Henry III: Reform, Rebellion, Civil War, Settlement, 1258-1272

*"There are few historians working today who know so much and write so well. Taken together, the two volumes of Henry III . . . set a gold standard for medieval royal biography."-Dan Jones, Times* (UK)

"A superb work of scholarship, the fruit of a lifetime's study of the subject. It is elegantly written, consistently shrewd and always good-humoured."-Jonathan Sumption, The Spectator

The second volume in the definitive history of Henry III's rule, covering the revolutionary events between 1258 and the king's death in 1272**

After coming to the throne aged just nine, Henry III spent much of his reign peaceably. Conciliatory and deeply religious, he created a magnificent court, rebuilt Westminster Abbey, and invested in soft power. Then, in 1258, the king faced a great revolution. Led by Simon de Montfort, the uprising stripped him of his authority and brought decades of personal rule to a catastrophic end. In the brutal civil war that followed, the political community was torn apart in a way unseen again until Cromwell.

Renowned historian David Carpenter brings to life the dramatic events in the last phase of Henry III's momentous reign. Carpenter provides a fresh account of the king's strenuous efforts to recover power and sheds new light on the characters of the rebel de Montfort, Queen Eleanor, and Lord Edward-the future Edward I. A groundbreaking biography, Henry III illuminates as never before the political twists and turns of the day, showing how politics and religion were intimately connected.