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The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England Hardcover – April 18, 2013

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 6,574 ratings

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The New York Times bestseller that tells the story of Britain’s greatest and worst dynasty—“a real-life Game of Thrones” (The Wall Street Journal)by the author of The Templars

The first Plantagenet king inherited a blood-soaked kingdom from the Normans and transformed it into an empire stretched at its peak from Scotland to Jerusalem. In this epic history, Dan Jones vividly resurrects this fierce and seductive royal dynasty and its mythic world. We meet the captivating Eleanor of Aquitaine, twice queen and the most famous woman in Christendom; her son, Richard the Lionheart, who fought Saladin in the Third Crusade; and King John, a tyrant who was forced to sign Magna Carta, which formed the basis of our own Bill of Rights. This is the era of chivalry, of Robin Hood and the Knights Templar, the Black Death, the founding of Parliament, the Black Prince, and the Hundred Year’s War. It will appeal as much to readers of Tudor history as to fans of
Game of Thrones.
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

They may lack the glamour of the Tudors or the majesty of the Victorians, but in Jones’ latest book, the Plantagenets are just as essential to the foundation of modern Britain. As he chronicles the entire dynasty, beginning with Geoffrey of Anjou (commonly adorned with a sprig of Planta genista, which gave his line their moniker), familiar dramatis personae emerge. Of course, there’s the recklessly brave Lionheart and the incomparably inept John, but Jones devotes ample time to the forces at work that shaped the kingdom. The great battles against the Scots and French and the subjugation of the Welsh make for thrilling reading but so do the equally enthralling struggles over succession, the Magna Carta, and the Provisions of Oxford. Many of these early inklings toward a permanent parliament and the rule of law would find a much fuller and fraught expression under the Stewarts, but they begin here. Written with prose that keeps the reader captivated throughout accounts of the span of centuries and the not-always-glorious trials of kingship, this book is at all times approachable, academic, and entertaining. --James Orbesen

Review

Praise for The Plantagenets

“Like the medieval chroniclers he quarries for juicy anecdotes, Jones has opted for a bold narrative approach anchored firmly upon the personalities of the monarchs themselves yet deftly marshaling a vast supporting cast of counts, dukes, and bishops. . . . Fast-paced and accessible,
The Plantagenets is old-fashioned storytelling and will be particularly appreciated by those who like their history red in tooth and claw. Mr. Jones tackles his subject with obvious relish.”
—The Wall Street Journal

“Delicious . . . Jones has produced a rollicking, compelling book produced a rollicking, compelling book about a rollicking, compelling dynasty, one that makes the Tudors who followed them a century later look like ginger pussycats. . . .
The Plantagenets is told with the latest historical evidence and rich in detail and scene-setting. You can almost smell the sea salt as the White Ship sinks, and hear the screams of the tortured at the execution grounds at Tyburn.”
—USA Today

“Jones has brought the Plantagenets out of the shadows, revealing them in all their epic heroism and depravity. His is an engaging and readable account—itself an accomplishment given the gaps in medieval sources and a 300-year tableau—and yet researched with the exacting standards of an academician. The result is an enjoyable, often harrowing journey through a bloody, insecure era in which many of the underpinnings of English kingship and ¬Anglo-American constitutional thinking were formed.”
—The Washington Post

“Brilliant and entertaining . . . a set of fine vignettes relating dynastic life, death, war, peace, governance, and palace intrigues. The result is a history book that frequently reads like a novel and can be opened to any chapter.”
—Tampa Bay Times

“Blood-soaked medieval England springs to vivid life in Jones’s highly readable, authoritative, and assertive history.”
—Publishers Weekly

“They may lack the glamour of the Tudors or the majesty of the Victorians, but the Plantagenets are just as essential to the foundation of modern Britain. . . . The great battles against the Scots and French and the subjugation of the Welsh make for thrilling reading but so do the equally enthralling struggles over succession, the Magna Carta, and the Provisions of Oxford. . . . Written with prose that keeps the reader captivated throughout accounts of the span of centuries and the not-always-glorious trials of kingship, this book is at all times approachable, academic, and entertaining.”
—Booklist

“A novelistic historical account of the bloodline that ‘stamped their mark forever on the English imagination’ . . . Perhaps Jones’ regular column in the London Standard has given him a different slant on history; however he manages, it’s certainly to our benefit. . . . For enjoyable historical narratives, this book is a real winner.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Outstanding . . . Majestic in its sweep, compelling in its storytelling, this is narrative history at its best. A thrilling dynastic history of royal intrigues, violent skullduggery, and brutal warfare across two centuries of British history.”
—Simon Sebag Montefiore, bestselling author of Jerusalem: The Biography

