The Red Prince: The Life of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster

by Helen Carr

Gaunt was son of Edward III, brother to the Black Prince, father to Henry IV and the sire of all those Tudors. He’s had a pretty bad press: supposed usurper of Richard II’s crown and the focus of hatred in the Peasants’ Revolt (they torched his home, the Savoy Palace). Helen Carr will paint a complex portrait of a man who held the levers of power on the English and European stage, passionately upheld chivalric values, pressed for the Bible to be translated into English, patronised the arts … and, if you follow Shakespeare, gave the most beautiful oration on England (‘this sceptred isle… this blessed plot’). An engrossing drama of political machinations, violence, romance and tragedy played out at the cusp of a new era.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Medieval, Audiobook, Medieval History, Historical

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 25, 2021

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

I found this a bit disappointing, possibly because it's been quite heavily hyped so my expectations were high. Informative overview, but I didn't feel I got much sense of Gaunt as a personality, which obviously is partly because of the distance of time, but also because the book really felt quite special-pleading at points. (Frequent insistence on how honourable Gaunt was being, finding excuses for atrocities carried out under his command, etc.) It felt distinctly like the book had an agenda to show Gaunt in a good light.

And the telling in general isn't terribly lively. Possibly I'm spoiled because I've read several excellent biographies of earlier figures recently that manage to bring the subject to life at least in flashes, and to get you really engaged with the twists and turns, but for me Gaunt came across as a distant and remote actor. (This is possibly because even on the account here he was an obscenely privileged man who actively fought to take more from the poorest, acted in his own best interests at every turn, and caused the deaths of thousands in his entirely self-centred campaign to become King of Castile. What a dick, and I mean that by the standards of the fourteenth century.)

Underwhelming editing. Several uses of the wrong word ('solider' for 'soldier' is a giveaway of reliance on spellcheck) and numerous ungrammatical sentences. I'd expect better from the publisher, it's not even that long.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

From this fine book you will learn about the four distinct phases of John of Gaunt’s life:

1. John of Gaunt was Also There
2. Conveniently, John of Gaunt was Somewhere Else
3. John of Gaunt’s Castilian Vacation
4. John of Gaunt is Sad to Announce that Richard is At It Again

[Marquise · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is more of a history of the times John of Gaunt lived in than a biography of John of Gaunt himself. Nothing new in terms of research or information about the man or his times.

[Rebecca Batley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to stumble across a copy of this which I can only assume was on sale early (thanks Waterstones 😉) I am a huge fan of John of Gaunt’s and have studied his brother Lionel so had very high expectations for this book. I’m pleased to say it absolutely did not disappoint. This book is brilliant and it is clear that the author has done a huge amount of detailed research. The books opens with the Battle of Sluys and delivers the reader straight into the heart of the action before going back to the birth of John 3 months before the battle. The early chapters touch on the death of Edward II, the early reign of Edward III and I was particularly pleased to see that the author allowed Philippa of Hainault into the spotlight. The reader then follows John’s life through. I learnt a huge amount reading this and loved reading about the close relationships John had with both his brother - the Black Prince - and other such as Thomas Percy and Juan Guitierrez. These relationships really brought both the narrative and John to life. I finished this book feeling like I’d learnt a huge amount and that I had a much greater understanding of John’s life and character.
Absolutely brilliant - this book has gone onto my list as a contender for book of the year.

[Petra · Rating 4 out of 5]

John of Gaunt is a fascinating character. With his steady presence he had influenced politics of England for many decades. He was never a king nor he was highly regarded during his lifetime. But he was extremely rich duke who worked behind the scenes very effectively keeping things under control. Unfortunately, whenever he tried to be a leader it didn’t work out for him (err Castile)
Yet he is father and great granddather of many monarchs. To me he is an example how the fruits of your work can influence lives of others for many years after your death and you don’t even have to be a king.

I learned a lot of facts about him and the environment he lived in from Helen Carr but I didn’t get to know John of Gaunt better. I wish this book was told from slightly more personal perspective.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

