Medieval Britain: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #019

by John Gillingham, Ralph A. Griffiths

A comprehensive and authoritative short guide, this Very Short Introduction to Medieval Britain covers the establishment of the Anglo-Norman monarchy in the early Middle Ages, through to England's failure to dominate the British Isles and France in the later Middle Ages. Out of the turbulence came stronger senses of identity in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Yet this was an age, too, of growing definition of Englishness and of a distinctive English cultural tradition.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Medieval History, British Literature, Ebooks, Academic

177 pages, Paperback

First published August 10, 2000

About the author

John Bennett Gillingham is emeritus professor of medieval history at the London School of Economics and Political Science. On the 19th July 2007 he was elected into the Fellowship of the British Academy

He is renowned as an expert on the Angevin empire.

Reviews

[Julian Worker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Medieval Britain was a dangerous place especially if you were a king who didn't have the backing of the nobles and knights. Edward II came out second best after an encounter with a red-hot poker, Richard II was killed in Pontefract castle, Henry VI was murdered in the Tower of London on the day of the Battle of Tewkesbury, and Edward V, one of the Princes in The Tower, was done away with on the orders of...well Richard III is usually cited as the culprit but there's insufficient proof in my opinion. And of course Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 by Henry VII.

This period was the time of The Hundred Years War - which lasted 116 years from 1337 to 1453 - the Wars of The Roses, campaigns against Wales and Scotland and various rebels including Wat Tyler in 1381 and John Cade in 1450. There was also The Black Death which accounted for about 1/3 of England's population at the end of the 1340s and the beginning of the 1350s plus further outbreaks of plague in the next 20 years or so.

Yes, it was a wonder the country survived at all, especially after the hammerings by the Scots at Bannockburn in 1314 and Otterburn in 1388. But England did survive and thrived somehow especially in terms of administration, government, and the beginnings of a parliamentary system.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in summer 2016, from my pre-uni reading list

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another "A Very Short Introduction" book. My library is starting to run short on them which is a bit sad since they're a great way to get some interesting information on each subject. They are a bit short so I think this one should have been split since they tried to get so much information into such a short book. It felt rushed and didn't seem to have as much background on things that seemed important to the time. This is one book that I already knew quite a bit of the history already. However, I did learn a few things that I had not known before about the era. The best part, for me, was the bibliography that gave me so many ideas for new books to read. I think the series is great, and I hope the publisher releases more.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably requires a couple of re-reads for much of it to really sink in.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clue’s in the name! A very short introduction to Medieval Britain, and in all honesty the perfect book to contextualise old English literature and poetry (from Beowulf to Chaucer).

I wouldn’t recommend for an academic with knowledge already on the subject, nor would I really recommend to a casual reader. It’s fast paced but tends to gloss over a lot of important events without any detail. We get only a taste of the peasant revolt and the plague - the spark notes, I guess.

If you want something detailed, don’t go for this book. If you want something just to refer to, or to contextualise law, literature or art of that time, I think this book is perfect!

Despite the whiplash, and the many Henry’s and Edwards that I often lost track of, I enjoyed reading it and that’s what it’s all about!

[Samuel Eastlund · Rating 3 out of 5]

An overview of the major events in Britain over the period of about 1066-1450. Heavily focused on the English people and their kings, with a couple good chapters on the developments in politics and the economy, and the influence of plague and warfare on this. Other inhabitants of the British Isles are discussed only insofar as they interacted with the English.

A few key takeaways include the overcrowding of England before the Black Death, the subsequent empowerment of the peasantry and the actions of a reactionary upper class seeking to maintain their position. Especially interesting was the opposition of English magnates (whether barons or bishops) to the total conquest of France. Although it's unlikely that the English crown was ever really in a position to dominate, powerful members of English society were concerned that the uniting of the French and English crowns would draw England under French rule.

Also interesting is the deterioration of the 'rule of law' from Richard II until Henry VII. As usurper followed usurper, there was less and less incentive for kings to attempt to justify their rule through dynastic claims. The king of England was, in the end, the centre of the entire political mechanism. Even parliament was more of a political expediency than a respect for anyone's 'right to self determination'. It was just easier to get people to agree to the taxes you wanted to impose on them than to do it without asking!

[Steve Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book should really be called Medieval England: I think it bit off a bit more than it could chew and seems to skip across the period without going into any real depth.

