Henry the Young King, 1155-1183

The book explores the life of Henry the Young King, the eldest son of Henry II, who was crowned at fifteen and played a central role in the politics of his father's empire. Despite being denied direct rule, he led a rebellion against his father and waged a war against his brother Richard for control of Aquitaine. He died before reaching the age of thirty.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 496 pages
Publication date: 02 March 2018
Publisher: Yale University Press

This first modern study of Henry the Young King, the eldest son of Henry II but the least known Plantagenet monarch, delves into the brief yet eventful life of the only English ruler after the Norman Conquest to be created co-ruler in his father's lifetime. Crowned at fifteen to secure an undisputed succession, Henry played a central role in the politics of Henry III's great empire and was hailed as the embodiment of chivalry. However, consistently denied direct rule, the Young King was provoked first into heading a major rebellion against his father, then into waging a bitter war against his brother Richard for control of Aquitaine, dying before reaching the age of thirty having never assumed actual power. In this remarkable history, Matthew Strickland presents a richly colored portrait of an all-but-forgotten royal figure tutored by Thomas Becket, trained in arms by the great knight William Marshal, and incited to rebellion by his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine, while using his career to explore the nature of kingship, succession, dynastic politics, and rebellion in twelfth-century England and France.

This first modern study of Henry the Young King, the eldest son of Henry II but the least known Plantagenet monarch, delves into the brief yet eventful life of the only English ruler after the Norman Conquest to be created co-ruler in his father's lifetime. Crowned at fifteen to secure an undisputed succession, Henry played a central role in the politics of Henry III's great empire and was hailed as the embodiment of chivalry. However, consistently denied direct rule, the Young King was provoked first into heading a major rebellion against his father, then into waging a bitter war against his brother Richard for control of Aquitaine, dying before reaching the age of thirty having never assumed actual power. In this remarkable history, Matthew Strickland presents a richly colored portrait of an all-but-forgotten royal figure tutored by Thomas Becket, trained in arms by the great knight William Marshal, and incited to rebellion by his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine, while using his career to explore the nature of kingship, succession, dynastic politics, and rebellion in twelfth-century England and France.

Weight: 642g
Dimension: 142 x 217 x 37 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300232875