The twelfth-century became a turning point in the history of England and France. It was the period of long struggles for the throne that is why the role of Henry II, the king of England from 1154 to 1189 cannot be underestimated. Henry II is considered one of the greatest governors in the history of the great Empire who managed to create a strong country with a well-developed system of courts, government, and army. Wilfred Lewis Warren, a prominent historian, devoted his book to the thorough research of historical figures, his governing, and historical situation during the king’s reign. The book was meant as a scientific and objective representation of Henry II’s epoch and its place in the history of England and France. The author of the book investigates the role of innovations that were introduced on all administrative levels. Of course, history cannot be without skillful political games and intrigues. Warren describes historical events which predetermined the creation of the governmental system that became the foundation of the contemporary system of the English government. The author of the book reconsiders the role and place of Henry II in the history f England; along with positive activities which were undertaken by the king, the historian depicts disputable facts in the life of Henry II.
As a historian, Warren discloses the role of Henry II in the destiny of England and France not only as a great king but also as a human being with his passions and personal problems. The author highlights that intrigues that constantly took place during the reign of Henry II could not but influence the historical developments.
The historian depicts all possible details of historical events before and during Henry II’s reign. The research of Warren is highly objective and unbiased. The author reveals the cause-effect relations between the political situation and personal life of the king relying on the analysis of documented facts by the king’s contemporaries, research of other historians. He also gives his own logical reasoning and conclusions on the subject and reveals all negative and positive activities of Henry II. Yet, it is obvious that the author agrees with many experts in English history that Henry was not only a great king but also an important figure in the history of England and France. Warren logically unwinds the main and minor events during the reign of Henry II and explains Henry II’s activities from the point of view of an objective historian.
The standpoint by Warren is that numerous personal crises led to real tragedies in the destiny of Henry II. On the one hand, Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitaine who was the wife of the French king, Louis VII: the marriage was perfect from the point of view of political and military power; still, it was not the best one from the point of view of personal life. On the other hand, the king wished to make the Church to be controlled by the government and made his closest friend, Thomas Becket, an archbishop as he thought that Thomas Becket would help him in the strengthening of royal power, but the archbishop criticized the ideas of Henry II. “The widespread desire for an end to disorder enabled Henry II to take bold decisions for the restoration of royal authority which at any time were unpalatable, and which at any other time would have been unsupportable” (Warren 1977, 57). Moreover, two sons of the king desired to become sovereigns of England and conducted wars with their father for the land. The author of the monograph points out, that despite numerous personal tragedies Henry II managed to recover the royal power. The author noted that Henry II was a prominent orator and lawyer which means that the king was a highly educated person which helped Henry II to make England a strong Empire.
The book by Warren can be considered a real biography of Henry II. The author studied historical documents which became the basis of his work. Still, Warren highlights that the research cannot be regarded as an entirely true description of the Henry IIs reign for the reason of documentary facts lack. Yet, the research of the historian is highly objective. The book by Professor Warren is a detailed and thorough study of the historical situation in England in the twelfth century. Although the monograph is not dedicated to the general audience, it can be quite readable and enjoyable for people who do have not have profound knowledge in the field of English history. The book is divided into several chapters which reveal certain moments of Henry II’s history and are understandable in isolation from other chapters which is very convenient for selective reading. The first two chapters of the book uncover the period in the history of England before Henry II’s rise in government. The author investigates possible factors that could influence the reign of Henry II and dwells on historical events that precede the developments which took place before the middle of the twelfth century. Warren introduces readers to the world of historical events to make readers realize the atmosphere and political situation in England of that period.
The scope of the book is very wide. Still, it could be desirable to introduce the information about the destiny of France in the period of Henry II’s reign and its aftereffects. Moreover, some experts consider that the Hundred Years’ War was a result of Henry II’s reign. So, the Professor could disclose this topic in the monograph. Still, it can be pointed out that it was not the aim of the research.
Henry II by Professor Warren is purely scientific research in the sphere of history. It meets the case of works of such genre. Being a profound and thorough investigation of history, Henry II is at the same time an important scientific work. Still, the author of the book managed to create scientific writing which is interesting and informative not only for his colleagues but also for people who have no deep knowledge in the sphere. For many years Henry II had an image of the national hero. In his work, the Professor investigates not legendary but factual data about the king and period of his reign gives an objective appraisal of the Henry II epoch which was not made before. The investigation of any phenomenon of a certain epoch is impossible in isolation from the historical context. That is why Henry II by Professor Warren is imperative for experts who investigate various phenomena of the Henry II period (culture experts, historians, linguists, and others).
Reference List
Warren, Wilfred Lewis. 1977. Henry II (English Monarchs). California: University of California Press.