Description
Book SynopsisReassessment of the foreign policies and activities of Henry III, revealing them to be more successful than hitherto thought.Modern historians have frequently maligned Henry III of England (1216-1272) for his entanglements in European affairs. However, this book moves past orthodox opinion to offer a reappraisal of his activities. Using Henry's dealingswith the rulers of the Staufen Empire (Germany, Northern France, Northern Italy and Sicily) as a case study to explore the broader international context within which he acted, the author offers a more varied reading of Henry's "European adventures"; he shows that far from being an expensive aberration, they reveal the English king as acting within the same parameters and according to the same norms as his peers and contemporaries. Moreover, they provide new insights into the structures and mechanisms, the ideals and institutions which defined the conduct of relations between rulers and realms in the medieval West; medieval politics, it is argued, cannot be understood in isolationfrom wider movements, ideals and concepts. The book will be of value not only for historians of medieval England, but also for those with a more general interest in the wider political structures of the pre-modern West. Dr BJORN K. U. WEILER is Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
Trade ReviewSpecialists will gratefully consult Weiler's book for the details of Henry III's relationship with the Staufen empire. * SPECULUM *
Offers many insights on the nature of medieval foreign relations and the means by which they were conducted. Much will be learned from this study by specialists and non-specialists alike. * H-GERMAN, H-NET REVIEWS *
Forcefully argues the need to place Henry's foreign policy within a broader international context. [...] Offers a more positive and rounded assessment of Henry's foreign policy. [...] An important reappraisal not only of thirteenth- century English and imperial diplomatic history, but also of political history as well. * THE MEDIEVAL REVIEW *
Weiler has skilfully assembled the complex and diverse material and arranged it into a much-needed comprehensive narrative, thereby making an impressive contribution to this under-explored subject. * HISTORY *
