Within the Hollow Crown: A Reluctant King, a Desperate Nation, and the Most Misunderstood Reign in History

by Margaret Campbell Barnes

Book Overview

"Within the hollow crown that rounds the mortal temples of a king..." --Shakespeare, The Tragedy of King Richard II

Unlike his father, the Black Prince, or his namesake, King Richard the Lionheart, Richard II never really wanted to be king. But the mantle of royalty is thrust upon his shoulders at age 11, at a time when England is racked by unrest and class warefare. A leader as unexpected as he is inexperienced,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1402239211
• ISBN13: 9781402239212
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Poor Richard

I enjoyed this book. I have to admit to not knowing much about Richard II before I started but now I want to know more. Richard was just 11 when his father died and then 15 when his grandfather died leaving him King at a very young age. He only had glimpses of what it was like to be a child. He was the last of the manly, warring Plantagenet line and he was remarkably a peace maker despite the best efforts of his uncles. He married young and his marriage was a happy one - rare in royal circle. Since he was so young when he came to power he was slow to use the power he had. He guardian uncles was always trying to sway him one way or the other until he finally let his Plantagenet temper loose. Richard did quell the peasant rebellion and bring peace to England - for a while but the War of the Roses was soon to follow and any student of England's history knows that peace was a very illusive thing during a good portion of its history. The book is a re-issue of one written in 1948 so the rhythm is slightly different from books written today. It is not hard to get used to. There are some sections a bit long on exposition but if you are a history buff like I am they will not bother you. Overall it is a very enjoyable book about a very tragic King.

Bridget's Review

Both his father and grandfather have passed away and now Richard II, who is just a boy, is the new King of England. Being a child he was only able to rule with the Regency Council. As he grew to be a teenage, the council was null and he was able to make decisions for his people as he saw fit. He also fell in love and took a wife, Anne of Bohemia at this important time in his life. There are so many things that happen in this book. King Richard's life is like a roller coaster. There's drama, romance, murder and more. This is a fun fictional portrait of King Richard II.

Another great historical novl!!!

This is another great historical fiction story by Margaret Campbell Barnes and tells the story of Richard Plantagenet who is the son of The Black Prince. He is also the nephew of John of Gaunt and grandson of King Edward III.His mother was Joan, Princess of Wales. Richard was crowned king of England at the early age of eleven. During the early years of his reign there was a variety of councils that ruled as a regency. Around 1380-1381 Richard played a major part in supressing the Peasant's Revolt. Richard was married to Anne of Bohemia, which according to this author, theirs was a very loving marriage. They were married at a very young age (15) and were married for 12 years with no children and Anne died of the plague at the age of 28. He did marry again to Isabella, daughter of Charles VI of France but she was only 6 at the time. After the death of Anne, Richard became very bereft and his rule over England became precarious as there are those around him that want to take over the throne. His fears are realized and he was seized and put in the Tower of London and after a time he was taken to Pontefract Castle, where he died around 1400. As with all of Margaret Campbell Barnes historical novels, this story was very well researched and even though this book was first published in 1948, the reader feels like this is brand new historical fiction. I like that Margaret's books are so easy to read and they are filled with all sorts of court intrigue, treason, murder,lots of secondary characters and even romance. I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it for all historical buffs.

THE LIFE AND REIGN OF KING RICHARD II...

This is an intriguing work of historical fiction, as it tells the story of Richard Plantagenet, son of the Black Prince and grandson of King Edward III. His mother, Joan, was the beautiful Princess of Wales, whose beauty brought her renown as the fair maid of Kent. At the age of about eleven, Richard Plantagenet was crowned king of England. As King Richard II, he chafed for years under the stewardship of a regency council. In 1380, Parliament declared Richard, who was by then married to Anne of Bohemia, of an age to govern without the regency council. Richard II inherited a kingdom that was torn by strife, as well as by the bickering and competing interests of his nobles, whose political machinations knew no bounds and who saw Richard II as a pawn by which they could secure their desires. Still, Richard II seemed to have a penchant for securing peace, when at the age of fourteen, he was able to singlehandedly quell the peasants' revolt that had been led by Wat Tyler. His happy marriage to Anne of Bohemia would provide him with the strength to govern as he saw fit, and England would pass some prosperous, fruitful years under his reign. That would come to an end with the untimely death of Anne of Bohemia. From then on Richard II would begin a personal downward spiral from which his detractors would derive the strength to betray him and wrest his kingdom away from him. The author weaves a tapestry of fact and fiction that is sure to captivate those who readers who enjoy the historical fiction genre. Rife with period detail, the book is replete with the historical personages and events of the day, as the author paints a captivating portrait of King Richard II. She recounts the life of Richard II from his inauspicious beginnings as a young puppet king to his Camelot days and then to the moment of his most ignominious death at the hands of the very subjects to whom he had originally sought to bring peace and prosperity.