Chronicles of the Revolution, 1397-1400: The reign of Richard II

by Christopher Given-Wilson

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Summary

Chronicles of the Revolution covers one of the most controversial and shocking episodes in medieval English history, the 'tyranny' and deposition of Richard II and the usurpation of the throne by his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, who became King Henry IV. Contemporaries were sharply divided about the rights and wrongs of both Richard and Henry, and this division is reflected in the texts which form the major part of the book.

All the principal contemporary chronicles are represented in this volume, from the violently partisan Thomas Walsingham, chronicler of St Alban's Abbey who saw Richard as a tyrant and murderer, to the indignant Dieulacres chronicler, who claimed that the 'innocent king' was tricked into surrender by his perjured barons. This range of material is also prefaced by a substantial and stimulating introduction offering new insights into Richard's later years and the events which precipitated his downfall. Additionally, the documents are accompanied by expert commentary and analysis which guides readers while leaving them free to make the ultimate conclusions about these dramatic years.

This book will be invaluable for medieval historians as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students of later medieval English history.

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