Life of Edward, the Black Prince

A lifetime at war with France


When in 1337 King Edward III began his war to regain those lands across the English Channel claimed by France that he considered his own by ancestral right, he instigated a period of animosity and warfare between England and France which not only created the 'Hundred Years War' but set the tone for the relationships between the two nations for centuries to come. The war would grind on in phases until its conclusion in 1453, but there can be little doubt that the person who dominated its early phases was Edward's son, the Prince of Wales-the 'Black Prince.' Edward had inherited and learnt every aspect of statecraft and the waging of war that his father possessed and this bore little relationship to notions of chivalry which prevailed at that time. However, in the business of total war he was a master and the overwhelming victories at Calais, Crecy and Poitiers among others can be attributed to his ruthless military genius. This concise overview of the life of the 'Black Prince' considers his entire career and is a first rate 'primer' for those interested in the subject.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.