A great and terrible king
Subtitle: Edward I and the forging of Britain
By: Marc Morris
Edition: First Pegasus Books hardcover edition.
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Published: 2015
Language: eng
Number of pages: 462
ISBN-13: 9781605986845
Copyright date: 2009
Subjects: Kings and rulers; Biography; History
Description: Edward I is familiar to millions as "Longshanks," conqueror of Scotland and nemesis of Sir William Wallace (in "Braveheart"). Yet this story forms only the final chapter of the king's action-packed life. Earlier, Edward had defeated and killed the famous Simon de Montfort in battle; travelled to the Holy Land on crusade; conquered Wales, extinguishing forever its native rulers and constructing a magnificent chain of castles. He raised the greatest armies of the Middle Ages and summoned the largest parliaments; notoriously, he expelled all the Jews from his kingdom. The longest-lived of England's medieval kings, he fathered fifteen children with his first wife, Eleanor of Castile. In this book, Marc Morris examines afresh the forces that drove Edward throughout his relentless career: his character, his Christian faith, and his sense of England's destiny--a sense shaped in particular by the tales of the legendary King Arthur. He also explores the competing reasons that led Edward's opponents (including Robert Bruce) to resist him. The result is a sweeping story and a vivid picture of medieval Britain at the moment when its future was decided.
Notes: Originally published: London: Hutchinson, 2008.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 421-434) and index.
Table of contents: title: A saint in name; title: The family feud; title: Civil peace and holy war; title: The return of the king; title: The disobedient prince; title: Arthur's crown; title: Peaceful endeavours; title: The great cause; title: The struggle for mastery; title: Uniting the kingdom?; title: A lasting vengeance; title: A great and terrible king.