Product Description

He ordered his uncle to be beheaded; he usurped his father's throne; he started a war which lasted for more than a hundred years, and taxed his people more than any other previous king. Yet for centuries Edward III was celebrated as the most brilliant king England had ever had, and three hundred years after his death it was said that his kingship was perhaps the greatest that the world had ever known. In this first full study of the man's character and life, Ian Mortimer shows how Edward personally provided the impetus for much of the drama of his fifty-year reign. Edward overcame the tyranny of his guardians at the age of seventeen and then set about developing a new form of awe-inspiring chivalric kingship. Under him the feudal kingdom of England became a highly organised, sophisticated nation, capable of raising large revenues and deploying a new type of projectile-based warfare, and without question the most important military nation in Europe. Yet under his rule England also experienced its longest period of domestic peace in the middle ages, giving rise to a massive increase of the nation's wealth through the wool trade, with huge consequences for society, art and architecture. It is to Edward that we owe our system of parliamentary representation, our local justice system, our national flag and the English language as the 'tongue of the nation'. Nineteenth century historians saw in Edward the opportunity to decry a warmonger, and painted him as a self-seeking, rapacious, tax-gathering conqueror. Yet as this book shows, beneath the strong warrior king was a compassionate, conscientious and often merciful man - resolute yet devoted to his wife, friends and family. He emerges as a strikingly modern figure, to whom many will be able to relate - the father of both the English nation and the English people.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #254861 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-23
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

Review
"This is a story which, for its boldness of interpretation, success in evoking this vanished medieval world, and sheer narrative elan, deserves to be widely read."
-"Sunday Times"

"From the Trade Paperback edition."

The Economist
"A fascinating portrait. At times, the reader seems almost able to reach across time and touch this man"

From the Publisher
King for 50 years (1327-77), Edward III - like Elizabeth and Victoria after him - embodied the values of his age. He re-made England and forged a nation out of war.

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable and informative.
The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation is a highly informative and entertaining account of the life of King Edward III. The book achieves the right balance of 'history' and 'biography' neccessary from a work of this nature, being full of detailed knowledge of events but also painting a highly personal portrait of it's subject. However, one of the most interesting aspects of the book for me is Mortimer's argument regarding the death, or rather survival, of Edward III's father, Edward II. It has traditionally been assumed by historians that Edward II died, or was murdered, in 1327. Here however, Mortimer asserts that Edward II in fact survived his imprisonment and lived in hiding throughout the 1330's, eventually dying in the early 1340's. Edward III was one of the few people complicit in this plan and did much to confirm and perpetuate the popular belief that his father was indeed dead. Mortimer shows how Edward III was forced into this situation, in order to maintain his hold on power and it reveals considerable strength of character in the man, a vital element in a king. Mortimer's argument is convincing, although much work remains to be done before the popular story of the red hot poker can be entirely dismissed.

The book is highly readable and informative and can be enjoyed by both the historian and general reader alike. Edward III is indeed the 'Father of the English Nation' in more ways than one: in the creation of a strong national identity, but also as almost everyone in the country is descended from him. As far as being the 'Perfect King' is concerned, Edward did his best to live up to the astonishingly high standards expected of him, and for the most part he succeeded. His success is most obviously symbolised in his great victories over the French, for example at Crecy, but his domestic achievements were just as important and in the end proved more permanent.

Overall, Mortimer presents a very convincing argument and succeeds in portraying Edward III as the great man he undoubtedly was, restoring him to his proper place among the truly great monarchs of the past.

Edward III:The Perfect King?
Being brought up firmly in the school of Edward II -Berkeley Castle - red hot poker in places that made teenage scholars snigger, I approached this book with a great deal of caution. I have to say that Mortimer has made acompelling case for the survival of Edward II, which I personally can go along with. Even if you don't agree with this thesis you should still buy this book if you are interested in: the Fourteenth Century, Edward III, the Hundred Years War. Mortimer takes Edward from vulnerable youth, through warrior king, to manipulated old man, In my opinion this will be the definitive work on Edward III for many years to come. Well written, copiously researched, brilliant, so buy it!

Mixed feelings about the content, but very bad editing for sure
The renewed interest in the reign of Edward II was bound to trigger new interest in the reign of his son and heir Edward III. Ian Mortimer had already set the stage with his excellent biography on the Earl of March (the Greatest Traitor). It is a welcome and logic move to follow this book up with a biography of Edward III.

The title of the biography is already a clear indication how Ian Mortimer sees the king. However, Ian Mortimer even goes a step further and starts his book however with a chapter how he wants to see Edward III and re-establish the king's reputation. I am not sure that this was a wise move as the following chapter only partly supports the sweeping statement of a perfect king.
Nevertheless the book covers one of the longest reign of an English king in an in-depth manner giving the reader a lot of information to form her/his very own opinion. I am a bit split what to think. On one hand the king laid the foundations for many political, social, military and cultural tradition of the country. His reign was a successful one. On the other hand there was constant war. We might have today a different view on the merits of warfare, so it might be wrong to judge him according to our standards. Nevertheless war was never a good thing - neither then nor today. So you can have your pick what is more important to you.

What I did miss in the assessment were the long-term consequences of his reign and rule. Yes, he established many long lasting traditions and institutions, but his direct legacy was quite disastrous for England as he did not provide for a secure transition of power and many of his action laid as well the foundations for the War of the Roses.

One last word to editing: in my view it is absolutely dreadful. The chapters are far too long, far too detailed and really difficult to read. Honestly, quite often I had enough of this book and had to force myself to continue reading. I do not like this t all. I am not a scholar or want to do my PhD on Edward III, so one should adopt this book more for popular reading. It can be done as the book on the Earl of March proved.

So all in all not a bad book, hard reading due to the dreadful editing, but lots of information giving in spite of the first chapter enough room to form one's own opinion. 4 stars is a fair assesment.