Brendan’s Alternate Tagline:
Yup, he sucked as much as Robin Hood said he did. Maybe worse.
Quick synopsis:
A complete biography of King John of England.
Fact for Non-History People:
John rebelled against his father with his brother and then tried to steal power from his brother when he ascended.
Fact for History Nerds:
The Pope hated John, too. He was excommunicated in 1209.
My Take:
Sometimes history gives you a great villain to pin everything on. King John is one of those perfect figures who checks all the marks of someone with the worst characteristics. He rebelled against his father with his brother. Then he tried to rebel against his brother. He pissed off the pope. His people hated him. The court hated him because he wouldn’t stop sleeping with their wives.
He also committed the true sin of a ruler in this time period. He was terrible at conducting war. This includes war with his own people.
Morris is one of those authors who I know is going to give you the full story. This is especially true here. While no one would ever suggest King John was “good”, he was complex like any ruler. Morris doesn’t go for the easy explanation for John’s villainy and instead tells the story of a guy who seemingly never made the right decision.
Verdict:
A great look at one of history’s villains. Buy it here!
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