Henry I : King of England and Duke of Normandy / Judith A. Green.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Green, Judith A.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Henry I, King of England, 1068-1135.

Henry.

Great Britain--Kings and rulers--Biography.

Great Britain.

Kings and rulers.

Great Britain--History--Henry I, 1100-1135.

History.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xi, 392 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Summary:

The first biography to offer a fully rounded treatment of the life of Henry I, the youngest son of William the Conqueror, this book presents a major new interpretation of the man and his methods. Judith Green argues that, although Henry's primary concern was defence of his inheritance, this did not preclude expansion where circumstances were propitious, notably into Welsh territory. His skilful dealings with the Scots permitted consolidation of Norman rule in the northern counties of England, while in Normandy every sinew was strained to defend frontiers through political alliances and stone castles. Green argues that, although Henry's own outlook was essentially traditional, the legacy of this fascinating and ruthless personality included some hugely significant developments in governance. The book also offers a fresh perspective on Henry's court, which, it is suggested, made an important contribution to the flowering of court culture throughout twelfth-century Europe.

Contents:

Introduction: A surfeit of lampreys 1

1 'Born in the purple' 20

2 'By the grace of God, king of the English' 42

3 Testing times, 1101-1103 60

4 The conquest of Normandy, 1104-1107 78

5 Reform and reconstruction, 1107-1108 96

6 Defence of his dominions, 1108-1115 118

7 Triumph and disaster, 1116-1120 138

8 Surviving the wreck, 1120-1124 168

9 Matilda and the succession, 1125-1128 190

10 Rescuing the marriage, 1129-1135 206

11 The ruler 224

12 'Guardian of the church' 254

13 Court and court culture 284

Conclusion: 'Once the peace and glory of the world' 307

Appendix I Inheritances and family trees 322

1 The family of Henry I 322

2 The illegitimate children of Henry I 323

3 The family of Queen Matilda 324

4 Claimants to the honour of Breteuil 325

5 The counts of Evreux 326

6 Claims to the county of Flanders in 1128 327

7 The Capetian kings 328

8 The dynasty of Powys 329

9 Robert de Belleme and his family 330

1 Normandy in the early twelfth century 331

2 Western Normandy 332

3 The southern marches of Normandy 333

4 Evreux and the valley of the river Eure 334

5 The Vexin 335

6 Barfleur 336

7 The midlands and southern England 337

8 Northern England and southern Scotland 338

9 Wales in the early twelfth century 339.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 340-371) and index.

ISBN:

0521591317

OCLC:

61757059

Publisher Number:

9780521591317