Books - Henry III of England

This tome from Matthew Lewis - Henry III, The Son of Magna Carta - popped up in my news-feed and sounded like it could be a good read.

Synopsis: From the ashes of Magna Carta, a new England was to be forged.

Henry III became King of England within days of his ninth birthday. His father, King John, had overseen a disastrous period in English history and the boy king inherited a country embroiled in a bitter, entrenched war with itself. With barons inviting a French prince to take the crown, the young Henry was forced to rely on others to maintain his position.

As he grew into adulthood, Henry had to manage the transition to a personal rule, wrenching power from men who had held it almost unchecked for years. With a settled position at home, attention could turn to the recovery of lost territory abroad and the salvaging of Henry’s family reputation. All would not go according to plan.

Henry III is an interesting character - son of the oft maligned King John, Henry became King of England aged 9yo, ruling for approx 56 years. His reign was not entirely peaceful, with the Barons rebelling, leading to civil war in which Henry's son, Edward, took a prominent role.

Another tome of interest is this one by Darren Baker - Henry III - The Great King England Never Knew It Had.

Synopsis: Henry III (1207-72) reigned for 56 years, the longest-serving English monarch until the modern era. Although knighted by William Marshal, he was no warrior king like his uncle Richard the Lionheart. He preferred to feed the poor to making war and would rather spend time with his wife and children than dally with mistresses and lord over roundtables. He sought to replace the dull projection of power imported by his Norman predecessors with a more humane and open-hearted monarchy. But his ambition led him to embark on bold foreign policy initiatives to win back the lands and prestige lost by his father King John. This set him at odds with his increasingly insular barons and clergy, now emboldened by the protections of Magna Carta. In one of the great political duels of history, Henry struggled to retain the power and authority of the crown against radical reformers like Simon de Montfort. He emerged victorious, but at a cost both to the kingdom and his reputation among historians. Yet his long rule also saw extraordinary advancements in politics and the arts, from the rise of the parliamentary state and universities to the great cathedrals of the land, including Henry's own enduring achievement, Westminster Abbey.

A couple more books on Henry III:

• The Minority of Henry III by David Carpenter
• The reign of Henry III by David Carpenter
• King Henry III and the Lord Edward by Sir Maurice Powicke