Ebook: King of the north wind: the life of Henry II in five acts

Was Henry II the greatest medieval king? Based on important new research, King of the North Wind argues that the first Plantagenet king should be celebrated as one of England's greatest monarchs despite the tragedies of his late reign. For fans of Dan Jones, George RR Martin and Bernard Cornwell In August 1151, a nineteen-year-old minor princeling, rode into Paris to pay homage to the king of France. By the time Henry of Anjou left Paris one month later, he had persuaded the beautiful, wealthy, clever French queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine to divorce her husband and marry him. Crowned King of England three years' later, with lands ten times the size of the French king's, Henry became the most powerful prince in Europe. Henry II was the creator of England's greatest dynasty the Plantagenets who ruled through eight generations of kings. With his exceptional talents, energy and drive, Henry's conquests in Britain and France were on a scale not seen since the age of Charlemagne....