The Reign of Edward III

by W. Mark Ormrod

The standard history of one of the most important medieval kings of England. The fifty-year reign of one of England's most charismatic leaders is rehabilitated in this lucid and incisive work. W.M. Ormrod traces Edward's life from his birth, when the very future of the monarchy in England was under threat, to his death when he was regarded throughout Europe as the very model of an ideal monarch. A revealing insight into the nature of Edward's relations and dealings with his subjects shows how the king was able to cultivate this image; political acumen and elaborate propaganda won the loyalty of his realm. The image of the chivalric court was inspirational in leading England through the trauma of the Hundred Years War, bitter clashes with Scotland and the arrival of the Black Death, which wiped out a third of the population. The grandeur motivated the forces of Edward and the Black Prince to famous victories over the French at Crécy and Poitiers, remembered to this day, and prompted Edward to claim the French throne. As the wealthiest monarch in Europe the king was able to finance his ambitions and foster a culture in which the likes of Geoffrey Chaucer were able to flourish.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 23, 1990

About the author

A specialist in the political structures and ideas of later medieval England, William Mark Ormrod, DPhil (Oxon), FSA, FRHistS, was a Professor in the Department of History and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of York. He was a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and of the Society of Antiquaries, served on a number of AHRC committees, was a Trustee of the Richard III and Yorkist History Trust, a Councillor of the Pipe Roll Society, and a former Councillor of the Royal Historical Society.

Chair of the British Academy English Episcopal Acta Project and a member of the Comitato Scientifico of the Datini Institute, Prato, Mark was a former general editor of York Medieval Press, a member of the editorial board of the Yorkshire Archaeological Journal and a co-editor of Fourteenth-Century England.

Reviews

[Marcus · Rating 2 out of 5]

A handsome book, nice paper stock, beautiful plates, nice heft in the hand, but don't judge a book, etc.
One of the most aesthetically pleasing, dry, dull, academic books I've read. Edward III reigned for 50 years & had two famous sons, his grandson caused the Wars of the Roses, the Black Death struck & the Hundred Years War started but this isn't the focus of the book. Instead the book is broken into sections: the King's reign, the bishops, the magnates & the merchants, which results in the same ground being covered over & over with added details of the structures for each component. It means that the crisis of 1341 (crown v parliament) is sketched out at the start where the whole reign is quickly described, then it's repeatedly referred to in the other sections, sometimes with other information but often without explaining what it is. There are some interesting tidbits but the lack of an overall assessment & consideration of key events leaves the whole thing rather niche & prosaic.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An authoritative examination of Edward III's rule, primarily concerning domestic matters. Quite dry in parts but this is on the academic end rather than a popular narrative history. The majority of the book analyses Edward III's relationship with and approach to the different factions and institutions of the realm, in an effort to draw a conclusion on the success of his reign beyond the fame of his exploits in France and Scotland. While brief in this book, some background on Edward III's part in the Hundred Years' War will provide some useful contextualisation for my next read, set in said era; Bernard Cornwell's Grail Quest series.

[Stephen Robert Kuta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very in-depth look at the life of Edward III, the politics and people that helped shape his reign. It was an interesting book but full of huge amounts of information that isn’t easily digested. It was well researched though and curated very nicely. Great book if you want to study everything that influenced his life and decision making.

[Stuart · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't a book for me. I think it may be a great academic book, but i like more readable history and this read like a Pd D dissertation. So good to read one chapter for research, but very hard to read the whole thing at once.