The Demon’s Brood: The Plantagenet Dynasty that Forged the English Nation by Desmond Seward (PDF)

Description

The Plantagenets reigned over England longer than any other family, from Henry II to Richard III. 4 kings were murdered, 2 came close to deposition, and another was killed in a battle by rebels. Shakespeare wrote plays about 6 of them, further entrenching them in national myth. Based on major contemporary sources and recent research, acclaimed historian Desmond Seward provides the first readable overview of the whole extraordinary dynasty in one volume.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: About the Author Desmond Seward studied at St. Catherine’s College–Cambridge. He is the author of numerous studies and biographies, including The Hundred Years War: The English in France 1337–1453 and The Last White Rose: The Secret Wars of the Tudors.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This rather concise historical review of the Plantagenet dynasty provides an orderly and clear picture of England and her ruling families for more than 300 years. Beginning their ascent in England with Henry II and the first of the series of conflicts between the secular and the church authorities, the author manages to present in an sequential manner the incredibly complex and tortuous relationships among the various players on both sides of the English Channel. The manifold wars, alliances, betrayals, murders, executions, marriages and annulments,make this task as ardous as possible and Mr. Seward makes the perception of the Plantagenet history not easy, but at least manageable. What is particularly convenient is his concise descriptions of the personalities of the main players and the concise concluding sections on each ruler. The Plantagenet brood are indeed revived in all their glories and horrors. Incisive intelligence, ruthless greed and ambition, magnanimity, cruelty, justice, lust, passion, perfidy – all these traits, and more, are there in what seems like an unlimited supply. Because of the incredible avalanche of actors and dramas, he had to make choices and those were made, at least as perceived by a layman like me, very well. In his foreword Mr. Seward states that one of his reasons to write the book was the impression that writing about individuals, especially kings, was not politically correct anymore and the last serious attempts were made almost 50 years ago. The most notable of these is Churchill’s History of the English-Speaking People, the first volume of which starts with pre-Roman England and ends with the rise of the Tudors. It is, therefore reasonable to compare the two approaches. While Churchill is a better writer, his prose flowing more freely and with more gusto, Seward is more of a historian. Seward analysis is more dispassionate and scientific, Churchill is more interested in the roles of the Plantagenet kings in forming the basis for the English national character and various institutions, including establishment of the functioning Parliament, proper courts, accounting, standing army, etc. If read by a history student, Seward’s book is better, but the romance of Churchill’s approach will be appreciated by the lay reader. Although they both try not to judge the acts of the Plantagent saga players by today’s liberal humanistic standards, they both fail, especially Churchill. My recommendation – read both, and more than once.

⭐This was an interesting book, but other reviews (on Goodreads) have pointed out that it presents some information as historically accurate that is more likely myth (such as Edward II’s death by red-hot poker). This lowers the rating a good bit for me, as it means that I must be suspect of the facts presented in general. Seward has a strong opinion of each monarch, and while I thought this might be off-putting, as I kept reading, it bothered me less and less. By the end, I found I had gotten used to the editorializing, and so long as you keep in mind his strong views, it adds a small amount of entertainment with his writing.I was unfamiliar with the history of English kings, and so this was a useful book in tracing out the conventional stories and attributes of each of the kings of the Plantagenet line. There are a lot of different personalities from the dynasty (as one would expect), and the story of England over this time is also fascinating. The connection between France and England is drawn out quite well.

⭐Insightful and interesting book about the Plantagenet family. Desmond Seward writes a comprehensive history of the volatile clan who ruled England for hundreds of years. Well researched, this is history at its finest, coloring in the outlines of larger than life personalities but giving them realistic depth. He throughly describes each king, his wife, and children, delving into relationships, debunking myths with thoughtful and documented facts. He describes each leader with unvarnished honesty, and manages to leave the reader with an understanding of each of the quirks of their personalities. This is not a one dimensional cardboard representation, but well fleshed out recounting of each individual. In a few decisive paragraphs, he is able to give a definitive idea of each king, whether he is a madman or a quiet family man. A pleasure to read, with descriptive prose, he manages to paint a vibrant depiction of the medieval world, describing coronations, political climates, alliances and lastly a true picture of the life and times of thirteen different kings from one dynasty that shaped a country.

⭐A brief overview of the Plantagenets and continuing into the Tudor period. It is ideally suited for me, as someone who has fairly little interest in the long line of English Royalty (whether Plantagenet, Tudor, or otherwise),so this book’s brevity and concision should be something I appreciate. Expect the handling of each monarch to be between 10 and 15 pages.There are memorable acts committed by these monarchs and their many betrayers that are almost inexplicable to the modern mind. And yet, the writing occasionally lacks clarity and, in the end, I feel like it’s a litany of their greatest hits – events bleed into each other and fail to stand out.The author does not appear to be a specialist – this is not an academic treatment, and he is honest that some of what he delivers is, in the end, his opinion of the monarch in question. The author seems to admire some while holding little regard for others. Again, having little prior knowledge or personal feeling about the matter, I appreciate this aspect of the book as well.

⭐Fantastic book chronicling the lives of England’s’ powerful Plantagenent dynasty. Seward’s’ superb narrative focuses in turn upon each monarch high-lighting each monarch’s strengths and weaknesses. Great rip-roaring history conducted at a frenetic pace that will leave you breathless with anticipation. I certainly recommend this book for a comprehensive and humorous read! Book arrived early and extremely well packaged. Book brand-spanking new and Amazon again score a well deserved five star rating.

⭐Excellent

⭐V disappointing typos in the family trees and the text. Amazing carelessness really. And some clunky sentences and grammar. I don’t think this books adds much to understanding the period and concentrates on the personalities of the kings with minimum info on other people. It doesn’t seem to make a case for this family displaying the same characteristics of madness, eccentricity or anything to justify the title and premise of the book.It is a good night time read and after a few pages I’m dropping off but I can’t recommend, sorry.

⭐To provide a concise history of the Plantagenets was a challenge too far for this author. As an avid reader of histories, I found this book, and the style of writing immensely frustrating; it was as if the publisher demanded a massive word reduction, at the expense of flow, meaning and depth. Unfortunately, even as an attempt at an overview, the author still disappointed; often clumsy, contradictory and blind sided to factual information. He also expresses some surprisingly bigoted attitudes (for example, to a number of female characters) which I really didn’t expect. The style of this book is – hurry up and get it written/don’t worry too much about contradiction. The main characters are largely two dimensional, and dropped swiftly for the next subject. This book does provide more detail about a number of battles, but rarely if ever bothers to explain why battle arose, how this was deemed necessary to contemporary politics or family history. Sadly a can’t- be- bothered author

⭐The book is not very good, not really bad. It’s just another book about the usual Plantagenet Kings of England. It’s not really an easy read, but it’s do-able.

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