John of Gaunt was my first Plantagenet when I swiped my eldest brother's copy of Anya Seton's historical novel Katherine when I was about thirteen. Reading that excellently researched fiction not only gave me a high standard for good historical fiction but also started me on a lifelong interest in and study of the Plantagenets and medieval Europe, in particular, as well as English history in general. I didn't find any real surprises in Helen Carr's work as John of Gaunt's story is very familiar to me, but it is a good solid biography that does as much or more with the often questionable original sources available to a medieval historian. Carr makes great use of John of Gaunt's Register which is preserved in the National Archives in Kew as part of the Records of the Duchy of Lancaster. She also uses an impressive variety of other administrative records. I particular appreciated that she draws a distinction between these document-driven records and those of the historical chroniclers many of whom are less reliable and generally write from a definite bias or point of view. John of Gaunt had more than his share of detractors primarily because of his early encouragement of John Wycliffe's preaching on the corruption within the Church hierarchy and among the clergy and the necessity of reform; his long relationship with Katherine Swynford while married to his second wife, Constanza of Castile, also added fuel to the fire.
Carr presents an, I feel, accurate portrait of a complex man devoted to his large family, his Church, and the ideals of chivalry. Tremendously ambitious, he had the intelligence and skill to amass great wealth (and spend it wisely) as well as to achieve considerable diplomatic success on the Continent and at home. I enjoyed Carr's very readable style; while being punctilious about accuracy, she's not in the least dry or obscure.

