Plantagenet England 1225-1360

Description

In this thorough and illuminating work, Michael Prestwich provides a comprehensive study of Plantagenet England, a dramatic and turbulent period which saw many changes. In politics it saw Simon de Montfort’s challenge to the crown in Henry II’s reign and it witnessed the deposition of Edward I. In contrast, it also saw the highly successful rules of Edward I and his grandson, Edward III. Political institutions were transformed with the development of parliament and war was a dominant theme: Wales was conquered and the Scottish Wars of Independence started in Edward I’s reign, and under Edward III there were triumphs at Cr?cy and Poitiers. Outside of politics, English society was developing a structure, from the great magnates at the top to the peasantry at the bottom. Economic changes were also significant, from the expansionary period of the thirteenth century to years of difficulty in the fourteenth century, culminating in the greatest demographic disaster of historical times, the Black Death. In this volume in the New Oxford History of England Michael Prestwich brings this fascinating century to life.

Preface
Part I: Introductory 1. The Environment
2. The Crown and Kingship
3. Government
Part II: Politics and War 4. Politics under Henry III
5. Reconstruction and Reform, 1266-94
6. Wales
7. Political Crises, 1294-1311
8. Times of Trouble, 1311-1330
9. Scotland
10. England under Edward III
11. England and France
12. The Armies of Edward III’s French War
Part III: Society and People 13. The Great Lords
14. The Knights and the Gentry
15. Landownership and the Law
16. The Management of Land
17. The Peasantry
18. The Towns
19. Trade and Merchants
20. Crime and Punishment
21. Population and the Black Death
Conclusion

“Prestwich’s contribution to the new series is clearly and gracefully written, soundly argued, and respectful of older authorities while recognizing new worksThis is a work that should proudly join its predecessors’ volumes on our shelves.”–Speculum
Michael Prestwich has taught at Oxford and the University of St. Andrews before moving to the University of Durham in 1979. He has been Professor of History since 1986 and from 1992 to 1999 he was Pro-Vice-Chancellor.

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