Edward the Black Prince: Power in Medieval Europe

by David Green

The Black Prince was one of the most important figures of the medieval he claimed the major battles of the Hundred Years Wars. Dying before his father, Edward III, he left his young son, the future Richard II, to an uncertain destiny. Despite his untimely death, the Black Prince played an integral role in English, Welsh, Spanish and French political life in the middle years of the fourteenth century. This was a period of intense political, social, economic and religious change, witnessing the outbreak of the Hundred Years War, the impact of repeated outbreaks of the Black Death, the notable growth of parliament's importance and England’s first major heresy. The consequences of such events were extremely significant and wide-ranging and contributed to the transition from the medieval to the early modern world. The Black Prince was right at the centre of such transitions. His life and career both influenced change and was representative of its effects. He serves therefore as a crucial figure in his own right and as an example that can be used to illuminate the forces at work in the middle and later years of the fourteenth century. This book both provides a biography of the prince and insight into the medieval world at large.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Read For School

312 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2001

About the author

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

David Green is Senior Lecturer in British Studies and History, Harlaxton College, and a regular speaker on medieval history at conferences and seminars in the UK, Ireland, and the US.

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really thorough yet accessible look at power in medieval Europe.
It wasn't quite what I was after for my studies as I was looking for a biography of the Black Prince...but I still enjoyed this.
The author looks at power, politics etc during the period that covers roughly the lifetime of the Black Prince. It's a decent book for studying but maybe a bit too heavy going for non academic reading!

[Bettie]

The Black Prince by David Green
Pearson | 2001 | ISBN: 0582784816 | 312 pages | EPUB

Description: The Black Prince was one of the most important figures of the medieval period: he claimed the major battles of the Hundred Years Wars. Dying before his father, Edward III, he left his young son, the future Richard II, to an uncertain destiny. Despite his untimely death, the Black Prince played an integral role in English, Welsh, Spanish and French political life in the middle years of the fourteenth century. This was a period of intense political, social, economic and religious change, witnessing the outbreak of the Hundred Years War, the impact of repeated outbreaks of the Black Death, the notable growth of parliament's importance and EnglandΓÇÖs first major heresy. The consequences of such events were extremely significant and wide-ranging and contributed to the transition from the medieval to the early modern world.

The Black Prince was right at the centre of such transitions. His life and career both influenced change and was representative of its effects. He serves therefore as a crucial figure in his own right and as an example that can be used to illuminate the forces at work in the middle and later years of the fourteenth century. This book both provides a biography of the prince and insight into the medieval world at large.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Green does an excellent job of synthesising the source material about Edward of Woodstock and information about what was happening in Europe during this time, and produces a book about Europe through the lens of one man's life.

[Mermarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm honestly wondering how to incorporate the "Black Prince" into the novel, knowing he wasn't nicknamed as such until approximately a hundred years after his death.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

another book for school this one was better than most. Not a biography of Edward's life like I thought it would be! Review to come later.

[Ashley Mayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not what I thought it would be, but it was still interesting.