[David Kenvyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no idea why this book is called “The Red Prince”. There is only one reference to this soubriquet in the introduction, and it does not explain why it was used. As far as I am aware John of Gaunt was not called “The Red Prince” in his lifetime. His brother, Edward, Prince of Wales, was called “The Black Prince” but, again as far as I can tell, not in his lifetime or in the following hundred years. It seems to me that the title was chosen as an anachronistic reference to the “Wars of the Roses” which happened more than fifty years after the death of John of Gaunt. It is alleged that there was a dispute between John of Gaunt’s great-grandson, the Duke of Somerset, and his great-grandson by marriage, the Duke of York in the Temple Inn Gardens in London, and that Somerset plucked a red rose and York a white rose as the symbols of their parties. John of Gaunt, being long dead, obviously had no part in the dispute that led to the deposition and eventual murder of another great-grandson, Henry VI.
He also had no part in the deposition and death of his nephew, Richard II, by his son Henry IV, apart from the fact that it was his death that caused the dispute between the two cousins. This was the start of the domestic disputes in England that led to the Wars of the Roses, but John of Gaunt cannot be held responsible for the actions of his descendants. Calling him “The Red Prince” is both anachronistic and ahistorical. I suspect that the publishers wanted to benefit from the popularity of Philippa Gregory’s novels about the female leaders of the Wars of the Roses, Margaret of Anjou, Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort, a descendant of John of Gaunt.
John of Gaunt did have a major involvement in the dynastic disputes of the fourteenth century in both France, Castile and Portugal. These were complicated. When Louis X of France died, he left behind a pregnant queen. France was left on tenterhooks to see if a king would be born. The child, John I, did not survive. Louis X had left behind a daughter, Joan, by his previous wife, who had been divorced for adultery and subsequently murdered. Her claim to the throne was overruled and Louis X’s brother, Philip V became king, introducing the Salic Law of succession by male descent only into France. When Philip V and his brother Charles IV died without male heirs, their cousin Philip VI, of the House of Valois, was proclaimed King. Edward III of England, whose mother Isabella was the sister of Louis X, Philip V and Charles IV, disputed this and claimed the throne of France. John of Gaunt, Edward III’s third son, was born in Ghent at the start of what is now known as the Hundred Years War. Naturally, as an English Prince he was involved in the many campaigns in Frances led by his father and his brother, the Black Prince. He was only six years old when the Battle of Crecy was fought, and only sixteen when the French were defeated at the Battle of Poitiers, and their King John II, taken prisoner. John of Gaunt was therefore not involved in the Hundred Years War until the end of his father’s reign, when his brother, the Black Prince, was also seriously ill.
Edward III, of course, made sure that his younger sons were well provided for. He married John of Gaunt to Blanche Plantagenet, the daughter and heiress of Henry of Grosmont, Duke of Lancaster. I mention the family name, which was not used in the fourteenth century, because the author says that Henry of Grosmont was not royal. He was the grandson in the male line of Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster, the son of Henry III and the brother of Edward I. He was of the blood royal. Mistakes like this are irritating and there are too many of them. When Blanche died, she left three surviving children – Philippa, Henry and Elizabeth. It also meant that John of Gaunt was on the royal marriage market again. He did not seek a new bride immediately, but he took a mistress, Katherine Swynford, who was the mother of his children who took the surname of Beaufort.
It was his second marriage that involved him in the dynastic disputes in Castile and then Portugal. He married Constance, the daughter of Peter I, King of Castile. Unfortunately, Peter I and her mother had not been married in church and that cast a doubt over her claim to the throne, but that was not the real problem. Peter I earned the nickname of “The Cruel” because he appears to have been a homicidal maniac. Peter’s half-brother, Henry of Trastamara, rebelled seeking to revenge the various members of his family that Peter had murdered. John of Gaunt sided with his father-in-law and inflicted a crushing defeat on Henry of Trastamara at the Battle of Najera. Henry fled to France where he received the support of Charles V, the son of John II who had been captured at Poitiers, because Gaunt was supporting Peter the Cruel. There followed a protracted struggle in which Peter I was captured and murdered by Henry of Trastamara, who proclaimed himself Henry II of Castile. Gaunt, of course, proclaimed his wife as Queen of Castile and so the civil war continued.
By now, Edward III was dead and his son, Edward, Prince of Wales had preceded him. The new king was the Black Prince’s son, Richard II, who was a boy. John of Gaunt was, by now, the oldest member of the English Royal family, and he was distracted by events in southwest France, Spain and on the Scottish borders, where he had to negotiate a truce. As you can see, the situation was very complicated and involved huge expense for the royal government.
Unfortunately, I was not able to grasp what involvement Gaunt had in the decision of the Royal Council to impose a poll tax. It is likely that he did not have his eye on the ball, and had no idea of the consequences of such a decision. It is also likely that neither the Council nor the Parliament had any idea of what they were about to unleash. The fact that Gaunt was not in London suggests that he did not think that there would be an issue. A population that had been more than decimated by the Black Death and had been paying for continental wars for some forty years exploded in anger. The Peasants’ Revolt is one of the seminal events of English history. John Ball asked the question “When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentle man?” Whatever the case, John of Gaunt was held responsible. His palace, the Savoy, was destroyed. His allies, including an Archbishop of Canterbury, were killed. It is significant that this was the time in which the Robin Hood stories became popular. It is possible that Gaunt was the evil Prince John and that “Good King Richard” was Richard II. What is sure is that Sir Walter Scott’s tale “Ivanhoe” is a travesty of the historical truth.
When the revolt was quashed, with Richard II having a personal involvement in the savage reduction of Essex, John of Gaunt turned his attention back to Castile. The Portuguese King Ferdinand had died and there was a disputed succession there between John I of Portugal and Henry II of Castile. The Portuguese King won a decisive victory at the Battle of Aljubarrota. John of Gaunt married his daughter Philippa to John I Gaunt then invaded Galicia and Leon, and the result was a protracted war. This ended with Gaunt agreeing to the marriage of his daughter by Constance of Castile, Catherine, to the son of Henry II, and the endowment of his wife with considerable properties in Castile. Constance agreed to this arrangement and surrendered her claim to the crown of Castile. This was a considerable dynastic victory for Gaunt, placing two of his daughters as Queens Consort in Portugal and Castile. It robbed France of her allies south of the Pyrenees.
The death of Constance in 1394 allowed Gaunt to marry Katherine Swynford, his mistress and the mother of four of his children. This has the effect of legitimating them, which was agreed by Richard II, although they were excluded from the succession to the throne, by a ruling of Henry IV. BY that time, Gaunt was dead. He died at the beginning of 1399, and it was Richard II’s seizure of his lands that led to a crisis. Henry returned to England and claimed his inheritance. This led to the deposition of Richard II, the proclamation of Henry IV as King and the subsequent (and probably consequent) murder of Richard II.
The problem with assessing the career of John of Gaunt is that Shakespeare gave him possibly the greatest patriotic speech in the English language. It is doubtful that h would have found the speech comprehensible. He took great care of his lands and his retainers because they were the seat of his power, but “This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle, this earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, this other Eden, demi-paradise” were not the kind of sentiments that his career would have pointed towards. He was a dynast. He may not have secured the crown of Castile for himself but he did for his daughter, Catherine. His daughter, Philippa, became Queen of Portugal. His four sons were well provided for, and his two remaining daughters were married into powerful noble families.
This book can only be described as a short introduction to the life of a man who had a significant impact on the histories of England, France, Spain and Portugal in his own lifetime. His family then had a significant impact on the history of western Europe in the fifteenth century. There is however no reason to call him” The Red Prince” except an anachronistic one.

[Katie.dorny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating character of medieval history who’s complex life and influence was impressively synopsised into this book.

The audio narrator was also incredibly engaging.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Father of English Kings

John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster is a titan of English history, an important central figure alongside his father Edward III and his son Henry IV. Gaunt was the brother of Edward, The Black Prince and uncle of the tyrannical Richard II. A loyal man to family throughout his lifetime, a doting son, loving brother and adoring father. In his early years Gaunt played a role in the Hundred Years War fighting in France and Spain and in the Duchy of Aquitaine, then being managed by his older brother Edward.

