.

Sceptred Isle is a thrilling narrative account of a century of revolution, shifting power and great change – social, political and cultural – shedding new light on a pivotal period of English history and the people who lived it.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Audiobook, British Literature, Biography

464 pages, Hardcover

First published May 29, 2025

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clearly very well researched and a topic of great interest to the author. It was a quick overview of a very consequential century, and it was curious to see what the author was important to highlight.

**update: My daughter has been researching her father's genealogy...apparently I am married to the descendant of an illegitimate Plantagenet...*

*...which is right up there with my ancestor and his unfortunate court martial experience at Gettysburg...he was acquitted, btw!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helen Carr writes a rich and vivid depiction of the 14th century in England. Although it is focused primarily on the royal family, and the succession from monarch to monarch, wider events are covered also, such as the Black Death and the Peasants Revolt.

The "protagonists" as it were, are the kings of the era, from Edward I at the turn of the century, through to Henry IV, who in 1399 had deposed his cousin, Richard II. Carr does such a great job of bringing these characters to life, providing the reader with insight into the personalities and motives. Other major players adjacent to the throne are heavily featured, including Edward II's companions Piers Gaviston and Hugh Despenser, Edward III's sons Edward the Black Prince and John of Gaunt, as well as the Lords Appellant.

While this book was informative, well-written and comprehensive, I can't help but feel like it could have been at least a hundred pages longer. Some sections, such as the Peasants Revolt felt a little brief. 4.5 stars - very enjoyable, I'd actively look to pick up anything else by Helen Carr.

[Emily Hird · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you haven’t read about this period of history before, then this book is absolutely for you! It’s easy to follow and very well written. It allows the reader to experience this period of history like a story rather than an academic essay which is always brilliant to see in terms of accessibility.

However, if you have read a lot about this period of history it might be a little disappointing. I felt it skimmed over massive chucks of history or important people without much care. Especially the last chapter, it felt very rushed and cramped in. This book claimed at the beginning to bring something new and personally I could not find it. There are much better more detailed books on each of the kings that I would rather read.

So overall, for someone new to history or this period of history it’s brilliant and I would absolutely recommend. For those who already have a good understanding stick to the more specific books like “The Eagle and the Hart” or “The Perfect King”. This book just tries to do too much in too few pages for the more experienced audience.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed ‘The Red Prince’, Helen Carr’s superlative biography of John of Gaunt, so needless to say I was very excited for ‘Sceptred Isle’, which tells the story of the 14th century, one of the most dramatic and turbulent centuries in British medieval history.
Beginning with the accession of King Edward II in 1307, Helen Carr takes her readers on a tour of the calamitous 1300s, a time of plague, uprisings, and war, as well as medieval kingship at its best and at its worst. All of the events you would expect to be covered are here, and the journey you go on is very entertaining. Helen Carr’s books are always well researched, and she makes history accessible and enjoyable no matter what your level or knowledge or expertise, which is certainly the case here. She also throws in a few facts that a lot of people probably won’t be aware of. For example, who knew the central character from the 2001 Hollywood film, ‘A Knight’s Tale’, was a real knight? I certainly didn’t.
The only downside of the book for me was its length. It comes to just under 300 pages, excluding notes, which means most of the events are not covered in a great deal of depth as there simply isn’t enough time to do so. I personally would have liked some extra pages which would have allowed for greater depth and analysis. I still enjoyed the book very much, but that would have made it even better for me. However, as popular history books go, this one is a goodie and I highly recommend checking it out if you like medieval history.

[Hannah M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the narrative style of this book. It made quite a distant piece of history feel human and interesting. I was rooting for my favourites and booing my enemies off the page.

Hugh Despenser the Younger, you should know that people (me) are celebrating your death and downfall 700 years after it occurred.

Edward III, you can hit it (also me) anytime.

[Juliet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very accessible and readable book about England in the 14th century. I really enjoyed this book

[alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I was excited to read this as I had read previous books that danced around this period and one particular bio on the Black Prince. However, it sadly fell short and wasn't sure what it wanted to be. It was trying to be more of a pop history book but parts of it were still quite dry. It also wasn't written super well and there were certain parts (especially towards women) where it gets incredibly detailed but overly so on mundane things. Still, for a brief overview of the monarchs of that age, it's a passable read.

[Bethany Currie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! It helps that this covers pretty much all my favorite historical figures so I’m biased, but this a perfectly readable narrative of a complicated time period.

[Jonathan Crain · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century," Helen Carr offers a meticulously researched and refreshingly empathetic reinterpretation of fourteenth-century England. Eschewing the well-worn narrative of relentless calamity—plague, famine, and war—Carr opts instead for a broader and more humane exploration of a century often oversimplified. The result is not a romanticized counter-narrative but a work that insists on complexity and, above all, the humanity of its subjects.

