David Carpenter is professor of medieval history at King’s College London. He is the author of numerous books, including the widely acclaimed Henry III: The Rise to Power and Personal Rule, 1207–1258 and a new study of the Magna Carta.
“There are few historians working today who know so much and write so well. Taken together, the two volumes of Henry III . . . set a gold standard for medieval royal biography.”—Dan Jones, Times (UK) “A superb work of scholarship, the fruit of a lifetime’s study of the subject. It is elegantly written, consistently shrewd and always good-humoured. It completely supersedes Maurice Powicke.”—Jonathan Sumption, The Spectator “One of the more remarkable scholarly ventures of our time, this is the crowning achievement not only of its author but of an entire tradition of historical scholarship. . . . It deserves to be celebrated for as long as England’s past remains worthy of debate.”—Nicholas Vincent, Literary Review “Vigorous, vivid and even-handed.”—Ferdinand Mount, London Review of Books “This volume completes a truly magisterial account of the longest reign of the Middle Ages. It is a work of which the author should feel deservedly proud.”—David Robinson, Country Life “Combine[s] scholarship with stylish prose.”—Richard Foreman, Aspects of History “In David Carpenter, Henry has finally found a wiser, better informed and more fair-minded chronicler to do him and his reign justice.”—Andrew Spencer, History Today