The shadow king : the life and death of Henry VI

The shadow king The life and death of Henry VI

Lauren Johnson

Book - 2019

"Firstborn son of a warrior father who defeated the French at Agin- court, Henry VI of the House of Lancaster inherited the crown not only of England but also of France, at a time when Plantagenet dominance over the Valois dynasty was at its glorious height. And yet, by the time he died in the Tower of London in 1471, France was lost, his throne had been seized by his rival, Edward IV of the House of York, and his kingdom had descended into the violent chaos of the Wars of the Roses. Henry VI is perhaps the most troubled of English monarchs, a pious, gentle, well-intentioned man who was plagued by bouts of mental illness. In The Shadow King, Lauren Johnson tells his remark- able and sometimes shocking story in a fast-paced and colorful... narrative that captures both the poignancy of Henry's life and the tumultuous and bloody nature of the times in which he lived"--Publisher's description.

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Subjects
Henry > VI, > King of England, > 1421-1471.
Great Britain > Kings and rulers > Biography.
Great Britain > History > Henry VI, 1422-1461.
Biographies.
Genres
Biographies
Published
New York : Pegasus Books 2019.
Language
English
Main Author
Lauren Johnson (author)
Edition
First Pegasus books hardcover edition
Physical Description
xxvii, 700 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9781643131283
  • Note on names, dates and money
  • Maps
  • Family trees
  • Prologue: Woe to thee, o land, whose king is a child'
  • Part I. Child King
  • 1. 'That divine king your father'
  • 2. 'In infant bands crowned king'
  • 3. 'The universal joy and comfort of us all'
  • 4. 'The serpent of division'
  • 5. 'Virtues and teachings convenient for the royal person'
  • 6. 'The throne of his kingdom will be established'
  • 7. 'Earthly goods'
  • 8. 'Mother of mercy, save both realms'
  • 9. 'Treason walking'
  • 10. 'The royal crown is in the hand of God'
  • Part II. Adult Rule
  • 11. 'A fixed purpose'
  • 12. 'To the counsellors of peace is joy'
  • 13. 'Instruments of necromancy'
  • 14. 'Welcome... Princess, our lady sovereign'
  • 15. 'Stretch forth the hand'
  • 16. 'The mutability of worldly changes'
  • 17. 'Great and grievous reverses and fortunes of war'
  • 18. 'O king, if king you are, rule yourself'
  • 19. 'Beware, King Henry, how thou do, let no longer thy traitors go loose'
  • 20. 'The harvest of heads'
  • 21. 'The true blood of the realm'
  • 22. 'My most dread sovereign lord'
  • 23. 'The most precious, most joyful and most comfortable earthly treasure that might come unto this land'
  • Part II. 'A Kingdom Divided Against Itself'
  • 24. 'The beginning of sorrows'
  • 25. 'Misrule doth rise'
  • 26. 'The sword of vengeance'
  • 27. 'Of queens that be crowned, so high none know I'
  • 28. 'Rejoice, England, in concord and unity'
  • 29. 'Our mortal and extreme enemies'
  • 30. 'The test of the sword'
  • 31. 'Enemies on every side'
  • 32. 'Out of the north an evil shall break'
  • 33. 'Lost irretrievably'
  • Part IV. 'The Great Rebellious Henry'
  • 34. 'Perverse and variable fortune'
  • 35. 'Outwards enemies'
  • 36. 'False imaginations'
  • 37. 'I am the rock of the English kingdom'
  • 38. 'Have not the English always betrayed their kings?'
  • 39. 'That puppet of a king'
  • 40. 'The shadow on the wall'
  • Part V. Afterlife
  • 41. 'Very dolorous and discomforted queen of England'
  • 42. 'Holy King Henry'
  • Epilogue
  • Appendix I. Where did Henry VI die?
  • Appendix II. Key characters
  • Acknowledgements
  • Bibliography
  • Abbreviations
  • Notes
  • Image credits
  • Index
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Johnson (So Great a Prince) seeks to reclaim the unhappy Lancastrian king from the "simple saint" myth with a thorough examination of his difficult circumstances and his pious, peace-oriented personality. The early death of warrior-king Henry V left an infant with a claim to both the English and French thrones and substantial French holdings, but the gentle, insecure Henry VI ultimately lost everything. Surrounded by such strong-willed figures as Richard, Duke of York, who dominated his life, and the queen, Margaret of Anjou, who tried to save him, Henry's cowed reaction to family infighting, significant personal losses, and his own inadequacies doomed him to failure, forcing him to eventually renounce his son's claim with the Act of Accord in favor of Yorkist Edward IV. Johnson allows for a bit of fun with the multiple English monarchs (including Richard III and Henry VII), showing how closely intertwined these warring factions actually were. This dense exploration of Henry's boyhood shows how his passive personality and bouts of psychosis (during which his wife, a stronger ruler, stepped in) led to his making disastrous decisions. Johnson's intense look at the earthly failures that defined Henry VI's unpopular reign-and the transformation of a medieval king's fatal flaws into the basis for a devoted posthumous following-is a treat for committed Anglophiles. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Review by Library Journal Review

Historian Johnson (So Great a Prince) aims to help readers interested in late medieval history better understand the life and political choices of Henry VI (1421-71), a complicated, contradictory, and psychologically troubled man. The author is clearly fascinated by the enigma of the so-called "shadow king," and why he demands our attention. An infant king, he was the only monarch to be crowned in both England and France. Despite his storied background, he was an ineffective ruler who lost England's French possessions during the Hundred Years War and saw his kingdom descend into the chaos of the War of Roses. Despite all this, Henry became a sainted figure following his mysterious death; he was almost certainly murdered. Using archival sources as well as printed primary and secondary materials, Johnson charts Henry's rise and fall, presenting him as an individual who struggled in extraordinary situations. Maps, genealogical tables, and explanatory notes assist in learning more about the religiosity of the period, royal lineage and succession customs, the workings of royal households, and even medieval medical practices and therapies. VERDICT A complex, yet highly readable and immaculately researched biography for those interested in British royalty and medieval history.-Marie M. Mullaney, Caldwell Coll., NJ © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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