Promotional Information

An author with a strong track record now tackles the turbulent reign of Henry IV, the first Lancastrian king

About the Author

Ian Mortimer has BA and PhD degrees in history from Exeter University and an MA in archive studies from University College London. From 1991 to 2003 he worked for Devon Record Office, Reading University, the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, and Exeter University. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in 1998, and was awarded the Alexander Prize (2004) by the Royal Historical Society for his work on the social history of medicine. He is the author of two other medieval biographies, The Greatest Traitor- The Life of Sir Roger Mortimer and The Perfect King- The Life of Edward III, published in 2003 and 2006 respectively by Jonathan Cape. He lives with his wife and three children on the edge of Dartmoor.

Reviews

[Mortimer] has an instinctive sympathy for the men about whom he writes, a real understanding of the mentalities of late medieval England, and a vivid historical imagination which lends colour and excitement to his pages * Literary Review *
Mortimer's book is a success and tells an important story very well -- Richard Francis * Daily Telegraph *
An arresting and original biography -- Jessie Childs * Sunday Telegraph *
[It] possesses the rare combination of clarity, liveliness, balanced judgement, erudition without pedantry, and scholarship founded on his own research among primary sources * Scotland on Sunday *
The book is at its most compelling in conjuring a sense of place or occasion * Guardian *