Harry of England: The History of Eight Kings, From Henry I to Henry VIII

Eight kings of England named Henry, with only two born as heirs to the throne. They contributed to the legal system, finance, parliament, language, nobility, and Church of England. Each king represented a different shade of kingship and was known as "Harry of England" in their time.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 15 November 2024
Publisher: Amberley Publishing

Eight kings of England were named Henry, and of these, only two were born as heirs to the throne. Two others seized the crown by force of arms, one by craft and opportunistic speed, and one by skilful diplomacy and an early flowering of that great British virtue, compromise. Among their number are saints and monsters, the best known and the least known of English kings. One was a storybook hero, leading an army to triumph against overwhelming odds. Another sat out a battle, singing to himself and playing with his fingers while the arrows flew. Half of them have been accused of murder, though in general, the actual killings were carried out by others. When we look at the contribution made by the eight kings of that name, we find it underpins almost every aspect of our nation and its institutions. To the first two, we owe our legal system and department of finance, to the third, intentionally or otherwise, the origins of our parliament. The fifth decreed the widespread use of English in official documents, leading to dramatic developments in that language. The seventh curbed the power of the nobility and sponsored a transatlantic link that has endured to the present day. The eighth, again, arguably unintentionally, brought into being the Church of England. Between them, these English monarchs represent every possible shade of kingship, and each in his own time was 'Harry of England.'

Weight: 238g
Dimension: 129 x 198 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781398122581