“The Plantagenets played a defining part in shaping the nation of England, and Dan Jones tells their fascinating story with wit, verve, and vivid insight. This is exhilarating history—a fresh and gloriously compelling portrait of a brilliant, brutal, and bloody-minded dynasty.”
—Helen Castor, author of She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England before Elizabeth

“This is history at its most epic and thrilling. I would defy anyone not to be right royally entertained by it.”
—Tom Holland

“Jones has written a magnificently rich and glittering medieval pageant, guiding us into the distant world of the Plantagenets with confidence. This riveting history of an all-too-human ruling House amply confirms the arrival of a formidably gifted historian.”
—Sunday Telegraph

“Entertaining and informative . . . Jones has produced an absorbing narrative that will help ensure that the Plantagenet story remains ‘stamped on the English imagination’ for another generation.”
—Sunday Times (London)

“Traditional narrative history at its best.”
—The Spectator

“Jones, a protégé of David Starkey, writes with his mentor's erudition but also exhibits novelistic verve and sympathy. . . . This is a great popular history, whether you are au fait with the machinations of medievalism or whether Magna Carta mystifies you. . . .
The Plantagenets is proof that contemporary history can engage with the medieval world with style, wit and chutzpah.”
—The Observer (London)

“This action-packed narrative is, above all, a great story, filled with fighting, personality clashes, betrayal and bouts of the famous Plantagenet rage. . . . Jones is an impressive guide to this tumultuous scene. . . .
The Plantagenets succeeds in bringing an extraordinary family arrestingly to life.”
—Daily Telegraph

“An excellent book . . .
The Plantagenets is a wonderful gallop through English history. Powerful personalities, vivid descriptions of battles and tournaments, ladies in fine velvet and knights in shining armour crowd the pages of this highly engaging narrative.”
—The Evening Standard

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0670026654
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Viking; Revised edition (April 18, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 560 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780670026654
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0670026654
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.84 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.37 x 1.69 x 9.56 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 6,574 ratings

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Dan Jones
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Dan Jones is a historian, broadcaster and award-winning journalist. His books, including The Plantagenets, Magna Carta, The Templars and The Colour of Time, have sold more than one million copies worldwide. He has written and hosted dozens of TV shows including the acclaimed Netflix/Channel 5 series 'Secrets of Great British Castles'. For ten years Dan wrote a weekly column for the London Evening Standard and his writing has also appeared in newspapers and magazines including The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian, GQ and The Spectator.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
6,574 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They appreciate the accurate history and well-researched information. The writing style is described as informative and entertaining. Readers appreciate the author's skill in describing the personalities of the English monarchs from Henry II through. They also like the artistic flow of words and the depth of the book.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

569 customers mention "Readability"532 positive37 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They appreciate the small chapters and well-researched subject matter. The first sentence draws them in and introduces the family's struggles.

"...That said, The Plantagenets was so good that when I finished it I bought Jones latest book Henry V, The Astonishing Triumph of Englands Greatest..." Read more

"...Young people interested in this book would find this the most worthwhile of reads and small chapters equal easy bedtime reading too...." Read more

"...system that continues to this day are all described in a well written and cohesive style that offers the context and considerations of both sides...." Read more

"...most affective…as though he is telling a highly detailed and interesting story...." Read more

364 customers mention "History accuracy"357 positive7 negative

Customers find the book covers a lot of history and monarchs. They say it's an engaging outline of an interesting period in English history that has not been covered before. The author conveys a large amount of history in a very readable way, making the tale enjoyable and absorbing.

"...what Dan Jones did here in this “The Plantagenets” is that he reports the History and does not much insert himself and/or his opinions to the events..." Read more

"This is a well written outline of an intriguing period of English history that has not been covered as well as the periods immediately following it...." Read more

"...This book carries you, in a griping way, through the period of the late Middle Ages, when so much of the human concept about power, empire, and..." Read more

"...From there he deftly covers the history of the Plantagenet Dynasty, ending with Henry Bollingbrooke's takeover as Henry IV and the end of the reign..." Read more

269 customers mention "Information quality"260 positive9 negative

Customers find the book's information thorough and compelling. They find it an excellent study for those new to the subject, providing a foundation for answers with brilliant analysis of what drove people to their roles. The context is easy to review as they read, and the book provides a vivid explanation of what drove people to those roles.