He was also at times hated by the public, which came to a head in the peasants revolt and the burning of his magnificent Savoy Palace in London. This also left a bitter taste as Richard II left a 14 year old future Henry IV in great danger in the Tower of London, narrowly avoiding capture and certain death by the rebels. With immense wealth and ambition Gaunt also attempted to become King of Castile through his second wife Constance of Castile. This ultimately failed, leaving him to return to England as Richard II was becoming a despot more and more paranoid of those around him. This forced John to constantly show his loyalty to the crown, even abandoning his brother Thomas of Woodstock in order to safeguard his children. This would eventually come to a head when Richard disinherited Henry after John’s death in 1399, causing Richard to be disposed and the beginnings of the War of the Roses. Eventually this would lead to the downfall of the Plantagenet line and the rise of the Beaufort/Tudor line through John’s son John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset.

This is a story of war and peace, tyranny and kindness, love and hate and Helen Carr does a good job of presenting the facts in a clear and coherent way. She is a good writer, who gets her point across easily (the writing is like Hemingway, no meat on the bones, just to the point). Although the book is short I came away satisfied with the content, I felt I know what I need to about John and having read about his other family members, his father, nephew, wife, brothers and son, this book slots nicely into my understanding of the period. A great debut book by Carr and I have no reason to complain. The story of English history over the past 550 years begins with Gaunt, it all leads back to Gaunt and so it is great Carr also begins her career with him too.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Red Prince is an easily readable and concise biography of John of Gaunt. Those familiar with Gaunt's life will learn nothing new here as Carr engages in relatively little analysis of events or her subject's character. On the other hand, given the paucity of sources from that time, the absence of such speculation may be a merit rather than a fault.

[Julie Yates · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the reader (who is also the author) a bit slow, so I sped it up to 1.1 which really helps.

If you have any familiarity with John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, I do not recommend Carr's "The Red Prince: The Life of John of Gaunt." Overall, the book is a high level review from Edward II through Gaunt, with the all the major battles of Ed II, Ed III, the Black Prince and John of Gaunt but lacking a focus on Gaunt. For example, for the first 8 chapters Gaunt is not the focus and instead does a high level review about King Edward II and King Edward III, which is quite a bit more backstory then is needed.

Perhaps this books is simply misnamed. It does not add anything meaningful to the scholarship of Gaunt, but if you know nothing about the Plantagenets this may be interesting (although I still think it is not well written.)

[GG Stewart’s Bookhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

The research that was done for this book is impressive and you can clearly see in the way it was all put together that the author’s commitment to putting this book together was a labor of love.
It has been a long time since I have read a book of a time in history with so much detail and enjoyed it. John of Gaunt’s life is detailed and portrayed in an easy to read story and his love for family, king, and country are made obvious in his way of trying to keep peace. This book has given me a glance into the life of a man that was so important to the history of Britain but was shadowed by the very monarch that started with his life.

[Michelle Marmelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. Nice to finally know more about such an important and pivotal figure in British history that is often forgotten or mentioned in footnotes.

[Amy McElroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is clearly the result of meticulous research. All the questions I wanted to know about John of Gaunt are answered in this brilliant book. I honestly recommend this, it's excellent and full of information telling Gaunts story along with his relationships with others such as the Black Prince. I'll definitely be reading this one again in the future.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This informative biography covers the life and times of John of Gaunt, royal prince, loyal advisor and Duke of Lancaster. It's well researched and well written in an engaging narrative.

[Girl with her Head in a Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my full review: https://girlwithherheadinabook.co.uk/...

I have yet to meet someone else who 'gets it' about John of Gaunt. Rather tragically, I've had an inexplicable 'thing' for the first Duke of Lancaster since I was a teenager. I have read historical fiction which features him, I have read a biography of his third (and most awesome) wife but until now I had never been able to find non-fiction about the big man himself. He has felt rather forgotten, son of one king and father of another but who never sat on a throne himself, although this was hardly for lack of trying. In this impeccably researched biography, Carr moves aside from Gaunt's colourful personal life to analyse him in a political context, revealing a flawed man of high ideals who was one of the defining figures of his era.



It feels a cliche to say that I saw Gaunt from a whole new angle through this biography but it certainly made me aware of the limitations of my previous reading. I had learned about John of Gaunt as an essentially romantic hero. He loved his first wife, lost her, was obliged to make a political marriage and then fell in love with someone else. But as Carr makes clear, the reality is less clear cut. Through close scrutiny of the contemporary sources, the biography examines Gaunt's early close relationship with his brother Edward, his acquisition of the Lancastrian inheritance and how he got tangled up the Castilian quagmire, a saga which came to define his life.

