Philip Augustus; or, the Brothers in Arms

by G. P. R. James

First published 1831

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2.5(2)

Set in France around the turn of the thirteenth century, Philip Augustus follows fictional knights and families through the reign of Philip II, one of the rulers who transformed the medieval French monarchy. Feudal loyalties, rival claims and military obligation shape the characters’ choices, while the growing authority of the crown changes the balance between local lords and royal government. James combines chivalric adventure with the political realities of a kingdom still composed of powerful territories and competing noble interests.

Philip’s reign saw prolonged conflict with the Angevin kings of England, crusading warfare and a major expansion of Capetian power. The novel draws its energy from that unstable world, in which inheritance and personal allegiance could alter military commitments overnight. Battles and journeys sit beside romance and family conflict, giving the story the broad movement of a medieval chronicle without losing sight of individual ambition and loyalty.