1. Conquest
England in 1066. The Saxon kingdom is under threat of invasion at both ends. From the north comes Harald Hardrada of Norway intent on pillage, while across the Channel, Duke William of Normandy is about to enforce his claim to the throne. Between the two lie…
2. Traitor’s Arrow
England after 1100. When King William Rufus of England is killed mysteriously during a hunting accident in the New Forest in 1100, his younger brother Henry, who had been present, loses no time in riding hard to claim both the Treasury and the crown. Rumours quickly…
3. An Uncivil War
England after 1135. When Henry I dies with no legitimate male heir, the nation is thrown into chaos. The two rivals for the crown are Henry’s daughter Matilda and his nephew Stephen of Blois, both of whom are determined to emerge victorious. A bitter struggle ensues…
4. The Lion of Anjou
England, 1154. Henry II takes the throne after the civil war between Stephen and Matilda, but restoring royal authority opens new conflicts across his continental territories. Louis VII of France contests Henry’s power, while his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine joins two formidable rulers whose political…
5. The Absentee King
England after 1189. Richard the Lionheart has been crowned King of England. But his obsession with fighting in the Third Crusade sends him off to foreign lands. The nation is left in a perilous state, with high public offices sold off, and trusted favourites left to…
6. The Road to Runnymede
England after 1199. After the death of Richard the Lionheart, his brother, John takes the English throne with the support of his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. But John has a rival in the person of young Arthur, Duke of Brittany, who Richard had acknowledged as his…
7. The Conscience of a King
England from 1229. After fighting in the Albigensian Crusade in France, Simon de Montfort – a landless nobleman – arrives at the court of Henry III, hoping to re-establish his family’s claim to the Earldom of Leicester. In pursuit of his goal, Simon soon proves his…