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A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury A King a Prince and the Knight Who Betrayed Their Dynasty Edith Pargeter Books

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A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury A King a Prince and the Knight Who Betrayed Their Dynasty Edith Pargeter Books

A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury is about the rebellion against Henry IV led by Henry "Hotspur" Percy. The novel begins with Henry IV declaring himself king. He and Hotspur have led a successful rebellion against King Richard II and Henry now has to consolidate his power and decide on a path for the country. But, a successful rebellion sets a precedent and there are always nobles who believe they deserve more recognition. At first, Henry Percy is Henry IV's strongest supporter. But slowly, Percy becomes disenchanted with this monarch, and begins to plan a new rebellion to put Richard II's heir back on the throne.

One of the best things that this book does is show three disparate viewpoints clearly. Henry IV is the conqueror, Henry Percy the rebellious noble and Hal is the prince stuck between the two. Henry IV is shown as having a case of conqueror's guilt. He really worries that he doesn't have a right to the crown he holds. He never thinks that his rebellion wasn't justified but he realizes that many people could blame him for the same things he blamed on Richard. And, because he overthrew one king, it will always be in other people's minds that they could replace him. He fears the Mortimers because they were Richard's lawful heirs and he slowly turns toward considering how his reign would be much easier if the Mortimers just disappeared. He didn't start off as a bad person and it isn't that the crown turns him into one. He just stole a crown that wasn't fairly his and has to cope with the consequences that he didn't foresee.

Henry Percy is also a well-portrayed character. He was the first to support Henry IV but he begins to see how the crown has changed the man. Percy is portrayed as being honest to a fault without a deceitful bone in his body. The changes are too much for him so he rebels again to put the true heir back on the throne. Basically, he wants to undo his previous actions. The problem is that he loves Hal (later Henry V) and won't let himself think about how this rebellion will affect him.

Henry V is such a larger than life figure. When he becomes king he actually conquers France but then dies before he has fully demoralized the French. He has so many successes and then his death really makes him this legendary figure that couldn't be beaten. This book is an excellent glimpse of Henry V as a young man, before the events that define him today. He is torn between his love and respect for Percy and his duty towards his father. Once before he faced this choice. Richard II treated Hal as his own son and Hal loved him. When Hal's father overthrows Richard, Hal has to choose between them. What finally decides him both times is that he is meant to be king. Unlike his father, the crown will now lawfully pass to him and he has to defend that.

All three perspectives combine to show the full picture of Henry IV's troubles as king and a complete picture of a rebellion. There is also a great description of Owen Glendower who incited Wales to rebel and became the first native Welsh prince since Llywelyn II. Henry Percy admires Owen because of his noble spirit and hopes to end his rebellion peacefully. Instead, he actually ends up joining Owen's rebellion to his own. The fictional Welsh characters that Edith Pargeter adds to her book are wonderful. They don't feel like they are superfluous to the story, which is mostly peopled by historical figures. In fact, they add greatly to the story and are very interesting and realistic.

The book actually goes through the beginning of Owen Glendower's rebellion, several smaller Scottish rebellions and then ends with Percy's rebellion. It is a great characterization of these historical figures, giving them very realistic motives. The language is very eloquent. Occasionally, there is a slight blip where a word might mean something different than it would today, but it isn't difficult to figure out. This was a book that really lived up to my expectations and one I thoroughly enjoyed.


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A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury A King a Prince and the Knight Who Betrayed Their Dynasty Edith Pargeter Books Reviews

The year is 1399 and Henry Bolingbroke, unjustly robbed of his paternal inheritance, returns to England at the head of an army, deposes his cousin, King Richard II and becomes King Henry IV. His eldest son young Henry (Hal) is only twelve years old. He was very attached to Richard, living in his court and hardly knows his father, by whom he is now made Prince of Wales. At the coronation young Henry is impressed be the stature and the proud bearing of one of his father's oldest friends and chief aides in conquering the crown, Henry Percy (Hotspur), son and heir of the Earl of Northumberland and it becomes his greatest wish to assume his Welsh responsibilities under Percy's protectorship.
The year is 1400 and Richard, imprisoned in the north, is pronounced dead by voluntary starvation. This death sows seeds of doubt of the King's involvment in both Hotspur and Hal, which, when resolved, will mark the end of innocense for both.
The year is 1402 when a young Welsh petitioner called Julian presents herself before the prince and his mentor in the border town of Shrewsbury on a family grievance. Like Hal before her, she sees in Hotspur her salvation and a chance for greater deeds. Hotspur himself is charged of trying to reach a peaceful resolution to the Welsh conflict with the 'true' Prince of Wales, Owen Glendower and becomes involved with Julian, her father and a family friend and rebel, Iago Vaughn. He also makes a new Scottish friend and is trying to release his brother-in-law, Edmund Mortimer, from the Welsh captivity.
The year is 1403. King Henry gets married, trying to recover the peace of mind he has quite lost since acquiring the crown, Prince Hal is still battling with his feelings about his father, while Hotspur, upon discovering some ugly thruths about his once friend the King, decides to join the cause of his new Welsh friends and support his young nephew's claim to the throne of England.
The year is 1403. The place is the border town of Shrewsbury. Present are - King Henry IV, Prince Henry, Hotspur, Julian Hussey and former King Richard (if only in spirit). One of them faces the consequences of his actions and mistakes, while making some new ones; one makes a choice (that was never a choice in the first place); one gets a chance at a new life and dies; one learns what it means to have power.

