Sceptred Isle: A new history of the fourteenth century

(Hardback)

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A thrilling new history of the fourteenth century - a time of catastrophe and conflict that shaped England for centuries to come - by the highly acclaimed author of The Red Prince 'A sparkling popular history' Dan Jones 'Helen Carr is one of the most talented and compelling historians of her generation' Sathnam Sanghera THE TIMES BOOKS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2025 The death of Edward I in 1307 marked the beginning of a period of intense turmoil and change in England. The fourteenth century ushered in the beginning of the bloody Hundred Years' War with France, an epic conflict with Scotland that would last into the sixteenth century, famine in Northern Europe and the largest human catastrophe in known history, the Black Death. Through the epic drama of regicide, war, the prolonged spectre of bubonic plague, religious antagonism, revolt and the end of a royal dynasty, this book tells the story of the fourteenth century via the lives of Edward II, Edward III and Richard II - three very different monarchs, each with their own egos and ambitions, each with their own ideas about England and what it meant to wield power. Alongside the lives of the last Plantagenets, it also uncovers lesser-known voices and untold stories to give a new portrait of a fractured monarchy, the birth of the struggle between Europeanism and nationalism, social rebellion and a global pandemic. Sceptred Isle is a thrilling narrative account of a century of revolution, shifting power and great change - social, political and cultural - shedding new light on a pivotal period of English history and the people who lived it.

Reviews

A sweeping look at an era of upheaval, panic and change. Gripping, powerful history * Hallie Rubenhold *
In this vivid, finely researched book, Helen Carr takes us deep into Englands deadly fourteenth century and finds life and human colour. This is a sparkling popular history which brings the Middle Ages' most terrible century to life for a new generation. * Dan Jones *
Full of colour, with headlong energy, Sceptred Isle brings Englands calamitous fourteenth century to life vividly. While Fortunes Wheel turns through cycles of famine, plague and war, Helen Carrs engrossing narrative never loses sight of the complexity, and hope, of human experience. * Helen Castor *
I didn't want to do anything but read this book for a fortnight. Helen Carr is one of the most talented and compelling historians of her generation * Sathnam Sanghera *
Thoughtful and dramatic, this is a lesser known period of history told with the pace and fluency of a novel * Philippa Gregory *
Helen Carr is one of our foremost historians and we are so lucky to have her explaining how we got here * Elizabeth Day *
In this stunningly evocative, immensely enjoyable history of the fourteenth century, Carr proves equally adept at centring womens experiences as writing battles. * Suzannah Lipscomb, author of A Visitor's Companion to Tudor England *
Carr offers an engrossing, compelling guide to the fourteenth century - the great Plantagenet supernova - and I devoured it like a hungry heraldic leopard * Amy Jeffs, author of Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain *
An epic new history of some of the most dramatic decades in Englands past. This book is a triumph - a thrilling narrative history, guided by the expertise of one of our leading historians. Essential reading for anyone hoping to understand the remarkable world of our medieval ancestors * Alice Loxton *
Enlivened by vivid descriptions and enriched by appreciating the human factor in events, Sceptred Isle gives a clear and compelling account of a tumultuous period. * David Carpenter, Professor of Medieval History, King's College London *

Author Bio

Helen Carr is a historian and writer specialising in medieval history and public history. Her bestselling first book, The Red Prince, was a Times and Sunday Times Book of the Year. Her second book, an edited volume of essays titled What is History, Now has become primary reading for history students and enthusiasts globally. Helen also works in podcasting, television and journalism and is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a postgraduate researcher at Queen Mary University of London.