It surprised me how little emphasis Carr placed on John of Gaunt's personal relationships, or at least those with women. Time is spent discussing Gaunt's close bond with his heir Henry and even his tumultuous would-be mentorship of his nephew Richard but almost nothing about Katherine Swynford. This seemed strange since it was his supposedly immoral lifestyle which put him at the centre of so much scandal. What about his admission that he had betrayed his second wife Constanza with Katherine Swynford and 'diverse others' from his wife's household? No mention of the episode where he led Katherine Swynford's horse in public? But the surprising silence went further. Carr notes during Gaunt's final invasion of Castile that by then John Holland was married to Gaunt's younger daughter Elizabeth. She completely omits the rather circuitous route by which Holland achieved that honour; Elizabeth was married off at fifteen to an eight year-old, she cheated on the eight year old with John Holland, got pregnant and annulments had to hastily sought so that she and Holland could marry before the child's birth. The only time Carr discusses Gaunt's feelings is when she rolls her eyes at the contemporary chroniclers who expressed surprise when Gaunt finally married Katherine Swynford. Excuses were put forth that Gaunt probably only did it to legitimise his Beaufort children. Carr remarks that it is as if they had never heard of a love match. She clearly feels no need to dilly-dally on explaining the obvious.

Still, even by focusing on the political, Carr still reveals far more about the man behind the myth. Not all of it was positive. His sense of entitlement as royal prince may have been of its time but it was still unappealing. The Red Prince clarified the circumstances around the Peasants' Revolt for me and honestly made me quite angry. This is probably because I read it during 2022 after twelve years of austerity policies where the message seems to be that the country is going to the dogs because of families struggling on benefits rather than the billionaires dodging taxes. It was infuriating to read how John of Gaunt demanded more funds for his foreign campaigns while the country was in debt, with the decision that the black hole was to be plugged by trebling the peasant tax burden. No wonder they rose up. The tragedy is that we are still fighting against the same out of touch ruling class who still do not care about issues that will never affect them.

I also thought about Constanza far more sympathetically than I ever had before. I had failed to realise that she was such a young teenager when she married the older Gaunt. Yes, she was making a political choice for her own survival and that of her younger sister. But it still feels harsh that she married a man who made it so obvious that he preferred his mistress and then banished her ladies when they spoke out against this. Constanza fled Castile after her father was murdered, thinking to find safety in the stable regime of Edward III but still found herself outside Pontefract Castle with the door barred against her during the Peasants' Revolt. Reflecting on this, I realised that for the first time I was reading about her as a person rather than as an obstacle to Katherine Swynford's happiness. Given the paucity of source material, this is a marker of Carr as a writer and historian.

But for all that, John of Gaunt remains John of Gaunt. He was fiercely loyal to the elder brother who played such a large role in his own upbringing, a loyalty which lasted even after Edward's death as Gaunt tried doggedly to guide the boy king no matter how hard the latter railed against him. John of Gaunt made many mistakes but he was no Richard III. He never tried to conspire against his nephew. He really does seem to have aspired to Arthurian ideals of honour even if he failed when it came to his marriage vows. John of Gaunt was unflinchingly obedient to his sovereign but the tragedy was that said monarch displayed more narcissism than nobility and made it impossible to serve. While it would be nice to believe that John of Gaunt would have felt pride at the notion of his son sitting on the throne, Carr's epilogue underlines that this was far from the outcome he would have wanted. That his son should overthrow his brother's son would have broken his heart even as he would have recognised that there was little alternative.

John of Gaunt is best known for his appearance in Shakespeare's Richard II and in particular for the 'sceptred isle' speech. A prince who never ruled, his proximity to the throne still defined every moment of his existence. Despite his privilege and keen sense of his own importance, John of Gaunt still had a stressful and complicated life which gave him little opportunity to rest easy. Small wonder that he held fast to the woman he loved even as the buzzards flew ever closer. The Red Prince reveals him as a more complex and conflicted than I had realised before but while so many of the historical figures from long ago have faded to blank, John of Gaunt still seems remarkably human. He was not perfect. He was not easy. He made mistakes. Many mistakes. But he was still the man who loved his family and did his best to protect them. His children may have changed the course of history but the man himself was a powerhouse in his own right. The hopeless fan-girl in me hopes that this biography will help other people recognise his awesomeness. John of Gaunt is not a man who deserves to be forgotten.

[Martin, I stand with ISRAEL · Rating 2 out of 5]

John of Gaunt, brother to the Black Prince and son of King Edward the III. He was called the Red Prince. And that is it!

I am not an English or medieval history expert, but this book was just plain boring. I see John of Gaunt as a footnote in history and yet the author found enough information to write a whole book.I was dumb enough to read it.

