Thomas Becket
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
A masterwork of medieval biography, Frank Barlow's Thomas Becket chronicles the dramatic life of one of England's most celebrated and controversial saints, tracing his remarkable rise from a merchant's son to Archbishop of Canterbury and his ultimate martyrdom in 1170. With the precision of a seasoned historian, Barlow presents a richly detailed portrait of Becket's complex relationship with King Henry II, a friendship that curdled into one of the most consequential political and ecclesiastical conflicts of the Middle Ages. Drawing on a wide range of primary sources, the work uncovers the tensions between royal authority and the power of the Church that defined twelfth-century England, illustrating how a single man's defiance reshaped the boundaries of secular and religious power. Barlow's tone is measured and authoritative, cutting through centuries of hagiography and legend to deliver a rigorously scholarly yet compellingly readable account. Thomas Becket stands as the definitive modern biography of a man whose murder in Canterbury Cathedral sent shockwaves across Christendom and secured his place in history forever.
Author: Frank Barlow
Format: Hardback
Published: 1986, Guild Publishing London
Genre: Biography
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
A masterwork of medieval biography, Frank Barlow's Thomas Becket chronicles the dramatic life of one of England's most celebrated and controversial saints, tracing his remarkable rise from a merchant's son to Archbishop of Canterbury and his ultimate martyrdom in 1170. With the precision of a seasoned historian, Barlow presents a richly detailed portrait of Becket's complex relationship with King Henry II, a friendship that curdled into one of the most consequential political and ecclesiastical conflicts of the Middle Ages. Drawing on a wide range of primary sources, the work uncovers the tensions between royal authority and the power of the Church that defined twelfth-century England, illustrating how a single man's defiance reshaped the boundaries of secular and religious power. Barlow's tone is measured and authoritative, cutting through centuries of hagiography and legend to deliver a rigorously scholarly yet compellingly readable account. Thomas Becket stands as the definitive modern biography of a man whose murder in Canterbury Cathedral sent shockwaves across Christendom and secured his place in history forever.