John of Gaunt: King of Castile and Leon, Duke of Aquitaine and Lancaster

by Sydney Armitage-Smith

"'Old John Gaunt, time-honoured Lancaster.'

What name on the roll of English princes is more familiar? What actor in the great drama of English history has been watched with less attention?

Two striking episodes in the Duke’s history have been related again and again, and from all points of view. The defence of John Wycliffe and the attack on Sir Peter de la Mare and William of Wykeham—these are the communes of the history of the Church and of the Constitution. But for the rest, the Duke makes his exits and his entrances, but it is upon the other players in the piece that the audience fix their attention.

His strong and persistent craving for continental royalty, the keynote to his character, has been strangely neglected. The man has never yet lived and moved among the historic figures of his age or nation. “Old John of Gaunt, and gaunt in being old:” the words have fixed in our minds the idea of a feudal magnate, the venerable uncle of a young and spendthrift king, but with Richard II, who asks “Can sick men play so nicely with their names?” we do not listen, but go on our way and leave him.

Yet, however inadequately conceived, the figure of John of Gaunt, which filled so large a place in the story of his times, has appealed to our imagination. Though the man is almost a stranger to us, his name is a household word. Traces of his doings are met with on every side, for he seems to have been everywhere and to have attempted everything."

This classic biography of John Gaunt is organized as follows:

Introduction
I. Birth of John of Gaunt
II. The First Campaign
III. The Invasion of Castile
IV. The Outbreak of War
V. The Naval Question
VI. The “Good” Parliament
VII. The Last Parliament of Edward III—Trial of Wycliffe—Quarrel With the City
VIII. Lancaster and the Church
IX. Death of Edward Iii
X. The Lancastrian Estates
XI. Lancaster Returns to Power
XII. Parliament and the King of Castile
XIII. The Second Invasion of Castile
XIV. John of Gaunt the Peacemaker
XV. The Duchy of Aquitaine
XVI. Lancaster’s Third Marriage

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

558 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1904

Reviews

[Janet Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve had a great regard for John of Gaunt since I first encountered him through his close connection with Chaucer so I was happy to find this well-written account of his life. Dating back to 1906 the style and vocabulary can seem strange to begin with but it never gets in the way. In fact for me it adds something – not quite like reading Chaucer in Middle-English - but all the same it’s a plus.

Sydney Armitage-Smith – more properly Sir Sydney Armitage Armitage-Smith – was a highly accomplished British historian. He was also a Victorian. So what he writes about in considerable detail is the life, career and impact of John of Gaunt, one of the most powerful men in 14th century England. What he does not write about is the personal aspects of Gaunt’s relationships. For that you’ll need an Alison Weir. But if like me you love starch-collar history, you might give this a try.

[Juliew. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't as personal as I would have liked.I never really got too much of sense of who John of Gaunt really was.There was too much french which the author took from an orginal source and never bothered to explain the entries .You just kinda had to follow along and hope what was said or what followed made sense.The deeper details which seemed few and far between were sandwiched like tantalizing treats between flowery poetry,lots of french and the dramas of the country.Not a bad book just not what I had hoped.

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm wavering between three and four stars. Very informative read - particularly where battles were concerned. Unfortunately that aspect of the middle ages is not as interesting to me.

Full review to come, this complimentary copy was sent to me by the publisher, Endeavour Press.

++++++

http://allthebookblognamesaretaken.bl...

www.facebook.com/AllTheBookBlogNamesA...

www.twitter.com/SarahsBookNook

I received a copy of this text for free directly from the publisher, Endeavour Press, in exchange for an honest review.

I am wavering back and forth on this one a bit, three stars or four. This was an incredibly informative read, in particular when it came to the Duke of Lancaster's military exploits (and unfortunate lack of success in most cases), but it was lacking in the areas I was most interested in - his personal life. I wanted to know more about his relationship and eventual marriage to Katherine Swynford and while the book touched on it, it never got quite as much attention as I would have liked. However, one must remember when reading this book, that it was first published in the early 1900s. Times have changed and new information may have come to light in that time that was not available to the author then. Or, perhaps more likely, the author was less concerned with that aspect of Lancaster's life. Either way, the book is heavy on the details of battle plans, which is not necessarily my area of interest. I kept reading though, because the book is still a well-written account of a most interesting life, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster - founder of the House of Lancaster and what would eventually lead to what we call today the War of the Roses.

Early on, the book is just as much about Lancaster's older brother Edward, the Black Prince, as it was about John. One would expect as much, seeing as how Lancaster was the fourth son (but third to survive to adulthood) of King Edward III and as a son so far down the line it was never expected that he would eventually play such an important role behind the throne. It is easy to understand then why there is not nearly as much information about him as we may like, and what we see from that time comes in relation to what is known of his older, just as famous, brother.

