The Restless Kings

Review "A solid political history of a royal family whose members were pugnacious, grasping, devious, and shortsighted."--Kirkus Product Description Longlisted for the HWA Non-Fiction Prize 2019 'A vivid and humane study of the Plantagenets' diabolical and devious first family - a real joy to read.' Dan Jones, author of The Plantagenets In The Restless Kings Nick Barratt presents the tumultuous struggle for supremacy between the first Plantagenet king, Henry II, and his four sons. This conflict tore apart the most powerful family in Western Europe and shaped the future of both Britain and France, with a significance which still resonates today. Exploring the personalities and crises facing this extraordinary family, The Restless Kings brings to life some of the most remarkable, complex, flawed and brilliant monarchs ever to have sat on the English throne, and will challenge everything you thought you knew about the medieval world. Review A vivid and humane study of the Plantagenets' diabolical and devious first family - a real joy to read. -- Dan Jones, author of THE PLANTAGENETS Gripping . . . A detailed and nuanced account . . .Well worth reading for the sheer pleasure of encountering (or re-encountering) this diabolical family and their turbulent times. -- Katherine Harvey ― Times Literary Supplement A concise, grounded account of the rise and fall of the Angevin Empire, and the beginnings of an England that defined itself against its rival across the English Channel. ― History of War Hell-bent or not, the father and sons who ruled England from 1154 to 1216 were remarkable men, and Nick Barrett brings them to life. -- Allan Massie ― Wall Street Journal Book Description The Restless Kings is the gripping story of Henry II and his sons Henry, Geoffrey, Richard and John. About the Author Professor Nick Barratt is an author, broadcaster and historian best known for his work on BBC's Who Do You Think You Are. He is an honorary associate professor of public history at the University of Nottingham, and Associate Director, Collections and Engagement, at the University of London's Senate House Library as well as a teaching fellow at the University of Dundee. His most recent publication, The Forgotten Spy, tells the story of his great uncle - Stalin's first mole in Whitehall - and has previously written on subjects as diverse as the story of Greater London and the Titanic.