Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for 1217:
King John was as bad as Mel Brooks said he was.
Quick synopsis:
The story of why King John was just the worst.
Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:
The nobility and religious communities at this time made up about 6% at most of the population meaning the other 94% of people were predominantly farmers or tradespeople.
Fun Fact for History Nerds:
The sphere of influence of a castle was generally a day’s ride or about 10-15 miles all around it.
My Take on 1217:
If you think you are having a bad year, take a look at what the English were dealing with in 1217. Catherine Hanley tells the story of how this fateful year became so pivotal in the future of England. While not everyone will know what is happening in England that year, most people will recognize the man at the center of it. One of the worst kings in English history, King John.
Now, “worst” can be very relative and there are many arguments that John wasn’t as bad as history paints him because of Robin Hood. Although, it is funny that the best a historian can probably say about him is that he wasn’t “that bad.” This book will certainly not improve your view of him. This narrative focuses specifically on King John trying to undo the work of the Magna Carta and then fight off a claimant to his throne.
Hanley needs to cover a lot (emphasis on LOT) of ground to make the politics of the period make sense. A warning to the reader, if you have never read anything about this period then it may be a bit too much all at once. Hanley does great work distilling everything down, but I did wonder if I would have been overwhelmed had I not been at least somewhat knowledgeable about the fall of King John beforehand. It’s just something to keep in mind, but the book is a good read.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Osprey Publishing.)
Verdict:
A wonderful read. Buy it here!
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