[Jeremy Hobbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coming off books on Edward III and the Black Prince, I would say this was a brisk account of the happenings associated with John of Gaunt but it provided little insight into the person, serving instead as more of a chronology than a study of a person. I'm guessing this is probably due to the lack of historical materials that would give us a better view into the man, so we are reduced to recounting the major historical events in which we knew Gaunt participated. Further, it seems the author doesn't want to help us out with any inferences or theses about his character beyond a sort of generalized assertion that he was loyal to King Richard II.

Gaunt was the son of arguably England's greatest king, Edward III, the brother of 'the flower of chivalry', the Black Prince and as Duke of Lancaster, the wealthiest man in the Kingdom. Yet, if I think back through the book, I am left with the impression of someone who largely failed to live up to his many advantages - arguably a poor military leader, unpopular at home (having been ignominiously run out of London and having his Savoy palace blown up) and barely able to remain in the good graces of his nephew Richard II. I would have loved to know more about why, with all his wealth and power, he allowed himself to be squeezed out at Richard II's court. I would have loved to know more about how he became so despised by Londoners. Ultimately, I would have loved to know why, after a lifetime of loyalty to family (according to the author at least), his son Henry Bolingbroke - despite being close to his father - ultimately chose to rebel and usurp the crown. Unfortunately, none of these questions are explored, with the author choosing instead to recount the facts without attempting, it seems, to stitch them together.

Again, I'm not sure how much of this is due to the lack of source material but between the generalized recounting of broad historical events, and the very...economical writing style that borders on abrupt at times, it's hard to see this as anything but a missed opportunity. There seems to be an awful lot in between the chronology of events that the author didn't manage to explore.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

1340. Sluys, the inlet between Zeeland and Flanders. Helen Carr’s The Red Prince, John of Gaunt, The Life of the Duke of Lancaster, is an extremely readable account of Edward III’s sixth child who is born of Edward’s Queen Phillippa of Hainaut in Ghent. Edward III had Queen Phillippa act as ‘collateral’ for a very sizable loan the Flemish had provided to King Edward for his war against France known as the Hundred Years War. When King Edward returned, he was the head of 150 naval ships which ultimately
won the Battle of Sluys, a great triumph. Queen Phillippa gave birth to John of Gaunt, and he became the third surviving son of Edward III and his queen. The eldest son, Edward of Woodstock, also known as The Black Prince, would become a close ‘brother in arms’ and an inspiration to John. John’s various military campaigns are described and completely understandable to the reader. John of Gaunt believed strongly in the code of chivalry, and his involvement in his father’s as well as his own military ventures illustrates John’s devotion to the code of chivalry. Another side to John is also shown. His marriages, first to Blanche of Lancaster, second to Constance of Castile, and lastly, to Katherine Swynford, his mistress, gave him wealth, possible kingship, and love. Shakespeare gave him “the beautiful of all speeches” ending with “This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.” A fascinating portrait of an intriguing Plantagenet prince. Highly recommended! 4.5 stars.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gaunt är en av de där traditionella hjälteriddarna. Hans äregirighet och maktlystnad var ovanligt nog både kompletterat av ett gott huvud och elegans och hederskänsla (vanligen brukar det vara max 2). Detta är en individ som på fullt allvar försöker göra sig till konung av Castilien, eftersom han ogillar kungen, och är villig att gifta sig med en av hans döttrar. Det är också en individ vars pliktkänsla mot en underlydande utsträckte sig till att ta in hans avkomma och änka i hushållet - vilket slutar med att de förälskar sig, etablerar en utomäktenskaplig relation under flera år (till den grad där kyrkan uppmanar till uppror för att denna relation är för öppen) och till dess de till slut gifter sig, när Gaunt själv blivit änkling. Det ger hopp om mänskligheten att veta att sådana framgångsrika vildhjärnor har levt, och att de åtminstone till stora delar var framgångsrika. Och denna bok gör denna vansinniga och intressanta individ rättvisa!

Som ni hör är jag lite förgiftad av min barndoms riddartidsentusiasm, som nog finns kvar i högre utsträckning än jag oftast funderar över. Gaunt är helt enkelt en häftig individ, och en person som är värd att läsa om. Denna bok är en så god introduktion som någon, och är dessutom ganska välstrukturerad och trevligt skriven. Jag rekommenderar den därför.

[Sarah AF · Rating 4 out of 5]

It strikes me that maybe England would have had a much more settled history were it not hellbent on conquering European dominions?

John of Gaunt is one of those names that I've always been aware of without really knowing his story beyond his great love affair with Katherine Swynford. This book not only gave a real sense of the precarious life of John of Gaunt, in both his passions and struggles, but also of the nobility of the period and how easily favour could be both given and withdrawn at court. While Gaunt perhaps failed when it came to his personal ambitions, the ripples of his looming presence in 14th-century English politics would go on to shape England for years after and this book painted a clear picture of how he became such an integral presence in the diplomatic arena.

