I’ve loved and lived with the story of the history of the English for as long as I can remember. This is my retelling of that story, in a regular, chronological podcast; we go from the cataclysmic end of Roman Britain, and at some point will get all the way through to the present day. The History of England is available on iTunes and a podcatcher near you.
83 Crisis
From 1297, things became harder for Edward. The relentless pressure of external wars led to increased taxation. This continuous pressure on the magnates, church and people eventually led to aRead More
82 The Sucker Punch
Since the Treaty of Paris in 1259, England and France had been friends, united by a monarchy with close ties and relationships. So when in 1293 a dispute blew upRead More
81 The Great Cause
Through a stunning piece of bad luck, Alexander III left no heirs. And now there was no clear successor to his throne of Scotland. For the search for the rightRead More
80 In which we Dawdle
When Edward I arrived back in 1289 from Gascony, he was in many ways at the height of his awesomeness. A chivalric monarch, a leading statesman in Christendom, and atRead More
79 Conqueror and Statesman
The second Anglo Welsh war was very different in character to the first. Here was a genuinely national uprising against rule by the English. Here was a war with noRead More
78 The Crisis in Wales
In 1270, you would have been more likely to pick Alexander, king of Scotland or Llewellyn of Wales as the leader most likely to breach the peace. Edward looked moreRead More
77 Reconstruction
The country Edward came back to in 1274 wasn't in particularly good nick. Crime was on the rise, with a general disaffection with the regime as the benzedrine of deRead More
76 The Personal Rule of Henry III Part 2
The last 5 years of Henry's rule were pretty uneventful. The Statute of Marlborough confirmed the changes of the Provisions of Westminster, but royal power remained based on the pre-ProvisionsRead More
75 Nemesis
In April 1265 Gilbert de Clare had left court in something of a huff. De Montfort was well aware that if he lost de Clare, his whole hold on powerRead More
74 The Wheel of Fortune
In 1264 when De Montfort set out from London he would have been conscious that this was a last throw; after losses to the Royalists in the midlands his onlyRead More
73 Return of the Jedi
In 1262, it looked for all the world as though the royal party was back in control and the whole struggle for reform was over. But that was before youRead More
72 The Empire Strikes Back
Things looked pretty good for the reformers in 1259; but at the heart of the reform movement were fault lines that weakened them, and made them vulnerable. The differing aimsRead More
71 Enter the Leopard
We sort of get back to the political narrative this week, but only sort of. We discuss the young prince, Edward, who will be one of England's most famous kingsRead More
70 Lords, Knights and Gentry
The 13th Century sees the start of changes that will come to full fruit in the 14th Century – the development of the role of the knight in the shires,Read More
69 Merchants and trivial stuff about Magnates
Wool was the wealth of England, the great trade that brought wealth and prosperity to England. The people who really made the money were the big ticket Italian Merchants. ThisRead More
68 13 C Life – Peasants fighting back…and Towns
Being a Peasant was no doubt a pretty hard existence. But they were not without their methods of fighting back, and protecting their rights. This week also we look atRead More
67 13th Century Life – the Peasantry
Over the 13th century, economic growth continued. For the Peasantry, this gave some opportunities; more chance to sell their produce and get involved in a wider range of money makingRead More
66 The Road to Revolution
In 1258, the resentments all came together and the pot boiled over. The pope Alexander did his vassal no favours what so ever by pushing so hard that Henry hadRead More
