The Black Prince

England's Greatest Medieval Warrior

By: Michael Jones

Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart

The remarkable and inspiring story of one of the greatest warrior-princes of the Middle Ages - and an unforgettably vivid portrait of warfare and chivalry in the 14th century.

As a child, he was given his own suit of armor; at the age of 16, he helped defeat the French at Crecy. At Poitiers, in 1356, his victory over King John II of France forced the French into a humiliating surrender that marked the zenith of England's dominance in the Hundred Years War. As lord of Aquitaine, he ruled a vast swathe of territory across the west and southwest of France, holding a magnificent court at Bordeaux that mesmerized the brave but unruly Gascon nobility and drew them like moths to the flame of his cause.

He was Edward of Woodstock, eldest son of Edward III, and better known to posterity as "the Black Prince". His military achievements captured the imagination of Europe: Heralds and chroniclers called him "the flower of all chivalry" and "the embodiment of all valor". But what was the true nature of the man behind the chivalric myth, and of the violent but pious world in which he lived?

This exemplary new history uses contemporary chronicles plus a wide range of documentary material - including the Prince's own letters and those of his closest followers - to tell the tale of an authentic English hero and to paint a memorable portrait of society in the tumultuous 14th century.

©2018 Michael Jones (P)2018 Tantor

Critic reviews

"In his fine biography, Michael Jones resurrects the recumbent warrior, giving a vivid but scholarly portrait.... Informed and insightful." (The Wall Street Journal)

Well read though drifts

The is compelling though middling in parts when it becomes to academic. But the book is intended to be thorough so it is well worth reading.

Great History

Enjoyed this book… I’m a fan of historical books, if you are, then this book is for you.

Great at parsing out rumors vs likely reality

This book does a great job outlining the Prince's life and achievements, and also and also occasional failures and those poor decisions of Edward III. An excellent primer for the study of king Richard and take over by Henry Bollingbrook thereafter.

A concise yet detailed history of the Black Prince

This book provides a concise yet detailed history of the Black Prince. The narrator does a very good job of bringing the book to life. A must have for fans of medieval history.

Wonderfully researched and an excellent reading performance.

An even-handed and thorough discussion of the black prince’s life. One minor gripe is the constant stating of distances in miles and kilometers, I understand they want to accurately read the text but we can do the math😅

More of a Textbook

This is a well written book, but it is more along the line of a textbook as to a book of understanding the players and a personalization of that time period. Thus, it was quite boring and extremely long. Too many names, too many players. The theme throughout King Edward III and the black prince was war and nothing else.

Black Prince

Great history. Have visited the Black Prince’s tomb at Canterbury. This filled in much history in the Black Prince’s life.

interesting time period and a character i knew very little about

Found the time period fascinating and the chivalvaric conventions and behavior interesting but very odd...Great story and narration

Outstanding history

I enjoyed listening to the book, it was very well researched and written and I feel like I know the Prince on a personal level. Narration was exceptional

good book, a lot of interesting facts

There is a lot of information here that I have never been aware of. An enjoyable listen if you are into history.