Fourteenth Century England II

This new series is to be published in alternate years with Thirteenth Century England providing a forum for the most recent research into the political social economic ecclesiastical and cultural history of the fourteenth century one of the most turbulent and compelling periods of English history - reflected in the vitality of the current scholarship. The fourteenth century was for the English a century which witnessed dramatic and not always easily explicable changes of fortune. In 1300 England's population was around seven million and Edward I seemed to be on the verge ofturning the British Isles into an English Empire. By 1400 its population was between three and four million (due mainly to the Black Death) dreams of a 'British' empire had all but crumbled and instead England had become embroiled in a war - the Hundred Years' War - which was not only ultimately disastrous but which also established the French as the 'national enemy' for many centuries to come. In addition despite the fact that before 1300 no reigning English monarch had ever been deposed by 1400 two had: Edward II in 1327 and Richard II in 1399. Sandwiched between these two turbulent reigns however came that of Edward III one of the most successful both politically andmilitarily in English history. It is against the background of these remarkable fluctuations that the articles in this volume the second in the Fourteenth Century England series have been written. The range of subjectswhich they cover is wide: from princely education to popular heresy from national propaganda to the familial and territorial power politics which occasioned the downfall of kings. Taken together they reinforce the view that whether viewed as calamitous or heroic the fourteenth century was never less than interesting. CHRIS GIVEN-WILSON is Professor of Late Medieval History University of St Andrews. Contributors: MARTIN ALLEN JOHN ARNOLD PAULETTEBARTON TOM BEAUMONT-JAMES ALASTAIR DUNN JEFFREY HAMILTON JILL C. HAVENS ANDY KING CARLA LORD SHELAGH MITCHELL MICHAEL PRESTWICH ARND REITMEIER NIGEL SAUL. Language: English