"A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury" is a wonderful book, slow (yes, it may be said too slow at times, but it sure kicks off at the first signs of conspiracy) and descriptive, written in a language, though English, that's quite gone from this world.
The author treats these characters like people, with deep motives and emotions and ghosts (unlike Shakespeare who made them into caricatures).
The novel was written in 1972 but is might as well been written in 1872 - it feels timeless, unlike so many modern historical fiction.
Very nice book! Fast delivery!!
Edith Pargeter's novels never disappoint. Her characterizations and descriptions of nature are incredibly insightful, intuitive, complex and vivid. I hope I never run out of her novels!
Beautifully written. Edith Pargeter is one of our favorite authors. She is an author who makes history come alive. Excellent!
A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury is about the rebellion against Henry IV led by Henry "Hotspur" Percy. The novel begins with Henry IV declaring himself king. He and Hotspur have led a successful rebellion against King Richard II and Henry now has to consolidate his power and decide on a path for the country. But, a successful rebellion sets a precedent and there are always nobles who believe they deserve more recognition. At first, Henry Percy is Henry IV's strongest supporter. But slowly, Percy becomes disenchanted with this monarch, and begins to plan a new rebellion to put Richard II's heir back on the throne.

One of the best things that this book does is show three disparate viewpoints clearly. Henry IV is the conqueror, Henry Percy the rebellious noble and Hal is the prince stuck between the two. Henry IV is shown as having a case of conqueror's guilt. He really worries that he doesn't have a right to the crown he holds. He never thinks that his rebellion wasn't justified but he realizes that many people could blame him for the same things he blamed on Richard. And, because he overthrew one king, it will always be in other people's minds that they could replace him. He fears the Mortimers because they were Richard's lawful heirs and he slowly turns toward considering how his reign would be much easier if the Mortimers just disappeared. He didn't start off as a bad person and it isn't that the crown turns him into one. He just stole a crown that wasn't fairly his and has to cope with the consequences that he didn't foresee.

Henry Percy is also a well-portrayed character. He was the first to support Henry IV but he begins to see how the crown has changed the man. Percy is portrayed as being honest to a fault without a deceitful bone in his body. The changes are too much for him so he rebels again to put the true heir back on the throne. Basically, he wants to undo his previous actions. The problem is that he loves Hal (later Henry V) and won't let himself think about how this rebellion will affect him.

Henry V is such a larger than life figure. When he becomes king he actually conquers France but then dies before he has fully demoralized the French. He has so many successes and then his death really makes him this legendary figure that couldn't be beaten. This book is an excellent glimpse of Henry V as a young man, before the events that define him today. He is torn between his love and respect for Percy and his duty towards his father. Once before he faced this choice. Richard II treated Hal as his own son and Hal loved him. When Hal's father overthrows Richard, Hal has to choose between them. What finally decides him both times is that he is meant to be king. Unlike his father, the crown will now lawfully pass to him and he has to defend that.

All three perspectives combine to show the full picture of Henry IV's troubles as king and a complete picture of a rebellion. There is also a great description of Owen Glendower who incited Wales to rebel and became the first native Welsh prince since Llywelyn II. Henry Percy admires Owen because of his noble spirit and hopes to end his rebellion peacefully. Instead, he actually ends up joining Owen's rebellion to his own. The fictional Welsh characters that Edith Pargeter adds to her book are wonderful. They don't feel like they are superfluous to the story, which is mostly peopled by historical figures. In fact, they add greatly to the story and are very interesting and realistic.

The book actually goes through the beginning of Owen Glendower's rebellion, several smaller Scottish rebellions and then ends with Percy's rebellion. It is a great characterization of these historical figures, giving them very realistic motives. The language is very eloquent. Occasionally, there is a slight blip where a word might mean something different than it would today, but it isn't difficult to figure out. This was a book that really lived up to my expectations and one I thoroughly enjoyed.