Arise, England - Six Kings and the Making of the English State

A lively, new and sweeping history of the rise of the state in Plantagenet England. Between 1199 and 1399, English politics was high drama. These two centuries witnessed savage political blood-letting – including civil war, deposition, the murder of kings and the ruthless execution of rebel lords – as well as international warfare, devastating national pandemic, economic crisis and the first major peasant uprising in English history. Arise, England uses the six Plantagenet kings who ruled during these two centuries to explore England’s emergent statehood. Drawing on original accounts and arresting new research, it draws resonances between government, international relations, and the abilities, egos and ambitions of political actors, then and now. Colourful and complicated, and by turns impressive and hateful, the six kings stride through the story; but arguably the greatest character is the emerging English state itself. 'An absorbing and eye-opening account of what the Plantagenets did for us.'- HELEN CASTOR'Burt and Partington show precisely and engagingly why the Middle Ages matter.'- DAN JONES Between 1199 and 1399, English politics was high drama. These two centuries witnessed savage political blood-letting - including civil war, deposition, the murder of kings and the ruthless execution of rebel lords - as well as international warfare, devastating national pandemic, economic crisis and the first major peasant uprising in English history. Arise, England uses the six Plantagenet kings who ruled during these two centuries to explore England's emergent statehood. Drawing on original accounts and arresting new research, it draws resonances between government, international relations, and the abilities, egos and ambitions of political actors, then and now. Colourful and complicated, and by turns impressive and hateful, the six kings stride through the story; but arguably the greatest character is the emerging English state itself. Between 1199 and 1399, the story of politics in England was full of high drama. These two centuries witnessed: three civil wars; two depositions duly followed by royal murders; an unsuccessful plot to kill another king; three bouts of political blood-letting including battle, executions and murder; a pandemic in which somewhere between thirty and fifty percent of England's population perished; national economic crisis; and the first large-scale peasant rebellion in English history. It is the dynamic story of these two centuries, and the emergent idea of statehood, that this book seeks to tell. It naturally draws on earlier work, but adds arresting research and perceptive analysis to draw contemporary links and resonance in government, international relations and the egos and ambitions of various political actors. These colourful and arresting individuals stride through the story of Arise, England . . . but arguably the greatest character is the emerging English state itself.