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Book reviews for "Warren,_Wilfred_Lewis" sorted by average review score:

King John
Published in Hardcover by University of California Press (1978)
Author: Wilfred Lewis Warren
Amazon base price: $25.00
Average review score:

dated but still the best overall modern biography
While this is the best overall modern biography of King John, it is a bit dated with so much new research having been done in this field. For those seriously interested in this subject, the works of Ralph Turner and S.D.Church should also be considered. If possible, the best overall biography still remains Kate Norgates but it is ancient at this point.

Good Book: Pity about the Paberback-Please clarify Title.
This is indeed an good work and a compliment to the series. I would advise readers to buy the paperback edition, except that your website lists it as Henry II, published by the University of California press. I thought that Yale was doing this series. Anyway, the two books are separate in subject.

A Good Bio of a King who was Not All That Bad
If you've been conditioned by the Robin Hood stories to think of King John as the ultimate bad guy, read this book. It will show you that, while he was not a saint and not the best ruler of England, he really was not all that bad. I found this to be a useful, informative, and well-written biography. One of the points I came away with was that King John was apparently the founder of the great British navy, that pride of later generations. His struggles with Pope Innocent III show him to be a nationalist, even a patriot of sorts. And those rebellious barons who forced the Magna Carta upon the king may have had some valid arguments, but it can also be argued that John was doing the best he could. This book shows that John compares favorably with his much more popular brother Richard the Lionheart.


Henry II
Published in Hardcover by University of California Press (1973)
Author: Wilfred Lewis Warren
Amazon base price: $50.00
Used price: $6.79
Collectible price: $10.59
Average review score:

Tedious reading with a poor narrative sense.
The author clearly knows their topic. It is a pity they are unable to develop a clear and compelling narrative to the life of Henry II. Details, then details within details, thicken this soupy "read" until all sense of pleasure and color in reading about the life of Henry II evaporate. This is not a book for the general reader, even one with much background in the Middle Ages. Instead, "Henry II" is for scholars in search of finely woven exposition about the history of Henry II who do not require a flowing, interesting narrative.

WOW! What a book What a Monarch!
Cleveland, OH. I have read Many books on English History and W. L Warren's King Henry II is head and shoulders above the rest. His detail in painting a picture of 12th Century Europe with accurate and compelling facts is outstanding. I especially liked the many maps inserted thoughout the book that helped with place and time. For those of you interested in Genealogy of Midevil Europe and Contemporaries of King Henry II this is an excellent source.

My Favorite King, My Favorite Biography
In every historical atlas you will see a map of Henry II's dominions streteching from Scotland & Ireland across Normandy and Aquitaine down to the Pyrenees. Henry is also known for his friendship with St. Thomas Becket -- the story which was made into the classic movie "Becket" -- which was quite a good movie, but not very good history. (Henry II is also in "The Lion in Winter" which is an even better movie and much better in its history.) But aside from these notices he seems somewhat overlooked in comparison with other Kings in England's pantheon, especially in comparison with his son, Richard the Lionhearted.
It is therefore very fortunate that Henry should have such an excellent biography. Warren's "Henry II" takes the whole reign topically -- it does a wonderful job of teaching not only about Henry II but also the general topics of Medieval Kingship, English law and government, church & state, etc.


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