Carr structures her account around the reigns of three Plantagenet kings—Edward II, Edward III, and Richard II—but avoids the trap of royal biography. Her focus is thematic: power and its emotional burdens, social upheaval in the wake of the Black Death, and the fragility of political legitimacy. What distinguishes this book is her refusal to render history as a set of inevitabilities. Instead, she presents historical actors as people with limited information, powerful emotions, and flawed judgment. Edward II is not merely a failed monarch but a man unmoored by grief and dependent on intimacy; Richard II is not merely a tyrant but a deeply insecure ruler, possibly suffering from a diagnosable personality disorder.

The Recurring Tragedy of Royal Favoritism

Central to Carr's analysis is a pattern that runs like a dark thread through the century. As she observes: "The result was a mirror image of a not-so-distant past: a king protecting his favourite; a court of corruption, treason, deceit and murder." This cycle of royal favoritism leading to governmental collapse becomes the book's most compelling theme, demonstrated repeatedly across the reigns she examines.

The pattern begins with Edward II's catastrophic relationship with Piers Gaveston, whose arrogance toward the nobility—calling the Earl of Gloucester "whoreson" and Warwick "the black dog of Arden"—epitomized the dangerous inversion of traditional hierarchy. When Gaveston was brutally executed, the cycle merely repeated with Hugh Despenser the Younger, whose greed and manipulation eventually triggered Isabella's invasion and Edward's deposition. Even the successful Edward III fell prey to this weakness in his later years when his relationship with Alice Perrers damaged his reputation and contributed to governmental corruption.

Most tellingly, Richard II's reign "show[ed] alarming parallels with his great-grandfather [Edward II], particularly in his dangerous decision to allow favourites to dominate his court circle." Robert de Vere's influence over the young king created the same tensions that had led to the downfall of Edward II, ultimately contributing to Richard's downfall. Carr's insight that these dangerous intersections of personal need and political power were not isolated failures of character but a systemic problem with absolute monarchy itself is profound.

A Methodology of Empathy

But Carr does not confine herself to the elite. She draws ordinary voices into the narrative through the careful use of petitions, wills, and administrative records. The widow pleading for aid after Scottish raids, the childless merchant drafting a will amid plague fears, and the female rebel navigating the chaos of the Peasants' Revolt—all find space in a tapestry that is as social as it is political.

Carr's engagement with sources is both rigorous and transparent. She acknowledges the biases and narrative flourishes of monastic chroniclers and uses a technique she terms "reading against the grain" to extract overlooked details and emotional truths. Her inclusion of literature and art from the period—Arthurian myths, courtly rituals, the Wilton Diptych—not only deepens the cultural texture but underscores her central claim: that history is not just about events but about the stories people told themselves to make sense of them.

Perhaps the book's most important contribution is its insistence that emotional history matters. "This is a book about unravelling certain human lots," Carr declares, "and has two themes to its narrative—power and humanity." She is not interested in exoneration or condemnation. She is interested in understanding how power felt, how grief shaped decisions, and how ideology was both constrained and emboldened. That she can do this without slipping into sentimentality is a testament to her control of both narrative and evidence.

More than an accessible introduction to a complex century, "Sceptred Isle" is a meaningful intervention in how we write and read history. It offers a reading experience that is both intellectually rigorous and emotionally resonant while demonstrating a form of historical inquiry that is both critical and humane.

"Sceptred Isle" stands out in what is becoming a crowded field of medieval history, not for the novelty of its subject but for its clarity of purpose and precision of execution. Carr is not revising the fourteenth century to make it feel modern—she is asking us to recognize that its people were never so distant to begin with.

[Heidi Malagisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Plantagenets, a dynasty that ruled England for over three hundred years. At least that is if you include the Lancasterian and Yorkist kings. Otherwise, the reign of the Plantagenets ended with Richard II being overthrown. So, how did the Plantagenets fall? How did wars, favoritism, and the plague factor into the fall? Helen Carr examines these questions and the rule of three kings over the fourteenth century in her latest book, “Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century.”

I have really enjoyed Helen Carr’s insight into medieval English history in her book, The Red Prince, so when I heard she was writing a book about the Plantagenets again, with a focus on the fourteenth century, I was excited to read it. The idea in this book that caught my attention was the idea that the Plantagenet dynasty ended when Henry of Bolingbroke overthrew Richard II. As someone who believes that the Plantagenet dynasty ended with the death of Richard III, the concept that it ended almost a century earlier is intriguing.

