Simon de Montfort
£47.00
GBPThis book provides a new account of one of the most famous men of the English middle ages: Simon de Montfort. It traces his career from his origins as the younger son of a French noble family, through his elevation in England as the close friend and counsellor of King Henry III, to his break with the king, his rise to royal power, and his death in battle at Evesham in 1265. Montfort was a creature of contradictions. A superb soldier, an ardent religious idealist, and a forcefully able politician, he won the friendship and loyalty of some of the greatest men of his day; yet he was also ambitious and avaricious for political power. Through the chronicles, the public records and Montfort's family archives, this biography offers not only a narrative of his life but a more unusual study of character and temperament which can hardly be attempted for any other nobleman of the period.
- First major biography of one of the most famous of the medieval nobility, now in paperback
- Re-assessment of de Montfort's contemporaries: Henry III, Robert Grosseteste, Louis IX of France
- Makes use of new sources - both public records and private family archives
Reviews & endorsements
'… offers a treatment of its subject which, for balance, narrative fluency and skill in marshalling interpretative detail, is likely to remain unsurpassed for a very long time … His cast emerges individualised from under their hauberks and wimples, and we catch the authentic noise of their anxieties, their scruples, their oaths and challenges.' Jonathan Keates, The Observer
' … written in clear, compelling English … Maddicott has weighed Montfort in an admirably even balance. He has brought him alive in all his contradictions and magnificence. This is a masterpiece of a biography which will never be replaced.' D. A. Carpenter, Journal of Ecclesiastical History
'… a biographer of rare perception and deep scholarship.' Michael Prestwich, The Times Literary Supplement '… this magnificent biography will be as nearly definitive as any could be. It is a work of the highest quality: persuasive, eloquent and penetrating.' History Today 'John Maddicott has produced an admirable account of this remarkable career … highly readable ...'. Paul Johnson, The Times
Product details
June 1996Paperback
9780521376365
432 pages
229 × 153 × 30 mm
0.684kg
15 b/w illus.
Available
Table of Contents
- 1. Going places, c. 1208–48
- 2. Familia and fortune
- 3. Religion and virtue
- 4. Simon de Montfort's road to reform, 1248–58
- 5. The reformer: ideals and interests, 1258–59
- 6. The decline of the reform movement, 1260–63
- 7. The return of the general, 1263–64
- 8. Simon de Montfort and his kingdom, 1264–65
- 9. Conclusion: Simon de Montfort
- Bibliography
- Index.
