Henry II

A narrative account traces the rise and rule of a powerful 12th-century monarch, from his succession and consolidation of Angevin territories to campaigns in Wales, Ireland, and on the Continent. It examines the king's administrative, legal, and financial reforms, methods of governance, and efforts to extend family influence through marriages and lordship. Central chapters recount the prolonged confrontation with the archbishop of Canterbury, the resulting crisis, and the domestic rebellions led by his sons that weakened royal authority, culminating in his decline and death. The book concludes with assessments of constitutional change and the social character of the kingdom under his reign.