Edward, Prince of Wales and Aquitaine, known as the Black Prince, is one of the legendary figures of English history, victor of three great battles and a model of chivalry and courtesy. Behind this image, which many of his contemporaries accepted and eagerly believed in, it is difficult to get at the realities of his character and of the life that he led.
Most of his biographers have based their work on the splendid vision of chivalry conjured up by Froissart, but the present book deliberately shuns this approach, to see what can be found in official records, particularly from the prince’s household, and from the people who campaigned with the prince. Particular attention has been paid not only to the confusing and confused accounts of the great battles, but also to the prince’s early years, his close companions who contributed so greatly to his successes, and to his government of Aquitaine, an obscure but very important part of his career. A number of minor but persistent errors deriving from Froissart are corrected, and a concluding chapter examines how the legend of the Black Prince (and his curious nickname) came into being.
Excellent study of the prince’s career. A first-class synthesis of the entire
literature of this subject.’ Kenneth Fowler
The Life and Campaigns of the Black Prince offers translations of key letters and chronicles on which this biography is based – click here to view on the Boydell and Brewer website.