A king's death was a critical and highly dramatic moment, often with major political consequences. Death in battle, whether that of Harold at Hastings or Richard III at Bosworth, could end a dynasty, while the secret murders of Edward II, Richard II and Edward V blighted the fortunes of their murderers. The Death of Kings is an account of what is known about the deaths of all English medieval kings - natural, violent or accidental (as William Rufus's death while out hunting in the New Forest). It shows how contemporaries and later writers, including Shakespeare, drew morals from such deaths and about the characters of individual kings, giving these deaths an imaginative and symbolic resonance that has lasted until the present day. Full of fascinating detail and personal information about the characters and attitudes of English kings and queens, The Death of Kings is a unique window into the heart of medieval society.
- ISBN10 1852852682
- ISBN13 9781852852689
- Publish Date 1 May 2003
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 31 March 2007
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
- Imprint Hambledon Continuum
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 256
- Language English