We begin our adventure with a double reburial of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, the idea of King Edward I and his wife Eleanor of Castile. It was a kind gesture, but the prophecy that was left behind would be almost prophetic. With the death of King Edward I, the Hammer of the Scots, the throne passed to his son Edward II. While Edward I was a strong warrior, Edward II was a handsome prince who only cared about his favorites, Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despenser the Younger. It would cause those around him, including his wife, Isabella of France, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, to take action against him. Isabella and Mortimer placed Edward III on the throne, but they would soon learn that Edward III was not as passive as his father.

Edward III would return to the warrior state of mind like his grandfather Edward I. With his wife Philippa of Hainault, they would have a large family with many sons, including John of Gaunt and Edward the Black Prince. It would be Edward III who would try to take the French throne for England in a conflict known as the Hundred Years’ War (not the quickest war, and it didn’t go the way Edward III envisioned it). And to top it all off, Edward III had to deal with the emergence of the Black Death and how it affected not only his own family but England and Europe as a whole.

Before Edward III died, his heir, the Black Prince, died, which meant that the Black Prince’s son, Richard II, was destined to be the next king. However, youth and favoritism failed the king as chaos reigned ever since the start of his reign, with the Peasants’ Revolt, and ended with Henry of Bolingbroke becoming the first Lancastrian King, Henry IV.

This was another wonderful book by Helen Carr. It demonstrates Carr’s ability to balance extensive research with a narrative format to create an accessible history book that novices and experts will equally enjoy. My only qualm with this book, if you can call it an issue, is that I wanted it a bit longer so we get more analysis of how this one century affected English and European history as a whole. If you want a book that dives into the history of one of England’s most tumultuous centuries, I highly recommend you read “Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century” by Helen Carr.

[Rina Di Raimo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I even begin with this book? Maybe with Helen Carr herself. I first came across her a year ago when I purchased her book, The Red Prince: The Life of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster. It's still waiting for me, patient on my shelf, but now it feels like a promise I can't wait to keep because this new book, Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century, reminded me why I read history at all.

Carr is a rare kind of writer. She doesn't just tell history; she inhabits it.

She took what I thought I already knew, stories I've read countless times, and made them feel electric, alive, and urgent. I was reading events I could recite in my sleep, and yet somehow, with her at the helm, I felt like I was meeting these familiar characters for the very first time. That's not just good writing. That's brilliance.

She is a narrator in full command of her craft. It never feels heavy-handed. It feels like being guided by someone who loves history so profoundly that you can't help but fall in love with it too. There's no hesitation in her prose, no wasted moment. She knows exactly where she wants to take you and how she wants you to feel when you arrive. Her writing is deliberate, assured. Every chapter feels necessary. Nothing drags, and it's usually a great thing, but this time I wished she dragged more! Two hundred seventy-eight pages are NOT enough!

What impressed me most is the balance she strikes, thorough without being overwhelming, engaging without losing scholarly weight. Each chapter is a gift: compelling, surprising, and, above all, never dull. It holds your attention, not because of unnecessary drama, but because Carr understands how to shape history into a narrative without sacrificing accuracy. Every chapter had momentum, and I never felt the urge to skim ahead.

This is not just a retelling of familiar events. It's a reminder that even well-worn stories can surprise us when told by the right writer. It's an invitation to look again, to see what we thought we already understood from a new vantage point.

Part Three, the whole of it, was so precise, so clean in its telling, that I read it twice, as if once were not enough to hold it. But it was the women who stayed with me, as they always do. The chapters called ‘The Three Sisters,’ ‘She-wolf of France,' and 'The Princess and the Plague’ were the ones I carried with me long after I had closed the book.
Helen Carr doesn't just write history. She reminds us why stories matter, why they endure, and why they continue to call us back.
If I have one small wish, it's that the book had been longer. A few chapters felt a little too short, and another hundred pages would have allowed her to linger on details I would have happily read more about.

Still, that doesn't change the fact that this is a stunning book. Five stars out of five.

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

SCEPTERED ISLE is an overview of England in the fourteenth century from the ascension of Edward II to the deposition of Richard II. It does a good job of introducing the reader to the complexities of this century - and the many characters involved.

This books is about 300 pages and covers 100 years that involve two depositions (arguably three), the start of the Hundred Years' war, and plenty of attempted coups by kings and courtiers alike. It is not a simple era to get your head around but Helen Carr does an impressive job of conveying the overarching events to the reader such that it is easy to gain an appreciation for the turmoil of this century.

The fourteenth century is one of the ones that fascinates me - and thus I know a lot about. In these situations, overarching histories often don't work for me as I keenly feel the necessary absence of events (and sometimes nuance) in order to fit it all in. I didn't feel that here. I liked the combination of bird's eye view and analysis of the inner world of kingship - and the different opinions of what it meant to those wielding it.

