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

The eighth and weakest of the eight kings of England, Henry, was born as an heir to the throne. Two of them took the crown by force, one by cunning, and one by compromise. They include saints and monsters, heroes and villains, and half of them were accused of murder. Their contributions to our nation and institutions are immense, including our legal system, finance department, parliament, English language, tax system, and Church of England.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 15 April 2022
Publisher: Amberley Publishing

Eight kings of England bore the name Henry, yet only two of them were born as heirs to the throne. These two, the third and sixth, proved to be the weakest among their counterparts. Two of them claimed the crown through force of arms, one through cunning and opportunistic speed, and one through skillful diplomacy and the early flourishing of that great British virtue, compromise. Among their ranks, you will find saints and monsters, the most well-known and the least known of English kings. One was a storybook hero, leading an army to triumph against insurmountable odds. Another sat out a battle, singing to himself and playing with his fingers as the arrows flew. Half of them have been accused of murder, though in general, others were responsible for the actual killings. When we examine the contributions made by the eight kings of that name, we find that they underpin 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 unintentionally, 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 transformed the tax system and introduced legal reforms that curbed the power of the nobility. 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: 618g
Dimension: 167 x 244 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781445698649