William Rufus
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.
Edition: 1st ed.,
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Yellowed
Markings: Previous owner
A masterwork of medieval biography, William Rufus chronicles the turbulent reign of William II of England, the second son of William the Conqueror, who ruled from 1087 until his mysterious death in 1100. Frank Barlow presents a meticulously researched portrait of a king long overshadowed by his more celebrated father and successor, drawing on a wide range of primary sources to reconstruct the political, ecclesiastical, and personal dimensions of his rule. With scholarly precision and narrative authority, Barlow argues against the simplistic characterizations that have long plagued William Rufus, illustrating instead a complex and capable monarch who clashed repeatedly with the Church — most notably with Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury — while aggressively consolidating royal power. The work details the fierce baronial conflicts, military campaigns in Normandy and Scotland, and the enduring enigma of the king's death by an arrow in the New Forest, an event that has fueled centuries of speculation. Written with the depth and rigor that defined Barlow's distinguished career as a historian of Norman England, this biography stands as the definitive academic account of one of medieval England's most misunderstood rulers.
Author: Frank Barlow
Format: Hardback
Published: 1983, Methuen London
Genre: Biography
Edition: 1st ed.,
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Yellowed
Markings: Previous owner
A masterwork of medieval biography, William Rufus chronicles the turbulent reign of William II of England, the second son of William the Conqueror, who ruled from 1087 until his mysterious death in 1100. Frank Barlow presents a meticulously researched portrait of a king long overshadowed by his more celebrated father and successor, drawing on a wide range of primary sources to reconstruct the political, ecclesiastical, and personal dimensions of his rule. With scholarly precision and narrative authority, Barlow argues against the simplistic characterizations that have long plagued William Rufus, illustrating instead a complex and capable monarch who clashed repeatedly with the Church — most notably with Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury — while aggressively consolidating royal power. The work details the fierce baronial conflicts, military campaigns in Normandy and Scotland, and the enduring enigma of the king's death by an arrow in the New Forest, an event that has fueled centuries of speculation. Written with the depth and rigor that defined Barlow's distinguished career as a historian of Norman England, this biography stands as the definitive academic account of one of medieval England's most misunderstood rulers.