65 Why was Henry III so unpopular?
It seems strange. Henry III was a likable enough chap, who did his best to keep a harmonious court, and gave England an extended period of peace. And yet it'sRead More
64 The Personal Reign of Henry III – Part 1
Henry III brushed off his great officers of state and the period of 1234 to 1258 is a period of personal rule. Henry finds himself a wife, a new personalRead More
63 The Last Great Justiciar
From 1227 to 1234 we are sort of in betweeners – the minority has ended, but Henry's government in still dominated by the old guard, people like Hubert de Burgh.Read More
62 The Minority Abroad
Harmony with Scotland, the career of Llewellyn the Great, the loss of Poitou. During the minority of Henry, English prestige and power was at something of a low point –Read More
61a Bannockburn by Zack Twamley
Bannockburn was a landmark defeat for the English, which signalled a long term change to the strategy Edward I had started. Zack talks about the events that led up toRead More
61 The Minority of Henry III
The years between 1219 and 1227 saw the gradual resumption of royal power. It also saw a power struggle between Peter des Roches, the Bishop of Winchester, and Hubert deRead More
60 William the Regent
A man was needed to guide England through a civil war and minority. So who do you think they picked? The answer was of course William the Marshal who was nowRead More
59 Magna Carta and the Death of a Tyrant
Bouvines wasn't the cause of the Baronial revolt, but it probably was John's last chance to avoid it. In 1215 at Runymede Magna Carta was signed. It's extremely unlikely thatRead More
58 Tyranny and Defeat
From 1213 to 1214, John seemed to have got his problems more under control, and had built an alliance that looked to be capable of taking on Philip. There wasRead More
57 The Excommunicate
John took a detailed interest in administration, and made effective changes to the way things worked. Partly his interest was motivated by the need to raise money – as inflationRead More
56 The History of Medieval Europe, Part 2
The Holy Roman Empire to the death of Barbarossa, the briefest of histories of Norway, Denmark and Spain, and the 4th Crusade. It's action packed. 56 The History of MedievalRead More
55 The History of Medieval Europe, Part I
From Charles Martel and the battle of Tours in 732, through Charlemagne and Otto the Great, the first installment concentrates on France, Germany and Italy and takes us to theRead More
54 Fighting Back – A Bit
John immediately launched attempts to get his lands back – and ran into the Barons. He does run up a pretty good Navy though. And we hear of Roland theRead More
53 Torn Apart – Loss of an Empire
After the defection of William des Roches the military situation was poor for John but not irretrievable. Unfortunately, John failed to provide the leadership needed. He distrusted his barons; heRead More
52a Eleanor of Aquitaine by Melisende
Eleanor of Aquitaine is one of the great names of the Middle Ages. Her life spanned almost all of the Angevin Empire, and her court at Poitiers became famous asRead More
52 John Softsword
As a younger man, John had been given the nickname Lackland because unlike his brothers he didn't have his own appanage. At the Treaty of Le Goulet in May 1200Read More
51 The Fouler Presence of John?
In 1199, Richard the Lion Heart died after being shot by a cook outside the castle of Chalus in the Limousin. The Empire was split between supporters of Arthur andRead More
50 Defence of the Empire
The war between Richard and Phillip went on from 1194-1198 in fits and starts ; usually there was no more than 3 months of fighting before a truce came along.Read More
49a Arrival of the House of Wessex video
My daughter and I thought we’d have a go at doing a video about the early period of the kingdom of Wessex. Someone at one point suggested I upload aRead More
48 Richard and The Third Crusade
Was the Third Crusade a success or a failure? While it failed to achieve its objective, it was the most successful after the First Crusade. It rescued Outremer from anRead More
49 Travel Chaos
Richard set off from Outremer right at the end of the sailing season – October. He knew the Duke of Austria, the Holy Roman Emperor, Count of Toulouse and KingRead More
47 The Fall of Jerusalem
For 50 or so years after the capture of Jerusalem, Outremer was a part of the political and military dance between Christian and Muslim states. Then in 1144, signs ofRead More
46 Richard and the Road to Outremer
Richard set off from Sicily probably intending to go straight to the Holy Land. But a chance storm enforced a landing at Cyprus, where the locals were not friendly. WhichRead More
45 Packing the Bags
Richard came into the lands of his father and was crowned at Westminster in 1189. For the next 6 months he was packing his bags, cleaning the fridge and gettingRead More
44 Introducing the Lion Heart
To most contemporaries, Richard I was a hero. Since then his reputation has suffered badly, until even Winston Churchill describes him as the worst of our Richards – which givenRead More
43a Aelfthryth by Melisende of Outremer
Ælfthryth was a controversial figure. Wife of King Edgar, mother of Æthelred the Unready – and possibly murderer of her step son, Edward? Melisende of Outremer looks at the lifeRead More
43 The Greatest of all Monarchs
In 1173-4 Henry was faced by a revolt by his wife, children and many of his leading barons. 1183 to his death in 1189 were years where Henry was increasingly besetRead More
42 English Justice and The Irish Invasion
Henry's far sighted reform of justice; and Richard Strongbow and Norman invasion of Ireland So here are two completely unconnected subjects then! Henry is responsible for reforms to the processRead More
41 Murder in the Cathedral
After Thomas recanted from his signature of the Constitutions of Clarendon, things got really nasty. Before long, Thomas was in exile, and Henry couldn't care less. But by 1167 theRead More
40 Bishop Trouble
The 1160's. A time of consolidation of the Angevin Empire, still ruled by a dynamic, young and aggressive Henry. But mainly remembered for the start of the struggle between churchRead More
39 The Ruling of the Angevin Empire
Bear in mind at all times that Henry, while being a Good King, was a tyrant. Still, he was a tyrant who ran a mean administrative system for the time.Read More
38 Born of the Devil – the Angevins
Geniuses, devils, spoilt brats, villains, heroes; war, sex, violence, bravery, treachery, peace, reform… the Angevins that founded the Plantagenet dynasty have it all, in spades. Not so much history, asRead More