title: The Death of Kings: Royal Deaths in Medieval England
author: Michael Evans
description: Medieval England was not a good place to be a king, writes Evans-in an understatement-in this comprehensive study of the murders, battle deaths and accidental demises (and occasional death from natural causes) of 20 English monarchs between 1066 and 1485. Evans, a medieval historian who teaches at British universities, presents his meticulously researched material thematically, rather than chronologically, and like the medieval sources he mines, he focuses on the most "meaningful," "interesting" and "memorable" deaths. He uses these to address such topics as the medieval concept of death as divine retribution for misdeeds, the significance of burial places, the phenomenon of the royal martyr-saint and the surprising frequency of royal murder in the 14th and 15th centuries. Although the handful of illustrations add little, two charts showing death statistics for kings and queens may help readers who have trouble keeping the various royals straight. Throughout this scholarly work, Evans reminds readers that "medieval people saw history as a struggle between God and the Devil" and that contemporary historians chronicled deaths within this moralistic framework. He maintains a critical, distant tone, constantly questioning and analyzing his primary sources, so that his interesting book is ultimately as much about the problematics of storytelling in history as about the kings themselves. <br />Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
zlib_text: 
  
  
  
  
  
  ![image](images/cover.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![Death_of_Kings_titlepage.pdf](images/Death_of_Kings_titlepa_fmt.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Dedication](Contents.xhtml#dedication)
  
  
  Death of Kings is for
  
  
  Anne LeClaire,
  
  
  novelist and friend,
  
  
  who supplied the first line.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  [Dedication](Dedication.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Map](Map.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Place-Names](Place-Names.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [The Royal Family of Wessex](The_Royal_Family_of_Wessex.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Part One](Part_One.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  THE SORCERESS
  
  
  
  
  
  [One](Chapter_1.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Two](Chapter_2.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Three](Chapter_3.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Four](Chapter_4.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Five](Chapter_5.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Part Two](Part_Two.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  DEATH OF A KING
  
  
  
  
  
  [Six](Chapter_6.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Seven](Chapter_7.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Eight](Chapter_8.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Part Three](Part_Three.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  ANGELS
  
  
  
  
  
  [Nine](Chapter_9.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Ten](Chapter_10.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Part Four](Part_Four.xhtml)
  
  
  
  
  
  D