| ||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.25
Trade in The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-Made King for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Plus, get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
[Mortimer] has an instinctive sympathy for the men about whom he writes, a real understanding of the mentalities of late medieval England, and a vivid historical imagination which lends colour and excitement to his pages -- Literary Review
An arresting and original biography -- Jessie Childs, Sunday Telegraph
It] possesses the rare combination of clarity, liveliness, balanced judgement, erudition without pedantry, and scholarship founded on his own research among primary sources -- Scotland on Sunday
The book is at its most compelling in conjuring a sense of place or occasion -- Guardian
An arresting and original biography -- Jessie Childs, Sunday Telegraph
It] possesses the rare combination of clarity, liveliness, balanced judgement, erudition without pedantry, and scholarship founded on his own research among primary sources -- Scotland on Sunday
The book is at its most compelling in conjuring a sense of place or occasion -- Guardian
Review
`qualified historian...invokes historical imagination...'
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The medieval period has a reputation for being as dark as the age that preceded it, so I was almost reluctant to read this book, but I'm glad I made the effort to pick it up. This is Shakespeare's king, but not as countless actors have played him. Ian Mortimer uses biography as a powerful tool to investigate the relationship between Richard (Henry's predecessor) and Henry - from Henry's point of view. Henry's taking the throne is often taken as the root of the Wars of the Roses, and the author shows how Richard changed his mind about his heir several times. Having become king, Henry had to sweep away almost a century of English royal practices to ensure he had a hereditary right to the throne, and although Richard did indeed make the Yorkists the heirs to the throne, they themselves initially gave in to Henry. This casts a long shadow over the rest of 15th-century history. Mortimer's great strength is that he does not rehash accepted views but has embarked on a thorough re-evaluation of the information contained within the contemporary evidence, and a logical examination of its contradictions and implication. This is not revisionism for the sake of it, but an essential analysis of the available evidence. This might sound like medieval political history at its driest: not in this book. The full horror of the tyranny of Richard II's final years in power contrasts with the chivalric fervour of Henry's early life. As the sole grandson of Edward III and the first duke of Lancaster, he was one of the foremost warriors of the 14th century, and possibly the greatest tournament fighter the English royal family ever produced. The description of the battle of Shrewbury gives a real insider's view of what it was like to be involved in one of these battles. Bloody conflict, subtle political manoeuvring and up-to-date historical analysis - this book has it all.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
For many of us, Henry IV is the king who deposed Richard II, fathered Henry V and features in three of Shakespeare's historical plays. He reigned as King of England from 1399 to 1413 and while the significant events of his reign are documented in history, the man himself largely remains in the shadows.
In this book, Ian Mortimer sets out to bring Henry IV out of the shadows by providing both context and perspective for his actions. Mortimer's research and energetic writing do shed light, but it is not quite enough to infuse Henry IV with personality and life. The people around Henry IV largely remain in the shadows and it is their perspectives that would enable us to get a clearer picture of the man who was the king.
Ian Mortimer has provided comprehensive notes and a wealth of information in his select bibliography. This book is a wonderful starting point for those who want to know more about the life and times of Henry IV. I hope that at some stage someone will write a book that will be able to shed more life on the man himself.
Was Henry IV a usurper or a saviour? Ian Mortimer has a view, and while I largely agree with him I'm not entirely convinced. Yet.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In this book, Ian Mortimer sets out to bring Henry IV out of the shadows by providing both context and perspective for his actions. Mortimer's research and energetic writing do shed light, but it is not quite enough to infuse Henry IV with personality and life. The people around Henry IV largely remain in the shadows and it is their perspectives that would enable us to get a clearer picture of the man who was the king.
Ian Mortimer has provided comprehensive notes and a wealth of information in his select bibliography. This book is a wonderful starting point for those who want to know more about the life and times of Henry IV. I hope that at some stage someone will write a book that will be able to shed more life on the man himself.
Was Henry IV a usurper or a saviour? Ian Mortimer has a view, and while I largely agree with him I'm not entirely convinced. Yet.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I immensely enjoyed reading this book! The life of Henry of Bolingbroke was eventful to say the least. At its most interesting before he 'usurped' the throne, troubled and tortured after he became king. Unlike Mortimer's epic Edward III, this book was highly readable and certainly a page turner. What added to my enjoyment was the parallel life of Richard II, explored, again a king whose life has not been written about by many historians.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
That I and Greatness were compelled to Kiss
Ian Mortimer in his brilliant biography of King Henry IV (1399-1413) uses that Shakespearian phrase as the chapter heading for his summary of one of the least-remembered English... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Bob
Very good, if sometimes black&white
Mortimer ought to have left Shakespeare out of this account. The history plays are based on Holinshed's 16th century chronicles, not on Ian Mortimer's 21st century biography. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Oneal
Shakespeare has a lot to answer for...
Most people know little of Henry IV beyond his character in Shakespeare's history plays. He no doubt suffers in comparison to his far more glorious son, Henry V, but to compare the... Read more
Published on 28 Feb 2010 by C. Ball
A Stunning Book
I have to admit that i thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I knew very little about Henry before i read this and after reading i feel that he was a brilliant king showing bravery... Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2010 by Scott Jarvis
The Fears of Henry IV
Not as good as the other Ian Mortimer books although noteable for putting Shakespeare back in his box for his lack of factual accuracy.
Published on 7 Jan 2010 by H. Grieves
Return to Lancastrian propaganda
Ian Mortimer's book is - unfortunately - largely a return to the propagandist viewpoint of the Lancastrian chroniclers, which was put together to justify Bolingbroke's usurpation... Read more
Published on 12 Nov 2009 by Mr. Martin F. Peers
Henry IV: a good man but no king
Henry IV. What does one tink of when he/she hear that name. Do they think of the only English monarch that went to Jerusalem before the twentith century. Read more
Published on 18 Oct 2009 by Edward Rex
Henry IV, a little known monarch
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as I have enjoyed all Ian Mortimer's books. He really brings history to life in a readable way. Read more
Published on 28 Sep 2009 by J. Neale
Rescuing Henry
I must have been reading another book to the other reviewers because I think this history book moves with the pace and energy of a good novel. Read more
Published on 7 Sep 2009 by Eileen Shaw
Superb Historical Non fiction
The Fears of Henry IV by Ian Mortimer is the third book in a projected five book series about the Plantagenet Kings. Read more
Published on 19 Jun 2009 by Elrohir
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Biography > Historical > Britain > Military
- Books > Biography > Historical > Countries & Regions > Europe
- Books > Biography > Political > Britain
- Books > History > Britain & Ireland > British Heads of State > Henry IV
- Books > History > Britain & Ireland > Ireland
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
