King Long Shanks

King Long Shanks is toadally majestic!

This is the first major biography for a generation of a truly formidable king. Edward I is familiar to millions as 'Longshanks', conqueror of Scotland and nemesis of Sir William Wallace ('Braveheart'). Edward was born to rule England, but believed that it was his right to rule all of Britain. His reign was one of the most dramatic of the entire Middle Ages, leading to war and conquest on an unprecedented scale, and leaving a legacy of division that has lasted from his day to our own. In his astonishingly action-packed life, Edward defeated and killed the famous Simon de Montfort in battle; travelled across Europe to the Holy Land on crusade; conquered Wales, extinguishing forever its native rulers, and constructed - at Conwy, Harlech, Beaumaris and Caernarfon - the most magnificent chain of castles ever created. After the death of his first wife he erected the Eleanor Crosses - the grandest funeral monuments ever fashioned for an English monarch.

'She imagines the experiences of the sisters with empathy and patience ... and ably manages to coax the few sparks of evidence into flames of personality ... Whoop, whoop! If anyone can find me another clutch of rebel princesses, let's get crowd-funding.' Hermione Eyre, Spectator Virginal, chaste, humble, patiently waiting for rescue by brave knights and handsome princes: this idealized – and largely mythical – notion of the medieval noblewoman still lingers. Yet the reality was very different, as Kelcey Wilson-Lee shows in this vibrant account of the five daughters of the great English king, Edward I. The lives of these sisters – Eleanora, Joanna, Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth – ran the full gamut of experiences open to royal women in the Middle Ages. Living as they did in a courtly culture founded on romantic longing and brilliant pageantry, they knew that a princess was to be chaste yet a mother to many children, preferably sons, meek yet able to influence a recalcitrant husband or even command a host of men-at-arms. Edward’s daughters were of course expected to cement alliances and secure lands and territory by making great dynastic marriages, or endow religious houses with royal favour. But they also skilfully managed enormous households, navigated choppy diplomatic waters and promoted their family’s cause throughout Europe – and had the courage to defy their royal father. They might never wear the crown in their own right, but they were utterly confident of their crucial role in the spectacle of medieval kingship. Drawing on a wide range of contemporary sources, Daughters of Chivalry offers a rich portrait of these spirited Plantagenet women. With their libraries of beautifully illustrated psalters and tales of romance, their rich silks and gleaming jewels, we follow these formidable women throughout their lives and see them – at long last – shine from out of the shadows, revealing what it was to be a princess in the Age of Chivalry.

Although he hates their poor poetry, a frog king agrees to let two flattering scoundrels create an outfit for him that will show off his fine, long, strong legs and test the loyalty of his subjects.

The medieval world, in all its piety, passion, romance, superstition and bloody barbarity, comes to vivid life through the eyes of an ambitious court jester to tell the true story of Edward Longshanks, who literally battled his way to his rightful inheritance, the throne of England. This is the purportedly long-lost account of Hamo Pauncefoot, a crafty and ambitious jester who daringly insinuates himself into the service of the future King Edward I, known as Longshanks. He reveals his story of clever scheming but also courageous loyalty as he rises, through war and battle, to a high rank and becoming indispensable to Edward's cause. As Pauncefoot plots and connives his way further into Edward's life, he introduces us to other historical characters such as Leonora of Castile, Edward's passionate and beautiful wife; the pious but naive King Henry III; his scheming wife Queen Eleanor of Provence and his noble brother Earl Richard of Cornwall. The prince of Wales, Llwelyn ap Gruffyd attempts to invade England, while the ruthless and self-assured earl of Leicester, Simon de Montfort, very nearly snatches the throne of England for himself. But in Pauncefoot's most triumphant moment, after he has risen to exalted favour with Edward, everything he has built comes crashing down following a shocking revelation that leaves him in the thrall of a man who is a more cunning manipulator than Pauncefoot himself… With chapters headed by dates that guide the reader through the authentic time frame of these historical events, Pauncefoot's fictional account is woven into the true story of Edward's bloody and tragic ascent to the throne. This makes the book a fascinating read for those who enjoy a good story that is backed up by facts and history.

Although he hates their poor poetry, a frog king agrees to let two flattering scoundrels create an outfit for him that will show off his fine, long, strong legs and test the loyalty of his subjects.