Hammer for Princes

by Cecelia Holland Book 1 in the Kinghood series.

First published 1971

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3.9(468)

Fulk, Earl of Stafford, has pledged himself to the young Henry Plantagenet during the last phase of the civil war between Henry and King Stephen. An experienced lord accustomed to campaigning, castle warfare and negotiation, Fulk tries to preserve his honour and estates while the political settlement of England remains uncertain. His movements through camps, tournaments and besieged strongholds show how baronial power depends on armed followers, family alliances and a reputation that can be destroyed as quickly as it is made.

Fulk’s most dangerous conflicts are within his own household. His ambitious uncle Thierry manipulates the war for personal advantage, while Fulk’s son Rannulf resists the discipline and loyalties expected of an heir. Betrayal and murder turn public allegiance into a private feud as Henry’s invasion brings the Anarchy towards its conclusion. First published as The Earl, the novel presents the making of Plantagenet England through a fictional magnate close enough to power to influence events but never secure from them.