"...The book also has a genealogical table of the Plantagenet family and a list of French Kings from1060–1422...." Read more

"...himself and/or his opinions to the events; however, he provides the reader with facts and during rare points inserts alternatives that are provided..." Read more

"...on large portions of France, but as importantly, it explores the socio-economic events that defined the relationship between English royalty and the..." Read more

"...story of the Plantagenets begins with Henry II, that energetic and prolific king who was bolstered by 2 of the most powerful women of the age, and..." Read more

67 customers mention "Writing style"67 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's writing style informative and entertaining. They appreciate the author's detailed work that describes the family's centuries-long history. The style is perfect for an engaging evening read, with an artistic flow of words. Readers enjoy vivid descriptions and faithful rendering of characters. The book gives a closer look into the whys and wheres of English and French history.

"...I believe this is simply because of just how well Thrones was laid out, going over a thousand plus years of ever moving history through multiple..." Read more

"This History as written by Dan Jones was simply an amazing artistic flow of words to events laid out for many to revisit and some to explore anew...." Read more

"This is a well written outline of an intriguing period of English history that has not been covered as well as the periods immediately following it...." Read more

"...events and their consequences and impacts, and he does it with a writing style that reads more like a good story than just the listing of facts and..." Read more

60 customers mention "Character development"52 positive8 negative

Customers appreciate the book's character development. They find the details enlightening and personal, making the characters feel real and personable. The author is sympathetic to both villains and heroes, providing cultural context. The main characters and supporting actors are vividly drawn, with no punches pulled.

"...Jones puts the history into fluid motion with a quick pace of characters...." Read more

"...psychological portraits that are dotted with small but enlightening details of character that make these people come alive for us as fully-fleshed..." Read more

"...He does a very good job of describing the personalities of the English monarchs from Henry II through Richard II, and of outlining the challenges..." Read more

"...showing hints of today's world politics and demonstrating the best and worst of leadership and community." Read more

41 customers mention "Pacing"31 positive10 negative

Customers find the book has an engaging pace. They say it covers a lot of ground at a good pace, fast-moving for a non-fiction piece. The book is well-written and gripping, not stuffy.

"...This book carries you, in a griping way, through the period of the late Middle Ages, when so much of the human concept about power, empire, and..." Read more

"Dan Jones takes you on a fast paced ride through the 245-odd years of Plantagenet reign in Middle Ages England...." Read more

"...Fast-moving for a piece of non-fiction, this reads like a piece of fiction and while you won't be able to sit down and read it at one sitting..." Read more

"...Jones acknowledges and faithfully records the ruthless taxation, treachery, and inept handling of various situations, but also defends John,..." Read more

40 customers mention "Depth"40 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's depth and detail. They find it covers a lot of information and provides a wealth of background material without becoming a heavy read. The pictures and extensive chapter-by-chapter reference section are also appreciated. Overall, readers describe the book as interesting and objective, providing a broad overview of one of England's most important periods.

"...Simply a fascinating book." Read more

"...The book is fascinating and reads like I'm watching Dan do a presentation on the History Hit channel, it's a very conversational style of writing." Read more

"...pages of maps and genealogy, 17 pictures, and an extensive chapter-by-chapter reference section, which itself is prime historical reading, round out..." Read more

"...To pack so much history into a single volume, and to do it with both granular detail and compulsive readability, is truly an amazing feat, and a..." Read more

36 customers mention "Ease of follow"36 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to follow and describe. They appreciate the simple explanations and straightforward approach that makes it easy to imagine. The book is described as accessible and hard to put down. It provides a chronological overview of medieval life in a straightforward way, making it easy to understand and imagine being a Plantagenet king or Queen.