[KB · Rating 3 out of 5]

A biography of John of Gaunt that doesn't feel like it has much to say about John of Gaunt.

The blurb on the back says the book is "superb, gripping and fascinating." Definitely not three words I'd use to describe it. It's not a bad read, but nothing about it stands out. It almost feels more like a 'life-and-times' sort of book than a true biography. I fully understand that you can only work with the sources that exist, but The Red Prince comes across too surface-level. There's decent sized sections where Gaunt is not even present or just barely involved in what's being focused on.

Nothing I've previously read about John of Gaunt has made him seem to be outstanding in any way. Not that that makes him unworthy of a biography, of course - I was very keen to learn more about Gaunt, who was at the centre of nearly everything going on. He seemed to have lived largely in the shadow of elder brother Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince. But it's hard to come away from The Red Prince with a very clear picture of the man. It seems like he has no personality; actually, no one in this book - including Richard II, who we spend quite a bit of time with - has much of a personality.

And author Helen Carr's writing is certainly very accessible and readable, but it lacks a sort of weight to it. Because of this, I think events and relationship dynamics are missing the gravity necessary to mark their importance. There's some pretty big stuff going on during Richard II's reign, and yet, at least to me, it doesn't come across very well.

It also feels like there's some excusing or justifying going on. Right in the introduction we read, "That brother, the Black Prince, is renowned for his victories on the battlefield yet Gaunt... is marginalised for his." Well, yeah, because he simply wasn't a very good military leader; this isn't exactly unwarranted. My biggest military-related takeaway from the book was Gaunt's pitiful attempt to take the Castilian crown. And Carr tells us repeatedly about how the public didn't like him and the nobility didn't trust him. But she makes sure to let us know how loyal Gaunt was, as if it weren't obviously beneficial for him: "John of Gaunt's loyalty to his family, to the dying request of the Black Prince and to the authority of the Crown meant sacrificing his reputation with the people." Hmm.... really?

And I have to wonder, why the 'Red Prince'? Gaunt is named as such in the introduction with no explanation. I think Carr wanted something similar to that of the Black Prince. But I've never heard of Gaunt being referred to by this name, and Carr offers zero explanation why she chose it. Like, why red as opposed to purple? Or maybe even blue?

I was looking forward to this book. I even preordered the paperback version and eagerly awaited its delivery. It just doesn't go deep enough for me, and doesn't provide enough analysis. While maybe not much of a remarkable man, John of Gaunt was the son of one of England's greatest kings, incredibly wealthy, and basically at the centre of everything going on militarily and politically (at least in the sense of giving guidance or an opinion, if not physically there). Yet The Red Prince reads a little too lifelessly for me. I don't regret reading it, but I definitely wanted more.

[Toni Kely-Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very readable biography of John of Gaunt. The author was fairly balanced although seemed pro John, frequently emphasising his loyalty to family and crown. Maybe I’m looking at him through a modern lens but as one of the richest men in the country, but he only seemed loyal if it furthered his and his families interests (he didn’t like the Commons having any sort of power or say that would impact his political power). He was clearly ambitious but burning villages and causing the deaths of thousands of innocents because he wanted to be King of Castile! Even though he wasn’t successful, his daughter did become Queen of Castille and regent for her son, so I guess he had a win in a way!

I think I would have enjoyed this more and (maybe admire John of Gaunt more?) if the author provided more detail around why he was so politically astute and popular with certain camps such as the Scots or the Parisians, because there were many who didn’t like him in his own time. And as much Richard II seemed resentful of his Uncle's power and influence, he seemed to need him.

However, John was successful in setting up a dynasty as his son by his first wife deposed Richard II and become Henry IV and by marrying his mistress Katherine Swynford and legitimising their four children his great-grandson became King Henry VII (grandson of his oldest legitimated son John Beaufort). Even though it did involve 30 years of the family fighting against family for the crown with the War of the Roses. But his line descents to Elizabeth II to this very day so maybe he was a visionary after all!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This latest biography of John of Gaunt gives an insight into the life and times of a prince who played an important role in the history of the British nation.

John was the son of King Edward III of England and younger brother of Edward, the Black Prince. Before his elder brother died, John promised him he would oversee the development of the heir to the throne – the Black Prince’s son, Richard. Once, Richard became king, the relationship between uncle and nephew gradually soured.

