The Death of Kings: Royal Deaths in Medieval England - Hardcover

Evans, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1852852682 ISBN 13: 9781852852689

Publisher: Hambledon Pr, 2003

Synopsis

Any king's death was a critical and highly dramatic moment, often with major political consequences. Death in battle, whether that of Harold at Hastings or of Richard III at Bosworth, could end a dynasty, while the secret murders of Edward II, Richard II and Edward V blighted the fortunes of their murderers.

The Death of Kings is an account of what is known about the deaths of medieval kings, whether natural, violent or accidental (as William Rufus's death out hunting in the New Forest). It shows how contemporaries and later writers, including Shakespeare, drew morals from such deaths and about the characters of individual kings, giving these deaths an imaginative and symbolic resonance that has lasted until the present day. Personal details about the characters and attitudes of English kings and queens makes The Death of Kings a unique window into the heart of medieval society.

About this title

About the Author:

Michael Evans has lectured in medieval history at several universities in Britain and the United States. He is currently assistant professor at Central Michigan University, US. He published The Death of Kings: Royal Deaths in Medieval England in 2003(Continuum).

From Publishers Weekly:

Medieval England was not a good place to be a king, writes Evans-in an understatement-in this comprehensive study of the murders, battle deaths and accidental demises (and occasional death from natural causes) of 20 English monarchs between 1066 and 1485. Evans, a medieval historian who teaches at British universities, presents his meticulously researched material thematically, rather than chronologically, and like the medieval sources he mines, he focuses on the most "meaningful," "interesting" and "memorable" deaths. He uses these to address such topics as the medieval concept of death as divine retribution for misdeeds, the significance of burial places, the phenomenon of the royal martyr-saint and the surprising frequency of royal murder in the 14th and 15th centuries. Although the handful of illustrations add little, two charts showing death statistics for kings and queens may help readers who have trouble keeping the various royals straight. Throughout this scholarly work, Evans reminds readers that "medieval people saw history as a struggle between God and the Devil" and that contemporary historians chronicled deaths within this moralistic framework. He maintains a critical, distant tone, constantly questioning and analyzing his primary sources, so that his interesting book is ultimately as much about the problematics of storytelling in history as about the kings themselves.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Hambledon Pr
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1852852682
• ISBN 13: 9781852852689
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288