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by Catherine Hanley.
Hardback (6.3×9.5 inches). 304 pages. 2025.
What a fascinating political book about England vs France as told through a biography of French King Philip Augustus. He may have become king as a teenager, but he learned the art of manipulation quickly. He sowed discontent among his enemies, domestic and foreign, until he rid himself of contenders and coerced English nobles to bend the knee to him.
A sometimes bewildering array of royalty, nobility, and ecclesiastical figures pop in and out of the narrative, not to mention the births, deaths, and marriages between them all. It’s all about who allies with whom and whether they stay allied or switch sides. The main English kings are Henry II, Richard I (the Lionhearted), and John — the latter better known via the legend of Robin Hood. The main French King is Philip Augustus, although becoming king (1179) and remaining king (until his death in 1223) proved challenging.
Very little military action is discussed except for the successful siege of the formidable fortress of Chateau Gaillard and the Battle of Bouvines. This is a bio centered on the politics of the era and the skill of Philip Augustus.
One nit to pick: just about every page has an asterisk somewhere in the text and a footnote at the bottom of the page. It is annoying to keep breaking up the narrative with information that either should be inserted into the text if it’s important or just plain deleted. It’s about a 50-50 proposition, but why the editor let these asterisked notes stand is beyond me.
The book contains three family trees and six black and white maps.
Other than the annoying asterisks, the book is generally well written. You really need to be at the top of your short-term memory game to keep all the personalities straight, but it’s done as well as possible.
Enjoyed it.
— Reviewed by Russ Lockwood
