Henry Plantagenet: A Biography of Henry II of England

by Richard Barber

Henry II is the most imposing figure among the medieval kings of England. His fiefs and domains extended from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, and his court was frequented by the greatest thinkers and men of letters of his time, besides ambassadors from all over Europe. This readable and accessible biography offers both a study of his character, and an estimate of his work as a ruler, work which is in a sense the history of his life, since it occupied his entire energies from his accession at the age of twenty-one to his death thirty-five years later. Nor is this the mere routine of government; from the desolate and lawless anarchy of Stephen's reign, and against the opposition of the great magnates and the Church, he built in England a stable and prosperous realm, and welded his diverse inheritance overseas into a single, and by the standards of the time, peaceful, unit. Only the folly of John dispersed his empire, and his work in England left an enduring mark on the institutions by which we are governed today.RICHARD BARBER's other books include Tournaments, with Juliet Barker, Edward Prince of Wales and Aquitaine, The Life and Campaigns of the Black Prince, The Knight and Chivalry and books on King Arthur; he is currently working on a study of the legend of the Holy Grail. 1154-1189

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

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Richard William Barber is a prominent British historian who has been writing and publishing in the field of medieval history and literature ever since his student days. He has specialised in the Arthurian legend, beginning with a general survey, Arthur of Albion, in 1961, which is still in print in a revised edition. His other major interest is historical biography; he has published on Henry Plantagenet (1964) and among his other books is the standard biography of Edward the Black Prince, Edward Prince of Wales and Aquitaine. The interplay between history and literature was the theme of The Knight and Chivalry, for which he won the Somerset Maugham Prize in 1971 and he returned to this in The Holy Grail: Imagination and Belief (2004); this was widely praised in the UK press, and had major reviews in The New York Times and The Washington Post.

His other career has been as a publisher. In 1969 he helped to found The Boydell Press, which later became Boydell & Brewer Ltd, one of the leading publishers in medieval studies, and he is currently group managing director. In 1989, Boydell & Brewer Ltd, in association with the University of Rochester, started the University of Rochester Press in upstate New York. The group currently publishes over 200 titles a year.

Reviews

[David Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

A solid if not terribly informative biography of Henry II I can only give it two stars because it barely explored the relationship between Henry and his wife itself a crime nor with his sons or with the major powers on continental Europe a shame. I finished this book with not a lot more knowledge of Henry than when I started

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Less comprehensive than Henry II by Warren, but if you want something shorter, this is THE book on Henry II (after Warren's, of course). Again, historical writers can take tips from Barber on how to write a "keep reading" biography.

[Ruth Harwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good biography is obviously hard to find - hence why I found this (how long has it been in my piles hiding??) US copy of a 1964 (1990s print) biography! Not sure how, maybe one day, a decade ago, or far enough I can't actually recall, I saw this on Amazon & bought it. One of the great mysteries of the mind is that we can recall the most trivial things & forget important things - obviously I wonder why I didn't read it before!!
Great writing, as well! Very well done, as the devil's brood, as he and Eleanor of Aquitaine's children are known (Richard, later Lionheart, for example, shot an arrow at his father, though that's something I picked up elsewhere, not a spoiler!) are known, can be a difficult group to get a feel for, and it's all so political and dry in reality that making such things interesting or at least less academic, as can the episodes with Becket, who was obstinate and one of those friends you should keep closer because they're not really friends... A saint should never be slated, though, I think, can I get lynched for it nowadays? I hope not!
Here, it's all explained, sometimes a little boring or academic or confusing (we no longer have the link of Church and state that made such arguments possible), and I'm not sure it's made interesting, but at least the reader comes away knowing the author knew his stuff & tried not to bore the reader.
I know there are better biographies out there, especially with new evidence and opinions out there all the time, almost 60 years later, but at times it's good to get back to the older writing as it's good to have differing opinions and impressions to compare and analyse, or just for the simple enjoyment of knowing what happened. Fiction has tried, & sometimes partially succeeded, in writing of this time, but there's nothing like the facts to get your teeth into how the past reflects & affects the present.