This zoomed out view also helps highlight the tragedy of these reigns, the promising beginnings wasted or the ones seemingly doomed from the start. It provides a compelling narrative, watching things spiral from the many internal problems faced by England, exacerbated by the flaws in its kings. It does a good job at humanising these men who lived centuries ago - and have had many chroniclers stamp their own interpretations on (often dictated by the propaganda needs of their patrons.)

[Oli Turner]

#sceptredisle By #helencarr published in 2025. A broad strokes history of the 14th century. Squeezing 100 years into less than 300 pages must have been challenging. There are some insightful anecdotes and it is very readable and engaging. Not a huge amount of depth but it doesn’t appear to be designed as that type of book.
Starting with the end of the reign of edward I longshanks/hammer of the Scots
The coronation of Edward II and his close relationship with piers gaveston as well as their mismanagement of the realm, gaveston’s multiple exiles, returns and eventual murder by the nobility, clashes with Robert Bruce and the English defeat at bannockburn, his deteriorating relationship with his wife Isabella, his refusal to pay homage to the king of France, his abdication and replacement with his son Edward III. Edward iii’s rebellion against his mother Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer. Ed3 being a much better king than his father and more like his grandfather - ultimately he kept the nobility happy. the beginning of the Hundred Years’ War. Ed3’s son the black prince, Crecy, Black Death, Poitiers. The Death of the black prince, the death of ed3. Ed3’s grandson (black prince’s son) Richard2 becomes a very young king, Peasant revolt, R2 mismanagement and psychological problems and eventual usurpation by Henry Bolingbroke.

[Christine Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting, well researched popular history of the fourteenth century. It is a thoughtful yet pacy narrative of an era beginning with the death of Edward 1 in 1307 ushering in a century of wars, plague. famine, regicide and revolt and ending with the deposition of Richard 11 in 1399. The author tells the story of the fourteenth century via the lives of three kings - Edward 11, Edward 111 and Richard 11 - three very different monarchs with different conceptions of what it meant to rule England and to wield power. Lesser known voices are also included in the narrative adding to the fluency and vividness of the Middle Ages` most terrible century.


An excellent account of an important though lesser known period of history.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a popular history of the 14th century -- Edward II, Edward III, Richard II, Crecy, the Black Death etc -- this does the job. I know more than I did when I started reading it. It was particularly strong on the Black Death.

But it needs a better edit. Too often it will say something like "Henry, Duke of Lancaster", and then two sentences below "the Duke of Lancaster, Henry". It sometimes feels as if you are reading separate paragraphs that have been entered without reference to what went before. Annoying.

Otherwise, an easy history.

[A D · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subtitle to this book is - A new history of the 14th century. It’s not. It’s a brief overview of the reign of the three kings of England in the 14th century. There’s nothing new in here that you couldn’t have found out on Wikipedia. It’s not bad, and if you’re starting out taking an interest in medieval history then it’s reasonably entertaining. It’s just too big a subject to be covered in 278 pages.

[Andy Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this very readable book. Having previously read books on Edward I and Edward the III it was helpful to read a book covering the whole of the fourteenth century including the more controversial lives of Edward II and Richard II and to see the whole sweep of the century including the wars with Scotland and France , the Black Death and the Renaissance in context.

[Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly enjoyable and fast-paced, this is a rollicking narrative history of fourteenth century England from Edward I to the last Plantagenet, Richard II. Carr's writing is incredibly engaging and highlights the humanity of the period.

[Kronk · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book. Detailed enough for some real insight, but also not just a never-ending list of people and dates so very readable. Amazing how different these Kings all were. Biggest tragedy in history has got to be the death of the Black Prince. But then again, we might never have got a Henry V....

[Artie LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable canter through the reigns of Edward II, Edward III and Richard II. It is necessarily not a deep dive, as there are only 276 pages, but it fills in lots of gaps for those such as me who have never studied this period.

Recommended.

[Keely · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I'm not sure what is "new", this book is well researched and really interesting. I really love the connections of how similar Edward II and Richard II in some aspects were.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

another awesome read by a great historian

[Alex K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!

[Stephen King · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful immersive experience covering in detail the military, political and social history of the 14th century. Marred by a few editing snafus (typos) etc, this is otherwise a wonderful read.

[James Mattera Jr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read and perfect companion to Jones’ Henry V.

[Imogen · Rating 5 out of 5]

a brilliant read.

[Joshua Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75/5

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic road map to the fourteenth century - bloomin pleasure to read!

[Mia Janett · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Anna Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this highly readable whistle-stop tour of the fourteenth century. My only critique is that some sections felt too short, and I would love to have read more about the last quarter of the book.