As an interesting (to me, at least) aside while on the topic of the Black Prince, I recently read an article concerning the siege at Limoges - where in the book it is discussed that the prince had roughly 3,000 thousand men, women, and children massacred. It actually may not have happened that way. New documents that have been discovered indicate that after the siege, this massacre may not have taken place but instead 300 hostages were taken. While we may never know for sure, it is an important point to make when reading older texts such as this that new information is being discovered all the time. And I would like to believe it did not happen, but the Middle Ages were quite a different world altogether and it can not be dismissed entirely; massacres like that occurred often in battle.

One of the most interesting sections to me occurred when it came to the non-battle-oriented aspects, such as the management of Lancaster's lands, who was in charge of what, etc. While this information was specific for Lancaster, it also could have been about any other noble with large landholdings, and I could appreciate the information as being just about the time period in general as it was about him. I love the Middle Ages and there are certainly times where the book focuses more on the period itself. I feel like maybe that was due to the fact that there were simply times in Lancaster's life that could not be accounted for, so generalities had to take the place of Lancaster-specific info. I am not entirely opposed to that practice, but there does need to be a balance between subject and general information.

I also enjoyed the sections detailing Lancaster's retreat and seeking refuge in Scotland. I do not think most people (who know of the time period) realize quite how many times Lancaster had to defend himself against his enemies who sought to bring him down. Many thought he was angling for the throne himself, which may well have been true. But time and again when he could have gone after it, he did not. It is intriguing to think about how different England might look today had that happened and he been successful. Or maybe not, seeing as how his son Henry Bolingbroke would go on to become King Henry IV anyway. Or, history could have gone a completely different direction had any of the Edwards (Edward III, Edward the Black Prince, and the Black Prince's son, also Edward) managed to live just a bit longer. Richard II might never have been king at all and that would be something to contemplate.

After I muddled through the Castile battles and plans and the like, I was excited to see a chapter regarding Katherine Swynford. I thought finally, what I have been waiting for. But alas, it was not solely devoted to this aspect of Lancaster's life and so I was a bit disappointed. I wanted to know so much about their life and their children, and perhaps I simply have to seek other books to find more information on this topic, for reasons I addressed above.

Overall, I can say that I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Middle Ages and the larger-than-life figures who lived in that age. This text will be of special interest to those who are keen on military information and the Hundred Years' War, as well as Lancaster's forays into Castile and Leon. Despite its age, the book is still very informative and would be a great addition to a medieval books collection.

[Mercedes Rochelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

John of Gaunt is an enigmatic figure to most of us. You can’t help but remember his famous speech in Shakespeare’s Richard II, using a play of words with his name. But by then he was at death’s door—weak and pitiful. We know he was hated by the city of London and lost his fabulous Savoy Palace, burned to the ground during the Peasants’ Revolt. He has come down to us as an arrogant, unyielding, aristocratic noble, but with the help of this biography we get to see the subtler side of Gaunt. He seems to have started out as all those things we remember, but throughout his career he became a successful and valued statesman, ambassador and—most importantly—protector of the king’s prerogative. Although many assumed that he had designs on the throne for himself, in reality it would have been against his honor to usurp the king, no matter how helpless, deserving, or ungrateful Richard may have seemed. He had his own crown to chase down—Castile—and though his efforts proved useless, he did manage to marry off two of his daughters to Spanish heirs who begat lines of kings that lasted hundreds of years. If he had been as good a general as he was a negotiator, perhaps history would have been kinder to his memory.

Here’s a good representation of Gaunt’s proficiency (during the Peasants’ Revolt while he was in Scotland): “John of Gaunt was a true Plantagenet; no sign of fear betrayed his secret to the Scottish envoys. While his couriers were riding with orders to the constables of his castles in Yorkshire and on the Welsh marches to garrison them for a siege and admit no one without letters under his seal, the Duke quietly went on with the negotiations, and by the offer of liberal terms persuaded the Scots to prolong the truce. Not till the compact was sealed did the Scots learn that they had lost the golden opportunity of attacking England in the hour of weakness.”