John of Gaunt was an influential negotiator; a brave and chivalrous warrior and he played a part in the government of the country. However, whenever trouble brewed between the increasingly vengeful Richard II and his uncle, Gaunt would retire to one of his establishments outside London.

Married three times, John of Gaunt played a huge part in the future of the monarchy in England. His son by his first wife, Blanche, became Henry IV, after ousting Richard II from the throne. Through his third wife, Katherine Swynford, he was great, great grandfather to Henry Tudor, who became Henry VII.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Reaching back into the medieval world, Helen Carr recreates the world of the 14th century and John of Gaunt’s place in it. Reading through her sources, suggested reading and notes, it is evident that her research has been thorough and extensive. Well worth reading!

[Jacob Stelling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading “The Red Prince” and thoroughly enjoyed it. Carr has succeeded in providing a thorough, well-evidenced and enjoyable re-assessment of one of the most famous princes of the English Middle Ages.

The John of Gaunt which comes forth in these pages is a man who was driven ultimately by his sense of honour, chivalry and loyalty to family and crown. Although he does not always get everything right, and has a pre-occupation with his own idea of self-entitlement, we see an interesting explanation for his poor reputation amongst contemporary scholars - he put the crown first, even when it cost him his own reputation.

Overall, this book will go on to be one of the authoritative biographies of John of Gaunt and provides another interesting narrative history which succeeds in telling an enthralling story without compromising on the historicity.

[Jonathan Ralph Whittaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

After finishing this book I still don't feel connected to John Of Guant in any way, the formal tone, with inflections of trying to convince us how "chivalric" John really was, I found to be a struggle. The story was peppered with some brilliant tidbits of history and tension, however I don't feel any closer to understanding who John was as a person. I think Helen hasn't done a bad job, but many improvement could be made to such an enigmatic and historically rich character.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting look into a figure we should be affording more attention to but I think it fell prey to the hype--I constantly thought that this would be better than it actually was, that it would introduce some brand new concepts. I wish I hadn't gone into it with such high expectations because it was a really interesting look into the time period.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this very thorough biography.

[W.J. Small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited when Helen Carr's "The Red Prince" was published. Aside from John of Gaunt being a great grandfather of mine many generations ago, I have always found him to be a tantalizing and enigmatic character. The son of a king (Edward III), brother of a legend (The Black Prince), and father of a king (Henry IV), Gaunt was instrumental in shaping the world of Plantagenet England. Carr did not disappoint in her thoroughly researched portrayal of him.

There were many things to like about this book. Carr's knowledge of John of Gaunt's life is extensive and she spends much time on his lifelong quest to be King of Castile as well as his constant forays into fighting the French. Carr delves into the tight relationship between Gaunt and his brother, Edward (The Black Prince), and how the relationship shaped Gaunt and, ultimately, Gaunt's relationship with Edward's son, the horrible King Richard II. This is an area where I wish Carr had spent more time - the tense dynamic between Richard, Gaunt, and Henry of Bolingbroke (Gaunt's son and later King Henry IV). I also wish Carr had spent more time on Gaunt's longtime relationship with his mistress, and ultimately third wife, Katherine Swynford. To me these areas are more interesting, and more humanizing, than reading about Gaunt's fighting with the French, although his warring nature was a key aspect of his character.

Like another review said, I left feeling as though I didn't "know" John of Gaunt, but learned about his life, exploits, disappointments, and victories, after finishing the book. I do not feel I know the man any better, but I am much more aware of his contributions - or lack thereof - of 14th century England.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Plantagenet England. An excellent companion piece would be Ian Mortimer's "Henry IV," a biography of Gaunt's son, which focuses extensively on Gaunt and Bolingbroke's contentious relationship with Richard II. 4 stars.

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katherine was my gateway drug into the Plantaganets as a teenager. It had all the elements that interested me - English history and the Plantaganets, a sort of grounds-level view of history and perhaps my first understanding of how intertwined it all was - I mean, Chaucer was Katherine's brother-in-law. And, my gawd, the story was so romantic!

Helen Carr's work firmly places John of Gaunt in a non-fictional context, further explaining the time period in which he lived, his actions, his missteps. "Complex" doesn't even begin to explain his character. As I recall, Anya Seton explained away a lot of John of Gaunt's less ... charitable actions by basically saying something to the effect of "And then he went a bit mad there, with his thirst for power ..." while Carr gives us a more detailed take.

In Katherine, he is the romantic lead, who despite his flaws, does the right thing by Katherine and their children. Carr gives us an intelligent man, well-versed in politics, ambitious, fiercely loyal to his family, capable of greatness but also capable of cruel actions and deeds. He was never King, yet his shadow fell over the monarchy for years and his children and their children changed the course of English history. 5 stars.