IST 605: The Ruling Class of Britain

Carpenter stresses the king's achievements as well as his failures, outlining the first king to rule within the lines of the Magna Carta. Henry III was severely limited by these new laws, but he worked around them to promote peace and prosperity. The biggest strength is that this book takes a nuanced stance on how Henry III ruled, remarking on his work in Westminster Abbey. The biggest limitation is that this book overexplains. It spends 5 pages on a 1-page topic, and can often add details that distract from the main lesson of the chapter.

Chancellor describes the legal reforms set out by Edward I, such as the creation of Parliament and the number of children he had. Edward I worked to create a system that not only respected the nobility that he presided over, it reinstated authority to the royal family. This book works very well as a reference textbook, delivering factual information and clear reference to the type of man Edward I was. However, its main limitation is that it doesn’t include many details, such as how he utilized his military.

During his lifetime and the four centuries following his death, King Edward II (1307-1327) acquired a reputation for having engaged in sexual and romantic relationships with his male favourites, and having been murdered by penetration with a red-hot spit. This book provides the first account of how this reputation developed, providing new insights into the processes and priorities that shaped narratives of sexual transgression in medieval and early modern England. Its biggest strength is that it isn’t afraid to address the homosexual allegations that pop up during King Edward II’s reign. Its biggest limitation is that this argument can be a large part of the book, and may overshadow some aspects, such as lawmaking and personal life.

The reign of Edward III is usually remembered for his stirring victories over the French and Scots. Yet these triumphs occurred against a domestic backdrop of economic upheaval, crime, high taxation, and the Black Death. The strength of this book is that it directly discusses the topic of Edward’s reign in the face of turbulence, and how medical knowledge became increasingly important during this time. Its weakness is that it focuses more on how parliament ran this problem, lessening the impact of Edward III’s action and role as king.

Richard II by Christopher Fletcher writes about the growth and rule of Richard II, who, during his reign, has often identified as feminine, despite his military contributions. Fletcher argues that the king sought to assert his authority by acting manly, first through a military campaign, and then, fatally, through revenge against those who attempted to restrain him. Its strength is that it writes about much of King Richard II’s military life, and subverts common assumptions about his lifestyle. Its limitation is that it spent most of the book arguing against the infantilization of Richard II, who was often considered unmanly for his Francophile interests, and this can detract readers from fully learning about the king.