Carly M. - reviewed on 8/30/2013 + 50 more book reviews

I absolutely loved this book. I really enjoyed the way the book is set up: seven parts divided into short chapters. By reading this wonderful book I gained new insights into the life and times of the Plantagenets.

This is the epic story of the Plantagenet dynasty that lasted more than two centuries. Its the story of warrior queens like Matilda who refused to give up her claim to the throne and the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine, the wife of two kings, the mother of two more, and very influential in medieval European politics. Its the story of warrior kings who ruled an empire that at one point stretched from Scotland to Jerusalem. Most importantly its the story of a family of rulers who made England what it is today. Under their rule the magna carta was signed, the predecessor of the modern parliament was established, English became the language of proceedings in royal courts and parliaments. English was well on its way to becoming the dominant language it is today. The foundations of the relationships between England and the rest of the British Isles that have largely endured to this day emerged under reign of the Plantagenets.

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