King of the North Wind: The Life of Henry II in Five Acts

King of the North Wind: The Life of Henry II in Five Acts by Claudia Gold. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780007554782.

Henry II (1133–89), the first Plantagenet king of England and head of the vast Angevin empire, was an able ruler who introduced reforms, promoted the rule of law and presided over a peaceful realm and cultured court – until his final years, when his family rebelled against him. This vivid biography reinstates Henry as one of England’s finest kings, whose achievements have been overshadowed by the powerful reputations of his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and his sons, Richard I and John.