King John, 1167-1216

King John, 1167-1216 by W. L Warren. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780760700020.

Much maligned by other biographers, King John is here portrayed as a flawed monarch who was in many ways the product of his time. In a fascinating, revealing, and highly readable account, the author draws on all sources to show how this son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine overcame his early irresponsibilities to emerge as a ruler with his fathers flair for organization and administration. Balancing Johns shortcomings with his abilities, Warren shows how the king was forced to surrender Normandy to France; how he attempted against great odds to gear England for a massive counterattack; how he infused new life into the government of the realm; how he enforced order in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales; and how his reckless determination could not fail to antagonize the Church and many barons. This study chronicles a king and his misfortunes, as well as a period of profound changes and a reign punctuated by unprecedented stresses.