The Black Prince

Edward, son of Edward III, was destined to go through life as The Black Prince, for he was always the king in waiting to his illustrious father, and indeed, died before him. The author of this superb history constantly refers to him as The Black Prince, a moniker he gained from the black surcoat over his armor. Even in modern times, he appeared as such as the embodiment of English aggression and evil over the French during the 100 Years War, by both English and French playwrights treatment of the contemporaneous Joan of Arc. He cut his spurs, so to speak, at the Battle of Crecy and later on, won the battle of Poitiers in his own right. He was a master jouster and a generous, even lavish giver of gifts to nobles and commons alike who had pleased him. His entire life from teenager onward was devoted to enlarging his father's somewhat doubtful claims to French territories, and thus he was a warrior prince. Even the Black Death prevalent during that tumultuous century did not deter him. Recommend reading the late Barbara Tuchman's The 14th Century for an overview of the environment as a companion work, and the late Nigel Tranter's The Bruce Trilogy for events that formed his father's upbringing.

For lovers of the 14th Century,read this book. You learn about a great knight who personifies the virtues of his age. You see those virtues acted out and the tragedy of an early death. It is factual account with creative I tarot stations of his actions whispered throughout.

In lots of ways this is not the perfect bio of the Black Prince, but the author's description of the battle of Poiters is extraordinary. He brings a great understanding of the battle itself and an almost personal rapport with the characters to the table, and not just Edward & Jean but their captains and lieutenants as well as the common soldier.Thought I knew a bit about 1357 before; feel like I have better sense of it for this book.

Very balanced examination of this medieval chivalric and martial era. Tis a pity the Prince never lived to assume the throne, disease free of course. What a chapter of English history that would have been under such a pious and knightly character. Although his financial excesses strained to the breaking point, I'm sure, by the costs to recapture then maintain his suzereignity over all of western France over an extended period would have done him in. That is unless he succeeded in conquering the throne of France.My only complaint is the shoddy job done by whoever edited the Kindle edition. Too many obvious uncured typos and also what I deem to be disjointed syntax in a couple of places. Have found the same issues in other Kindle books. A simple spell check would eliminate most but not all the issues. Why does this problem persist in today's quality control environment?

This is a well researched and written biography of one of the most outstanding of medieval military leaders. The black prince never went on crusade, but one cannot help but wonder if the outcomes might have been different for the crusades had the black prince been in charge of the military campaigns there.

This book covers history that is relevant to my ancestors. I learned so much more than just about Edward. Because he is a grandparent of mine I was thrilled about learning what England was like during the 14th century. If you like history you will love this book.

After visitingng his tomb in 1980, I have read every book I can about the Black Prince and his wife, Joan of Kent. This book is the best written of all and brings this long dead Prince to life nearly 650 years after his death. Descriptions of battles have not been of high interest for me, but Michael Jones makes it easy to understand how the Prince was so successful and makes reading the accounts so enjoyable. Mr. Jones provides a balanced view of Edward's life and his description of Princess Joan's complicated marital history is the clearest synopsis I have read. The bibliography is a delight to read for future reference, too. This book is a great addition to any history student's bookshelf and I highly recommend reading this terrific, extremely well written biography!

I have rarely read a book so well researched that kept me captivated from beginning to end. I have always found non-fiction, particularly the histories of countries, more interesting than fiction and this book is a fine example. Edward lll was one of the most notable kings of England. He and his son the "Black Prince" were two of England's most successful warriors. Their stories capture war, victories, defeats, treachery. Overarching is the character of the leaders, their strengths, their weaknesses, their love lives. It is entrancing and I was sad to reach its end.

I so enjoyed reading this book the story line read like a movie only better. To go into full battle at 16 and win. This was a true leader of men, his soldiers loved and respected him for good reason . He gave everything he had money, reason, physical abilities and love. He lived the chivalrous life. His last battle he was brought forward on a stretcher and got up and swung his sword cutting men down even as he was barely able to stand. Mr. Jones completely captures the knight I always believed in. I have now read the book 3 times and each time I find something more interesting than before. The book itself is very nice for a paperback, text is just the right size and the pictures are all on glossy paper. Excellent read thank you Mr. Jones. If you like the age of knights and kings this book is a must have for your library. Definitely recommend this book enjoy everyone.

Great read, enjoyed the book from start to finish and learnt get deal on the black prince and what it meant to be a knight!

Excellent read

This was a gift to my niece and she was very happy with it

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