John An Evil King? - Penguin Monarchs. The Houses of Normandy, Blois and Anjou

King John ruled England for seventeen and a half years, yet his entire reign is usually reduced to one image: of the villainous monarch outmanoeuvred by rebellious barons into agreeing to Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215. Ever since, John has come to be seen as an archetypal tyrant. But how evil was he?In this perceptive short account, Nicholas Vincent unpicks John's life through his deeds and his personality. The youngest of four brothers, overlooked and given a distinctly unroyal name, John seemed doomed to failure. As king, he was reputedly cruel and treacherous, pursuing his own interests at the expense of his country, losing the continental empire bequeathed to him by his father Henry and his brother Richard and eventually plunging England into civil war. Only his lordship of Ireland showed some success. Yet, as this fascinating biography asks, were his crimes necessarily greater than those of his ancestors - or was he judged more harshly because, ultimately, he failed as a warlord?

ISBN:	9780141977690
Publisher:	Penguin Books Ltd
Imprint:	Allen Lane
Published date:	30 Jul 2020
DEWEY:	942.033092
DEWEY edition:	23
Language:	English
Number of pages:	xv, 117 , 8 unnumbered of plates
Weight:	192g
Height:	186mm
Width:	158mm
Spine width:	19mm

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