[Amanda Langdon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly, I feel like this book epitomizes the worst stereotypes of history: dry recitations of dates and battles, with no humanity. The facts were there, but they were so dully stated, it was a challenge to finish. This is little more than a book-length bulleted list of "Henry met this opponent at this location on this date and the outcome was this," or "The King of France moved against Henry on this date, and Henry met him at this location and besieged this castle and won this battle." There was no soul in it. What makes Henry a fascinating figure in history were his interactions with those around him. But all this biography focused on were the dates, his political maneuvers, his military triumphs and defeats. There are *titles* mentioned (King of France, Count of Flanders, etc.) but not really any *people*. They're nothing more than stock two-dimensional cardboard cutouts, not breathing men (and certainly not women!) coming to life off the page. Now, before you say, "well, there's a difference between real history and historical fiction," I know! I have an appreciation for both, each on their own merits. But when Eleanor of Aquitaine is almost entirely absent from the entire book, and her imprisonment was only mentioned *once in passing*, you know it's not a real biography on the life of Henry II. Seriously, how can you have a book about Henry II without talking about the tumultuous, passionate, love-hate relationship he had with his wife? She was known for siding with her sons in rebellion against her husband, and yet that conflict is not mentioned -- not ONCE -- let alone explored! A very disappointing read, even for a medievalist who reads textbooks for fun.

[Mark Valentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alacrity, celerity: Henry II raced death, kings, archbishops, women, and his sons. He raced them in his mind and in his actions. He rode hundreds of miles in weeks to be at a council or negotiation; he survived a shipwreck at sea; he sped through relationships; his mind never rested.

Barber marches through his life, explaining the family and genealogies well. He has a great explanation of the fiasco that haunted Henry until his end--the assassination of Archibishop Thomas Becket, his friend. I wished Barber had spent equal attention devoted to Henry's family life but that received only a paragraph here or there. What does get related well is the age, the controversies, and the vitality of his lifetime.

I'll wager a dollar that James Goldman had this book on his desk when he wrote The Lion in Winter.

[Best British Biographies]

Richard Barber is a historian with long and extensive career as an author. Originally a specialist in Arthurian legends, he published his first book on them at the tender age of twenty. This proved to be the first of several works from his pen on medieval history and literature, many of which he wrote while working at his day job in the publishing industry. After working for a couple of established presses, he branched out on his own in 1969 and started The Boydell Press, which as Boydell & Brewer is still publishing fine scholarly works on academic subjects. While Barber no longer runs the company, he is quite active in retirement as both an author and as a freelance editor.

For the rest of my review, click on the link:

https://www.bestbritishbios.com/2022/...

[Phair · Rating 2 out of 5]

After a recent re-read of Mistress of the Art of Death I decided to read more about King Henry II and picked this relatively short biography. Unfortunately this biography concentrated so heavily on Henry's almost obsessive traveling and preoccupation with securing his continental empire that I never felt I learned much about the man, nor his impact on his British lands. Even the whole Becket thing felt glossed over. Not very enlightening apart from military and diplomatic who, what, when and where. No real sense of place or period comes through this rather dry effort.

[Mary Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read biographies of Eleanor I had a good picture of what Henry was like. This book filled in the gaps.

[Brynna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot vouch for the accuracy or comprehensiveness of this book, but as a restful distraction from my chemistry dissertation it was invaluable. Readable enough to be pleasant, but not so absorbing that I couldn't put it down to go back to work.

[Brennan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nearly unreadable. The prose is flabby and poorly edited, and clearly the author enjoys hearing himself go on. Still looking for well-written English history; this isn't it.

[Armen Chakmakjian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really a good explanation of the time of Henry II, and his famous and infamous sons. If you've seen "The Lion in Winter" or "Becket" with Peter O'Toole, this is the real history behind it.

[Mick Maye · Rating 4 out of 5]

History of Henry II and a very enjoyable book it is. I found this book to be a very easy and enjoyable read. Well worth the time.

[Jenny Torpin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am surprised the affair with Clifford was not talked about in this book.