"...His books, while heavy on detail, are easy to comprehend...." Read more

"...and I’ve read a little about John Marshall, so this was an easy leap to fill out the bits I didn’t know from all that stuff mentioned above...." Read more

"...chapters in this book are relatively short which makes it easy to pick up and put down when you only have a few minutes to spare...." Read more

"...Clearly written and easy to understand the complexities of this dynamic period in English history." Read more

Enjoyed the ride through history
5 out of 5 stars
Enjoyed the ride through history
The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made EnglandThe Plantagenets was the second Dan Jones book that I have read, the first being Power and Thrones, a New History of the Middle Ages.Over time, I have purchased eight of Dan Jones books, always scanning for sales, and am finally beginning to whittle away at themIf I had to choose between the two books from Jones that I have read so far, I would say Power and Thrones by an ever so slim margin, but it is a difficult call.I believe this is simply because of just how well Thrones was laid out, going over a thousand plus years of ever moving history through multiple time periods which I really enjoyed, without one chapter getting close to bogging down.That said, The Plantagenets was so good that when I finished it I bought Jones latest book Henry V, The Astonishing Triumph of Englands Greatest Warrior King and The Summer of Blood, Englands First Revolution.The Plantagenets is a remarkable read from beginning to end, my knowledge of the time period would be remiss without having read it. Jones puts the history into fluid motion with a quick pace of characters.This book once again peeked my interest into the history of England, enticing me further into dissecting the time period king by king, area by area.I had previously read Marc Morris's The Anglo-Saxons and the Norman Conquest that set the stage for my initial interest. I own four of Morris's books, including King John and Edward I, and a few others from earlier time periods from other writers.The book also includes seven black and white maps at the front of the book that were quite useful. The book also has a genealogical table of the Plantagenet family and a list of French Kings from1060–1422.I would have preferred the maps to be dispersed throughout the book, moving along with the history, but it still worked out okay. There are also a dozen or more photographers at the end.Without hesitation I would recommend this book, it is highly enjoyable with lots of intrigue.Looking forward to reading Jones entire collection, he is an outstanding writer.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2024
    The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England

    The Plantagenets was the second Dan Jones book that I have read, the first being Power and Thrones, a New History of the Middle Ages.

    Over time, I have purchased eight of Dan Jones books, always scanning for sales, and am finally beginning to whittle away at them

    If I had to choose between the two books from Jones that I have read so far, I would say Power and Thrones by an ever so slim margin, but it is a difficult call.

    I believe this is simply because of just how well Thrones was laid out, going over a thousand plus years of ever moving history through multiple time periods which I really enjoyed, without one chapter getting close to bogging down.

    That said, The Plantagenets was so good that when I finished it I bought Jones latest book Henry V, The Astonishing Triumph of Englands Greatest Warrior King and The Summer of Blood, Englands First Revolution.

    The Plantagenets is a remarkable read from beginning to end, my knowledge of the time period would be remiss without having read it. Jones puts the history into fluid motion with a quick pace of characters.

    This book once again peeked my interest into the history of England, enticing me further into dissecting the time period king by king, area by area.

    I had previously read Marc Morris's The Anglo-Saxons and the Norman Conquest that set the stage for my initial interest. I own four of Morris's books, including King John and Edward I, and a few others from earlier time periods from other writers.

    The book also includes seven black and white maps at the front of the book that were quite useful. The book also has a genealogical table of the Plantagenet family and a list of French Kings from1060–1422.

    I would have preferred the maps to be dispersed throughout the book, moving along with the history, but it still worked out okay. There are also a dozen or more photographers at the end.

    Without hesitation I would recommend this book, it is highly enjoyable with lots of intrigue.
    Looking forward to reading Jones entire collection, he is an outstanding writer.
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed the ride through history
    Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2024
    The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England

    The Plantagenets was the second Dan Jones book that I have read, the first being Power and Thrones, a New History of the Middle Ages.

    Over time, I have purchased eight of Dan Jones books, always scanning for sales, and am finally beginning to whittle away at them

    If I had to choose between the two books from Jones that I have read so far, I would say Power and Thrones by an ever so slim margin, but it is a difficult call.

    I believe this is simply because of just how well Thrones was laid out, going over a thousand plus years of ever moving history through multiple time periods which I really enjoyed, without one chapter getting close to bogging down.

    That said, The Plantagenets was so good that when I finished it I bought Jones latest book Henry V, The Astonishing Triumph of Englands Greatest Warrior King and The Summer of Blood, Englands First Revolution.

    The Plantagenets is a remarkable read from beginning to end, my knowledge of the time period would be remiss without having read it. Jones puts the history into fluid motion with a quick pace of characters.

    This book once again peeked my interest into the history of England, enticing me further into dissecting the time period king by king, area by area.

    I had previously read Marc Morris's The Anglo-Saxons and the Norman Conquest that set the stage for my initial interest. I own four of Morris's books, including King John and Edward I, and a few others from earlier time periods from other writers.

    The book also includes seven black and white maps at the front of the book that were quite useful. The book also has a genealogical table of the Plantagenet family and a list of French Kings from1060–1422.

