Henry II

Description

Henry II was an enigma to contemporaries, and has excited widely divergent judgments ever since. Dramatic incidents of his reign, such as his quarrel with Archbishop Becket and his troubled relations with his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and his sons, have attracted the attention of historical novelists, playwrights, and filmmakers, but with no unanimity of interpretation. That he was a great king there can be no doubt. Yet his motives and intentions are not easy to divine, and it is Professor Warren's contention that concentration on the great crises of the reign can lead to distortion. This book is therefore a comprehensive reappraisal of the reign based, with rare understanding, on contemporary sources; it provides a coherent and persuasive revaluation of the man and the king, and is, in itself an eloquent and impressive achievement. Contents Illustrations Maps Diagrams Acknowledgments Note on References Note on Translations Preface Part I. Politics 1 Prologue 2 The Pursuit of an Inheritance (1135-54) 3 King, Duke, and Count: A Chronological Survery, 1154 - c. 1182 4 The Lordship of the British Isles 5 Henry II and His Empire Illustrations Section I Part II. The Government of England 6 The Pattern of English Government 7 Recovery and Reconstruction 8 The King’s Government 9 Royal Justice 10 King and Subjects Part III. Henry II and the Church Preface: The Problem of Interpretation 11 Church and State in Norman England 12 Archbishop Theobald 13 Archbishop Thomas Becket Illustrations Section II 14 The Restoration of Harmony Part IV The Angevin Commonwealth 15 Federal Government (c. 1178 - 1183) 16 The End of the Reign (c. 1183 - 1189) Glossary Bibliography Index