England Under Edward I and Edward II: 1259–1327

This book covers the reigns of Edward I and Edward II, a time of turbulence among the leaders of society, important developments in the law and constitution alongside extreme suffering among the peasantry. The author examines the key events and institutions of the period, explaining how we know about them and reviewing important debates among historians. Building outwards from the land and its inhabitants, to government, politics, and the formative role of the church, Sandra Raban makes comparisons with the wider world, as well as exploring broader aspects of culture.

Highlighting the extraordinary contrasts which were a feature of Britain during this period, the book makes use of a wealth of artistic material to capture the atmosphere of late–thirteenth– and early–fourteenth–century England in all its colour and diversity.

List of Plates.

List of Maps.

Preface.

Introduction.

1. The Land.

2. The People: Rural Society.

3. The People: Towns and Traders.

4. The Church.

5. Culture.

6. Government and Administration.

7. Politics.

8. England and the Wider World.

Conclusion.

Appendix 1: Selective Family Trees.

Appendix 2: Chronology.

Bibliography.

Index.

Sandra Raban is Fellow in History at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and formerly lectured at Homerton College. She is the author of Mortmain Legislation and the English Church, 1279–1500 (1982) and a number of studies on the 1279–80 hundred rolls. She is now working on an edition of the registers of the late–thirteenth– and early–fourteenth–century abbots of Peterborough.

"Economic and social history can, it must be said, be a dry subject, particularly in a textbook such as this one, but Raban has managed to render it absorbing, enjoyable and above all, real and relevant ... this is a synthesis of the best kind, offering a highly readable, well–written, lively and valuable introduction to English society at this time." History <!––end––>

"This is a volume which will provide very sound bearings for both the general reader and for the better informed, and engender the interest to explore further." English Historical Review

"Raban, like other authors in the "A History of Medieval Britain" series, provides the nonspecialist reader with a picture of England between 1239 and 1327 drawn from the most recent scholarship, including debates among scholars over conflicting interpretations." CHOICE

"Students will find this a highly readable and informative introduction to an important period in the history of medieval Britain, and the bibliography will assist them in pursuing their studies further." History: Reviews of New Books

"Raban has fulfilled her brief well in the production of a ′bottom up′ text that reflects current historiography. Teachers will be pleased with the open–ended reviews of historiographical debates that will serve as a springboard to class discussions ..." Albion

"A wide–ranging overview which should prompt the reader to a deeper examination of a many–faceted era." Canadian Journal of History