This account of two strong medieval women and their relationship “thoroughly engrosses you in a story hundreds of years past”(Seattle Book Review). Born in 1223, Eleanor of Provence has come to England at the age of twelve to marry the king, Henry III. He’s sixteen years older, but was a boy when he ascended the throne. He’s a kind, sensitive sort whose only personal attachments to women so far have been to his three sisters. The youngest of those sisters is called Eleanor too. She was only nine when, for political reasons, her first marriage took place, but she’s already a chaste twenty-year-old widow when the new queen arrives in 1236. Soon, this Eleanor will marry the rising star of her brother’s court, a French parvenu named Simon de Montfort, thus wedding the fates of these four people together in an England about to undergo some of the most profound changes in its history. The Two Eleanors of Henry III is a tale that spans decades, with loyalty to family and principles at stake, in a land where foreigners are subject to intense scrutiny and jealousy. The relationship between these two sisters-in-law, close but ultimately doomed, reflects not just the turbulence and tragedy of their times, but also the brilliance and splendor.

The second volume in the definitive history of Henry III's rule, covering the revolutionary events between 1258 and the king's death in 1272 After coming to the throne aged just nine, Henry III spent much of his reign peaceably. Conciliatory and deeply religious, he created a magnificent court, rebuilt Westminster Abbey, and invested in soft power. Then, in 1258, the king faced a great revolution. Led by Simon de Montfort, the uprising stripped him of his authority and brought decades of personal rule to a catastrophic end. In the brutal civil war that followed, the political community was torn apart in a way unseen again until Cromwell. Renowned historian David Carpenter brings to life the dramatic events in the last phase of Henry III's momentous reign. Carpenter provides a fresh account of the king's strenuous efforts to recover power and sheds new light on the characters of the rebel de Montfort, Queen Eleanor, and Lord Edward--the future Edward I. A groundbreaking biography, Henry III illuminates as never before the political twists and turns of the day, showing how politics and religion were intimately connected.

"This must surely rank as one of the classic historical biographies...it will hold its place not only as a work of reference but as a piece of historical literature."—Observer "W. L. Warren has written a life of the great Angevin whose scholarship and fair-mindedness should make it the classic account for the next fifty years. . . . Dr. Warren's monumental celebration is made to last."—The Times "The result is masterly. . . . it is alive all through, a fine work by a professional historian who can write and has an eye for significant detail, without burying us under it."—Sunday Telegraph

The close political, economic and cultural ties that developed between England and its neighbours were a defining feature of the rule of Henry III, which permeated nearly all levels of society from the king and his barons to the Church and merchants, artisans and fortune hunters. They were evident both in the high politics of Henry III, as well as in the more general cultural developments, as can be seen in the French architecture, Italian masonry and German goldwork of Westminster Abbey. They can likewise be traced with regard to individuals such as Simon de Montfort, whose family was active in the Holy Land, Languedoc, Northern France and England. In short, thirteenth century England formed part of a broader European cultural, political and economic commonwealth. The essays that form this volume demonstrate the variety and strength of these contacts between England and her neighbours during Henry's reign, and by seeking to place Henry's England within a broader geographical and thematic range, will contribute to a broader understanding of England's place within thirteenth century Europe.

Packed with incredible true stories and legendary medieval intrigue, this epic narrative history chronicles the first five queens from the powerful royal family that ruled England and France for over three hundred years. The Plantagenet queens of England played a role in some of the most dramatic events in our history. Crusading queens, queens in rebellion against their king, seductive queens, learned queens, queens in battle, queens who enlivened England with the romantic culture of southern Europe—these determined women often broke through medieval constraints to exercise power and influence, for good and sometimes for ill. This second volume of Alison Weir’s critically acclaimed history of the queens of medieval England now moves into a period of even higher drama, from 1154 to 1291: years of chivalry and courtly love, dynastic ambition, conflict between church and throne, baronial wars, and the ruthless interplay between the rival monarchs of Britain and France. We see events such as the murder of Becket, the Magna Carta, and the birth of parliaments from a new perspective. Weir’s narrative begins with the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine, whose marriage to Henry II established a dynasty that ruled for over three hundred years and created the most powerful empire in western Christendom—but also sowed the seeds for some of the most destructive family conflicts in history and for the collapse, under her son King John, of England’s power in Europe. The lives of Eleanor’s four successors were just as remarkable: Berengaria of Navarre, queen of Richard the Lionheart; Isabella of Angoulême, queen of John; Alienor of Provence, queen of Henry III; and finally Eleanor of Castile, the grasping but beloved wife of Edward I. Through the story of these first five Plantagenet queens, Alison Weir provides a fresh, enthralling narrative focusing on these fascinating female monarchs during this dramatic period of high romance and sometimes low politics, with determined women at its heart.