[Kayli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally finished Medieval Britain: A Very Short Introduction! I picked this up to get some pre-Tudors background knowledge because I don't know very much about medieval history. The chapters cover the tumultuous period in excruciating detail starting with the Norman and Plantagenet Kings. The authors John Gillingham and Ralph A Griffiths, also cover topics such as politics, law, religion and the economy. We learn about the various wars and fight for land - some things never change, eh! I wish I could say I enjoyed this book but it honestly took way longer than it really should have and I can't put my finger on why. Was it the writing style? Was it the time period? Who knows. At any rate, it gave me what I needed but the authors writing style was too modern for me. There were times when presentism ('...(the) tendency to interpret past events in terms of modern values and concepts.' as per Oxford Languages) kept creeping up and it felt forced. I doubt our authors have personally met the kings of medieval Britain but their writing suggests they did. I gave this book three out of five stars and would recommend reading specific chapters of interest rather than cover-to-cover. I do want to say that I'm a huge fan of the Short Introduction series on the whole but this time I wish I went with Dan Jones instead.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not ignorant of history; I have an MA in history but medieval Britain isn't my forte, so I had some hopes of puzzling out the various Edwards, Richards, and assorted other royals of the medieval world. Unfortunately this book proved to be one of the most hard-to-follow Very Short Introductions that I've read.

It tries to cover far too much ground, and yet at the same time there aren't enough "introductions" in the material. I felt like I was at a party with people I've met before, but now I have amnesia and can't remember their names or what they do for a living -- and the authors just left me to puzzle it out.

There's a fairly good further reading section, but the selections look to be academic and many are from the 1960s and 1970s. Historians might rejoice, but there isn't much here for the general reader or a budding historian without some exposure to medieval European history.

[Heidi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terribly disjointed and convoluted. Maybe this works as a reference guide, but as a straight read, the topical organization makes for difficulty in getting a clear picture of any period in Medieval Britain. Instead the book jumps from a politics to religion to economics, discussing each separately so that unless the reader already has a strong grasp of Medieval Britain, he is lost as to how exactly these ideas flow together to form a complete narrative. If it was simply topical organization, maybe that would be easier as well, but the author attempts to create sections chronologically within the topics, so that the result is just a confusing mess. For a book that seems marketed to an audience without a strong background in Medieval history, it fails. After reading the Very Short Introduction to History (and loving it!) I was sorely disappointed with this volume.

[Scott Goddard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose to read this book to learn a little about the history of my country. Was it an effective means to this end; I would say most certainly. The historical timeline covered by this book stretches back until around the first millennium.

It was like the history lesson I never had; but if I did have a history lesson, presented with the same underwhelming zeal and lack of humour, as is the case of this book, then I would've had a hard time staying awake.

However, this criticism is perhaps unjustified, since after all, this is a book about facts, events, and epochs. Let's be honest, it was never going to have me rolling on the floor overcome with laughter.

All in all, I enjoyed the book, and the chronological order that it was written in, as well as the themes and topics that the author chose to put under the microscope.

[stionely · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most comprehensive and concise introduction that I've read from this series!! Quite longer than usual but nothing surprising since it covers a large period of time and all its aspects. Some major events (the Hundred Years War, the Peasants Revolt, the War of the Roses...) are kind of brushed over but I feel like describing those was not the main aim of the author. Reading about those apart from this book and then learning about their consequences on the peasant population, crises of succession, medieval law, etc helps having a broader idea of British life at the time and is more interesting than simply having a superficial timeline (even though I love those; they are great for memorising).

[Declan Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the Medieval Britain, almost exclusively from the view of the English on the island (as opposed to Scots and Welsh, who are only mentioned where there actions interact with the English during this time).

Starting with an overview of the reign of Kings this book quickly delves into some social, political, and warfare elements of the Medieval British world, including interactions with foreign powers (notably France). Described clearly and (by necessity) concisely, its format provides a good basis for the broad brush strokes of what happened when during the period from 1066.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The British Historian John Gillingham and British Historian Ralph A. Griffiths wrote Medieval Britain: A Very Short Introduction. I read the edition that was published in 2000. The book has illustrations, including maps. The book has a timeline and an index. The book is on the history of England. The book has a section entitled “Genealogies of royal lines” (Gillingham & Griffiths 165-166). The book has a section entitled “further reading” (Gillingham & Griffiths 153-158). The first chapter is “The Norman Kings” (Gillingham & Griffiths 1-23). The second chapter is entitled “The Plantagenet Kings” (Gillingham & Griffiths 24-41). The third chapter is entitled “Politics, law, and Religion in the Early Middle Ages” (Gillingham & Griffiths 42-67). Chapter 4 is entitled “The Economy in the Early Middle Ages” (Gillingham & Griffiths 68-79). Chapter 5 discusses “England at War.” This chapter covers the years between 1290 and 1390 (Gillingham & Griffiths 80-99). The second part of this chapter, chapter 7, is on England at war between 1390 and 1490 (Gillingham & Griffiths 113-132). Chapter 6 is entitled “Wealth, population, and Social Change in the Later Middle Ages” (Gillingham & Griffiths 99-112). The last chapter is on forming early English nationalism in late Medieval England. This book is a well-done introduction to the Medieval British Isles, which is focused on England.

