eBook - ePub

John of Gaunt: His Life and Character

Name: John of Gaunt: His Life and Character
ISBN: 9781779794055

- Biography of the English Prince, Soldier, Statesman and Political Mediator of the 14th Century

C. W. Empson,

English
ePUB (mobile friendly)
Available on iOS & Android

eBook - ePub

John of Gaunt: His Life and Character

- Biography of the English Prince, Soldier, Statesman and Political Mediator of the 14th Century

C. W. Empson,

About this book

John of Gaunt: His Life and Character by C. W. Empson is a fascinating portrait of one of medieval England's most powerful and enigmatic figures — soldier, statesman, and dreamer of empire. John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, son of Edward III and father of Henry IV, stood at the heart of fourteenth-century politics, his name forever entwined with the fate of Plantagenet England. In this masterful biographical study, Empson rescues Gaunt from legend and restores him as a man of vision and contradictions: proud yet devout, ambitious yet loyal, a prince who sought not only power but principle in an age of turbulence.

Drawing on chronicles, state papers, and contemporary poetry, Empson reconstructs the world of a kingdom riven by plague, rebellion, and dynastic ambition. He traces Gaunt's career from the battlefields of France and Spain to the intrigues of Westminster, where his influence over kings and clergy shaped English policy for decades. Yet beyond politics, Empson explores Gaunt's personal ideals — his patronage of learning, his chivalric code, and his enduring relationship with Chaucer, whose verse immortalized him in The Book of the Duchess.

Written with scholarly precision and narrative vigor, John of Gaunt: His Life and Character illuminates an era when loyalty and lineage defined destiny. Empson portrays a man whose vast wealth and royal blood made him both a pillar and a peril to the crown, and whose legacy would culminate in the founding of the Lancastrian line. For readers of history and biography alike, this book offers a sweeping yet intimate glimpse into the making of medieval England's most compelling magnate.

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Yes, you can access John of Gaunt: His Life and Character by C. W. Empson in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & British History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.