Why was Edward I also known as Edward Longshanks? What do historians think happened to the Princes in the Tower? Who became known as ‘The Kingmaker' and why? And who shocked Europe with the murder of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury? All of these questions and more are answered in this excellent book containing over one hundred facts about the Plantagenets. Separated into sections covering either an individual monarch or era (such as the Angevins or the House of York), the book is perfect for anyone studying this fascinating period in English History as well as those with a general interest in the age.

この本は単なる歴史的事実の羅列ではありません。プランタジネット朝という、血と野望に彩られた中世英国の壮大な叙事詩を、鮮烈な短文で切り取った珠玉の解説書です。エドワード1世の知略や聖職者暗殺の悲劇など、権力と宗教が絡み合う人間模様の本質を鋭く突き、読者の想像力を激しく刺激します。 ジャック・ゴールドスタインは、歴史の断片を巨大なタペストリーのように織り成します。「塔の王子たち」の謎や「キングメイカー」の暗躍といった逸話を通じて、王冠の重みと人間の業を鮮やかに浮き彫りにしました。歴史の深淵に触れる、高揚感あふれる知的冒険へ誘う必読の一冊です。