Richard, who disliked and feared the power of his uncle, encouraged him to go and claim his crown in Castle—only to discover that once the Duke was gone, he had lost his only protector. The Lords Appellant, intent on removing the king’s advisors, stripped Richard of all his powers while Gaunt was overseas. Richard learned his lesson well, and once he was in control again, recalled his uncle and showered him with favors. By then Gaunt had achieved the height of respectability and for the rest of his life he championed the king and strove to secure the future of his heirs. The author gives us a well-rounded depiction of this oft-maligned Duke, and I came to understand his disappointments as well as his accomplishments. I suspect he would have disapproved of his son’s usurpation of the throne, but of course Richard waited until he died to commence his scheme of depriving Henry of Gaunt’s vast patrimony. This was a well-written biography and quite useful to understanding the period.

[Therese · Rating 2 out of 5]

For some reason John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster has intrigued me, and although when he was first born, I’m sure most people didn’t give him much more than a passing glance since he was the fourth son of Edward III and the third to reach adulthood. Little did anyone know that although he would never be king, but not for lack of trying, his son and two of his daughters would be king and queens of England, Portugal, and Spain. John may also be known for the number of children he had with his three wives, but he was also a devoted son, brother, and uncle. Unfortunately this book fell short of what I was looking for. Every time I went to read, I felt like I had signed up for a very dry history class, and while this book is heavy on historical facts, particularly battles and politics, while I was looking for something a little more reader friendly. The author assumed that you not only new French and Latin since numerous passages were not translated, but it would certainly be beneficial to know the history of not only England, but France, Spain, and Portugal. I did pick up a few things of interest, and so it wasn’t a total loss.

[Melisende · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is what it is: a solid biography of John of Gaunt for the time (1904) covering all the major events. A worthy starting point and addition to any library despite the age of the tome.

[Phil Syphe · Rating 3 out of 5]

John of Gaunt: son of Edward III, uncle of Richard II, father of Henry IV, and ancestor of many a royal personage. This is a man in need of a biography; however, this one doesn’t make for enthralling reading.

As it was first published in 1904, I didn’t have high expectations for it, but I did expect it to stay on topic, which is does until the third chapter. John of Gaunt is hardly mentioned in the long-winded Chapter 3, which goes on and on about Pedro the Cruel, events in Castile, plus other subjects I didn’t expect to be reading. Straying off topic happens on and off throughout the book.

Even more annoying is the amount of French and Latin language. My ultimate pet hate in English literature is when authors use foreign languages and assume that because they understand so must their entire readership.

I’m pro-language-learning, but a book aimed at an English-speaking audience should only be written in English, or else you lock out the majority of readers. A good author should never do this. The reader should always come first, otherwise why bother to write for an audience?

I’ve rated this title three stars because some sections are engaging. You wouldn’t expect John of Gaunt’s life story to not be interesting. It would’ve been compelling if it remained on topic, in English, and not so dryly written.

[Eileen Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

An informative book of John of Gaunt, brother of Edward - later Edward III, and son of Edward II. Who, like Thomas Cromwell during the reign of King Henry VIII was the "power behind the throne", but unlike Cromwell, who did all he could to aid Henry, John was forever trying to undermine his nephew Richard II
who succeded his father.
As ever with people like John, he was finally defeated.
This account of the maschinations that went on during this tubulent time is a fascinating one and worthy of a place on anyone's bookshelf.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

John of Gaunt was someone who, as a history buff, I have heard about numerous times but have never really known about. This book was a detailed look at his life. It provided many facts about him and his family while not bogging down or feeling too slow (as fact ladened history books can).

**I received a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a review**

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first great biography of John of Gaunt. A masterful presentation of a fascinating life.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The language of the book, like his name, Sydney Armitage-Smith, is very old-fashioned but in that elegant, finished kind of way. And unlike books of today, Armitage-Smith assumes that we all know how to read Latin and French. So none of the many quotations are translated. Fortunately, google translate does a reasonable job of translating these days. Despite or because of the language, Sydney Armitage-Smith brings John Gaunt to life with all his faults, his touchiness, and his strength of character. A son of Edward III, but a middle child, he has little or no likelihood of ever becoming king of England, and he seems ok with that role, and his role as loyal supporter of whoever is current king (his father and Richard II). But he seems to yearn for a throne, a crown, of his own, and when Aquitaine falls from the English, he embarcks on an attempt to rule (through his wife, Constance) the land of Castile. This doesn't work so well either, but John of Gaunt becomes the father of many and sundry rulers in England and Europe from his three marriages: Blanche of Lancaster, Constance of Castile, and lastly and most importantly, Katherine of Swynford whose son Edward (Bolingbroke) eventually rules as Edward IV out of the ashes (perhaps) of the Wars of the Roses. A good book, worth reading again and again. It's very language and style is elevating, even when slogging incomprehensibly through all the convoluted vocabulary and syntax, not to mention the untranslated Latin and French.