King of the North Wind
by Claudia Gold, William Collins, 397pp, £25
Now that few schoolchildren study much history, and even fewer medieval times, there’s always a welcome for lively books directed at the general reader, all the more so because if any children are rashly led into the Middle Ages, they are probably required to write an empathetic piece about a day in the life of a serf or, perhaps, a reluctant nun. Kings and queens rate pretty low these days as subjects for study.
Henry II was one of medieval England’s more successful and influential kings. England was only one part of his empire, but it was the only part where he enjoyed full legitimate independent power.