[Dermo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had learned a lot of this information from the charming Kevin Stroud (an American) on the History of English podcast and from the inimitable Melvyn Bragg and guests on various episodes of BBC's "In Our Time". To be honest it wasn't a bad book, but the writer was slightly insufferably English at times, and I was glad by the end to no longer be in his company.

[sim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a great introduction to medieval Britain! A bit dry at times, which is to be expected from what is essentially a mini textbook. There are also times when the authors presume I already know what something they mention is, which as someone who just has a casual interest in medieval Britain, I do not. Regardless, I learnt a lot and now have a good base knowledge going forward.

[Isabella Roh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this, though I will perfectly allow that it might be more my love of this period of history than the book itself. Still, this was a coherent, engaging summary of the time, which is what I needed to piece together, considering that my knowledge came mostly from legend and literature (Robin Hood, Braveheart, Shakespeare's Richard II, Henry IV Part I, Henry IV Part II, and Henry V, etc.)

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and entertaining! I am definitely planning on doing some more research into some of the mentioned topics, but definitely a good starting point into the era. The writing style is also pretty easy to get through, and never came across as boring or smug.

[G D Healy · Rating 1 out of 5]

English history is British history

This book should have been called Medieval England: A Very Chauvinistic Introduction. Apparently the Scots, Welsh and Irish were pleased to be invaded by the English. Another history book that confuses British history with English history.

[Melissa Barbosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am amazed by how the author managed to pack so much information in such a small book. But some passages felt really rushed. It was a good introduction to that period anyway - even if I had to search for some things on the internet while I was reading.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these Very Short Introductions to the many different subjects that they cover. This is a particularly brilliant one. Comprehensive, concise but still clear and highly informative. From the Norman Conquest to Henry VII.

[d]

mostly royal wank

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to a complex subject.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise book about the medieval Kings, social movements, wars, etc.

[SophieJaneK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accessible and good all round cover of medieval history. I think it is a good book for history teachers to use with students.

[Liesl · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent overview of the period in question. I love the "Very Short Introduction" books as a springboard for finding out about different eras, and this was no exception. Don't come in expecting detail (e.g the section on Matilda and Stephen stretched to just a page or two), but for a good summary of the key events and a helpful reading list at the back focusing on all the different themes mentioned.

[Lee Broderick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book fits a broad range of subjects into a relatively small space. That range of subjects, however, would be more accurately titled High and Late Mediaeval English History: A Very Short Introduction. It covers the period of English history beginning with William I and ending with Richard III and adopts a highly centralist paradigm in doing so, completely ignoring recent developments in the historiography of the British Isles adopted with great affect by such historians as Norman Davies, Linda Colley, J.G.A. Pocock and Hugh Kearney.

My other criticism is a result of the specialisms of the co-authors; archaeology is not given any room at all in the text, meaning a whole discipline of complementary evidence is missing from their coverage - a discipline, moreover, that helps to shed light on those people not routinely referred to in historical documents.

With all those caveats, the book may be of some use - it's just not what the title claims it to be.

[David Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I read to research this post was Medieval Britain A Very Short Introduction by John Gillingham which is an excellent book which I bought from kindle. This book covers British history from 1066, the Norman Conquest to around 1500 and you can tell the author is very knowledgeable. Apparently at the coronation of William of Normandy the crowd in Westminster Abbey made so much noise that the guards outside thought something had gone wrong. In the ensuing commotion some houses nearby got set on fire and the Abbey had to be evacuated, some monks and the priest continued with the ceremony but the king shook like a leaf. The Normans let some of the English nobles who swore allegiance to the new king keep their lands but it was a time when much of the aristocracy was replaced especially with high ranking Normans who fought at the Battle of Hastings. There was uprisings every year until 1070 mainly due to the heavy taxes but these were put down in a ruthless fashion. Apparently due to Britain being an island it was easier to defend than Normandy and most of the trouble William faced came from rulers trying to invade Normandy. When William died he bequeathed his eldest son, Normandy & his younger son Britain which resulted in rivalry between the 2 and war broke out.

[Ayat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very short introduction as the title claims, so it didn't answer all of my questions. I'll have to get a more informative book, but it was good enough as an introduction.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read few history books I can't really compare this with others in the genre, but for me it outlined the big events and trends with clarity and readability - the Domesday Book, the Magna Carta, the Crusades, the beginnings of parliament and the English language, the Black Death, the War of the Roses... and from William the Confessor through to Henry V, this book certainly confirmed for me that life back then was all about Kings, many of whom had no problem murdering members of their own family.