    I would have preferred the maps to be dispersed throughout the book, moving along with the history, but it still worked out okay. There are also a dozen or more photographers at the end.

    Without hesitation I would recommend this book, it is highly enjoyable with lots of intrigue.
    Looking forward to reading Jones entire collection, he is an outstanding writer.
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    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2018
    This History as written by Dan Jones was simply an amazing artistic flow of words to events laid out for many to revisit and some to explore anew. I was captivated with the first chapter “The White Ship” and simply had difficulty putting this book down from that point forward. The United Kingdom is and has a fascinating History and over the centuries there have been many renowned scholars who have studied, read, taught, and wrote of these times long ago; both during the time frame and long since. I am not a scholar but a person who enjoys reading History and appreciates the facts to be straight forward and honest. What I appreciate most about what Dan Jones did here in this “The Plantagenets” is that he reports the History and does not much insert himself and/or his opinions to the events; however, he provides the reader with facts and during rare points inserts alternatives that are provided only with additional facts. Case in point is the dispute between the Duke of Hereford and the Duke of Norfolk and the impending battle in front of King Richard II that was to be fought on 16 September 1398. The author provides the background to this dispute but then also provided additional detail from behind the scenes of two Dukes; it was in this sort of form of analysis that I appreciated the most in a manner of speaking that “things don’t always appear as they seem” perspective. I have read several previous reviews to this book by persons who are obviously educated toward this History within the realms of the Ivory Towers in the U.K., Canada, and the U.S.A. Where some of these good educated people can insert their own analysis to countering points of this work; I can only say that as a continuous student of History there is no need to split hairs on the research so well crafted by this author. Historians study the minutiae of documentation and events and so this form of “splitting hairs” is a result of an educated public; quite possibly over-educated.

    There was much I have come away with from this History of “The Plantagenets” and I was astounded in my discovery – almost as if I had walked into castle and found a room with jewels, gold, crowns, and the like but my value was in the discovery of History. King Henry II – the first King of England (vs. King of the English); a continuation of Knight and Earl William Marshal; King Phillip IV who tortured many including the Knights Templar in France. I have now an understanding of the beginning of History of war between France and England (and for much later the U.K.) There are Cinque Ports, Burgate, Battle of Slys 24 June 1340, Battle of Crécy where the first canon was employed. There was King Edward III and the Black Prince with the Battle of Calais to which this was recorded the largest battle of the 100 Years War. I finally have learned the History of the Order of the Garter (1349.) Although the author introduced the Black Plague to the era, I came away believing that more of the effects of this disease to the Throne, Population, and Commerce could have been provided for in a deeper sense; however, this does not by any means take away from what he did provide and certainly nothing away from the book itself.

    The Preface was an exciting entry to the work within. Maps were (again) for me not enough and at times I wished more were peppered throughout the book. The photos were all relevant to the History associated with the topic; however, a couple of colored photos would have been nice. Following the Epilogue there is an Appendix entitled “Further Reading” as provided for by Chapter and corresponding Section of the book – thank you for this section! It will serve this reader well in the coming months. Young people interested in this book would find this the most worthwhile of reads and small chapters equal easy bedtime reading too. Simply a fascinating book.
    14 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Geremias
    5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and exciting storytelling
    Reviewed in Canada on January 1, 2023
    A easy-to-read and fresh approach to retelling history. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of who is who in a book full of Margarets and Henrys, but of course you cannot attribute this to the author, but to the facts themselves. The genealogical tables and maps are very helpful.

    Sometimes the author implicitly assumes that the audience is British and already have some familiarity with some of the stories, which was not my case. To keep track of where something is happening, it helps to have a map of England and France at hand. This is a story told from the English side, with some biases in the language about chivalric and heroic feats (not necessarily a bad thing but something to keep in mind).
  • Carolina Jules
    5.0 out of 5 stars Reads like fiction!
    Reviewed in Mexico on July 4, 2022
    Very interesting and so easy to follow!!
  • Oldmaier
    5.0 out of 5 stars accurately described
    Reviewed in Germany on October 25, 2024
    and helpful contact. I will look for more books on your site
  • Veronica
    5.0 out of 5 stars Otima leitura
    Reviewed in Brazil on July 14, 2020
    Estou adorando!!! Muito interessante!
  • rita sinha
    5.0 out of 5 stars plantagenets
    Reviewed in India on January 11, 2019
    research in medieval history