Description
Book SynopsisBoth a reassessment of the reign of Henry II and an original contribution to our understanding of the rise of vernacular historiography in the high Middle Ages.
Trade ReviewUrbanski's Writing History for the Kingis a shining example of the kind of work more researchers needs to do in the primary texts that underpin medieval historical narratives—a dedicated, nuanced, and insightful examination of the writing of vernacular history during the reign of Henry II.
-- Thomas Lecaque * Comitatus *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
Norman Genealogical Table
Map of the Angevin EmpireIntroduction1. Situating the Roman de Rou and Chronique des ducs de Normandie
Poetry and History
The Origins of Old French Historiography2. Henry II
Lineage and Regional Rivalries
Stephen's Reign and the Civil War
The Restoration of Royal Authority
The Great War, 1173/74
The Succession Question
History and Dynastic Memory3. The Roman de Rou
The Conquest of England
The Death of William the Conqueror
Henry I and Robert Curthose
The Battle of Tinchebray
Wace4. The Chronique des ducs de Normandie
Providence and the Norman Dukes
The Norman Conquest
William the Conqueror
Henry I
The Empress Matilda and Henry II
Benoit de Sainte-MaureConclusionBibliography
Index
