King Stephen / Edmund King.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

King, Edmund.

Series:

Yale English monarchs.

Yale English monarchs

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Stephen, King of England, 1097?-1154.

Stephen.

Great Britain--History--Stephen, 1135-1154.

Great Britain.

Great Britain--Kings and rulers--Biography.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (384 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Haven : Yale University Press, c2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This compelling new biography provides the most authoritative picture yet of King Stephen, whose reign (1135-1154), with its "nineteen long winters" of civil war, made his name synonymous with failed leadership. After years of work on the sources, Edmund King shows with rare clarity the strengths and weaknesses of the monarch. Keeping Stephen at the forefront of his account, the author also chronicles the activities of key family members and associates whose loyal support sustained Stephen's kingship. In 1135 the popular Stephen was elected king against the claims of the empress Matilda and her sons. But by 1153, Stephen had lost control over Normandy and other important regions, England had lost prestige, and the weakened king was forced to cede his family's right to succession. A rich narrative covering the drama of a tumultuous reign, this book focuses well-deserved attention on a king who lost control of his destiny.

Contents:

Family and honour

The accession

Mixed fortunes

War and peace

1141

Provincial government

A variety of coin

The family

Blessed are the peacemakers

Appraisal.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 340-356) and indexes.

ISBN:

0-300-17010-6

OCLC:

952756465