Crusaders and Revolutionaries of the Thirteenth Century: De Montfort by Darren Baker

One of the families that dominated the thirteenth century were the de Montforts. They arose in France, in a hamlet close to Paris, and grew to prominence under the crusading fervour of that time, taking them from leadership in the Albigensian wars to lordships around the Mediterranean. They marry into the English aristocracy, join the … Continue reading Crusaders and Revolutionaries of the Thirteenth Century: De Montfort by Darren Baker

Stephen and Matilda’s Civil War by Matthew Lewis

The Anarchy was the first civil war in post-Conquest England, enduring throughout the reign of King Stephen between 1135 and 1154. It ultimately brought about the end of the Norman dynasty and the birth of the mighty Plantagenet kings. When Henry I died having lost his only legitimate son in a shipwreck, he had caused … Continue reading Stephen and Matilda’s Civil War by Matthew Lewis