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Historical Bookshelf
Home / Historical Periods / Medieval Period / Plantagenet England

Period

Plantagenet England

1154–1485 CE

Plantagenet England covers the medieval dynasty that ruled England from Henry II in 1154 to Richard III’s defeat in 1485. The period includes Angevin power, royal justice, baronial revolt, Magna Carta, the Welsh and Scottish wars, the Hundred Years’ War and the Wars of the Roses.

It matters as a fiction setting because the Plantagenet centuries contain strong dynastic personalities and repeated crises of inheritance, loyalty and legitimacy. Kingship was personal, violent and legalistic at once, making the period useful for court intrigue, military campaigns, family rivalry and political collapse.

Plantagenet fiction connects naturally to authors such as Sharon Kay Penman, Elizabeth Chadwick, Jean Plaidy, Philippa Gregory and Conn Iggulden. It is a useful child category for books about Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard I, John, Edward I, the Black Prince, Richard II, the Lancastrians, the Yorkists and Richard III.

Related people for Plantagenet England

Alice Perrers Blondel de Nesle1155–c. 13th century Charles VI of France1368–1422 Edward, the Black Prince1330–1376 Edward III of England1312–1377 Edward II of England1284–1327 Edward I of England1239–1307 Eleanor of Aquitaine1124–1204 Elizabeth Mortimer1371–1417 Elizabeth Woodville1437–1492 Geoffrey Chaucer1343–1400 Henry III of England1207–1272 Henry II of England1133–1189 Henry IV of England1367–1413 Henry Percy (Hotspur)1364–1403 Henry the Young King1155–1183 Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor1165–1197 Henry V of England1386–1422 Isabella of France1295–1358 Joan de Geneville, 2nd Baroness Geneville1286–1356 Joan of Arc1412–1431 Joan of Kent1328–1385 John, King of England1166–1216 John of Gaunt1340–1399 Katherine Swynford1350–1403 Leopold V, Duke of Austria1157–1194 Louis VIII of France1187–1226 Margaret of Anjou1430–1482 Philip IV of France1268–1314 Philippa of Hainault Philippa Roet1346–1387 Richard II1367–c. 1400 Richard III1452–1485 Richard I of England1157–1199 Richard Whittington1354–1423 Robert the Bruce1274–1329 Roger Bacon Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March1287–1330 Saladin1138–1193 Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester1208–1265 Thomas Becket William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke1146–1219 William of Rubruck William Wallace1270–1305

Series

Series about Plantagenet England (3 series)

An Owen Archer Mystery in Order

by Candace Robb 16 books 4.2

The Owen Archer mysteries follow a Welsh soldier and former captain of archers who becomes an investigator, spy and officer in fourteenth-century York. Beginning in 1363, Owen serves Archbishop John Thoresby and later the city authorities, while his marriage to apothecary Lucie Wilton gives the investigations a close…

Border Knight in Order

by Griff Hosker 15 books 4.5

Plantagenet Saga in Order

by Jean Plaidy 14 books 4.1

The Plantagenet Saga spans the dynasty from Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine to Richard III. Across fourteen novels, family rebellion, disputed succession, royal marriage and war connect the Angevin Empire, the conquest of Wales, conflict with Scotland, the Hundred Years’ War and the Wars of the Roses.

Books

Books about Plantagenet England (30 books)

Bestselling authors first, then star rating.

Non Fiction

Non Fiction about Plantagenet England (3 books)

Histories, biographies and reference works are listed separately from the historical novels above.