Thomas Becket and His World

(Hardback)

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This book explores the turbulent life and violent death of Thomas Becket, one of the most controversial figures of the Middle Ages.

From a London merchant's son to royal chancellor and archbishop of Canterbury, Becket's murder in Canterbury Cathedral elevated him to England's most celebrated saint. Michael Staunton looks at Becket's complex and contested legacy, drawing from his own words and those of his contemporaries.

Based on extensive contemporary medieval sources, this account offers a fresh perspective on Thomas Becket's life and places him within the broader landscape of twelfth-century England and Europe a time of rapid change, conflict and achievement. The book is perfect for anyone wanting to learn more about a pivotal figure in medieval history.

'In this beautifully uent new biography, Michael Staunton brings out the challenges and contradictions running through the controversial life and death of Thomas Becket...Blending smart storytelling with clever nuance, this is a genuine pleasure to read.' Jonathan Phillips, author of The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin

Reviews

"Michael Staunton's Thomas Becket and His World achieves what historical novels only dream of attaining. It is a masterful account of one of the most famous figures of the Middle Ages, written with the clarity and confidence one might expect of a leading authority in the Angevin world. By interweaving a close study of the original texts and a nuanced consideration of their historical context, the book provides a persuasive reading of the martyred archbishop of Canterbury and the twelfth century he inhabited. Yet the Thomas Becket that emerges from these pages is not a distant medieval churchman, but a complex and conflicted human being, seemingly more alive than most people we know today. Torn between his duty to serve his king (and onetime friend) and his duty to serve his Church, Thomas experiences in his own life the tension between political and ecclesiastical authority that dominated so much of medieval history. By the time we reach the thrilling crescendo of the last chapters, the book has become a meditation on the complexities of heroic virtue. Succinct but thorough, restrained but passionate, this is a perfect book."--Karen Sullivan, Bard College

Author Bio

Michael Staunton is Professor of Medieval History at University College Dublin and an internationally recognised expert on Thomas Becket. His books include The Historians of Angevin England (2017).