IST 605: The Ruling Class of Britain

This comprehensive and nuanced biography restores to his rightful place a king often overlooked in favor of his illustrious progeny. Henry faced the usual problems of usurpers: foreign wars, rebellions, and plots, as well as the ambitions and demands of the Lancastrian retainers who had helped him win the throne. The main strength of this book is its constant references to primary sources, where it ties in the extrapolations and consequences of Henry’s actions as the king of a new dynasty. Its main weakness is its portrayal of its king, who is described as “never living up to the expectations of his own supporters”.

Henry V of England, the princely hero of Shakespeare's play, who successfully defeated the French at the Battle of Agincourt and came close to becoming crowned King of France, is one of the best-known and most compelling monarchs in English history. This new biography takes a fresh look at his entire life and nine-year reign, and gives a balanced view of Henry, who is traditionally seen as a great hero but has been more recently depicted as an obsessive egotist or, worse, a ruthless warlord. The main limitation of this book is its lack of explanation of Henry V’s personal life, focusing more on the military victories and kingly aspects of the ruler. However, its main strength is connecting Henry V to members of his family, and giving them more spotlight in how he was raised, such as Henry and Thomas Beaufort.

Henry VI (1422-61) was one of the most spectacularly inadequate kings of England, and his reign dissolved into the conflict known as the Wars of the Roses. Yet he held on to his throne for thirty-nine years and, for almost thirty of them, without much difficulty. This book goes over Henry VI’s failings as a ruler, as well as the few things he did right. Its strength is connecting common interests and public connections to the mental state of the king, as well as understanding the role religion had on him. The biggest limitation of this book is that there is a prevalent bias against him throughout the pages.