Gascony and the Dordogne (Companion Guides)

Travel

BARBER, Richard

Europe

HARPER/COLLINS

Describes the political, religious, and social background of medieval castles, cathedrals, streets, and buildings in Western Europe

The Penguin Guide to Medieval Europe (Penguin Handbooks)

Penguin??Books

The destruction of the French army at Crécy in 1346 and the subsequent siege and capture of Calais marked a new era in European history. The most powerful, glamorous, and respected of all western monarchies had been completely humiliated by England, a country long viewed either as a chaotic backwater or a mere French satellite. The young Edward III's triumph would launch both countries, as we now know, into a grim cycle of some 90 years of further fighting ending with English defeat, but after Crécy anything seemed possible—Edward's claim to be King of France could be pressed home and, in any event, enormous rewards of land, treasure, and prestige were available both to the king and to the close companions who had made the victory possible. It was to enshrine this moment that Edward created one of the most famous of all knightly orders, the Company of the Garter. Barber writes about both the great campaigns and the individuals who formed the original membership of the Company—and through their biographies makes the period tangible and fascinating. This is a book about knighthood, battle tactics, and grand strategy, but it is also about fashion, literature, and the privates lives of everyone from queens to freebooters. Barber's book is a remarkable achievement—but also an extremely enjoyable one.

Edward III and the Triumph of England: The Battle of Crécy and the Company of the Garter

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

Penguin

One of the cleverest men ever to rule England Henry II (1154-89) through a series of astonishing dynastic coups became the ruler of an enormous European empire. One of the most dynamic, restless, and clever men ever to rule England, he was brought down both by his catastrophic relationship with his archbishop Thomas Becket and his debilitating arguments with his sons, most importantly the future Richard I and King John. His empire may have ultimately collapsed, but in Richard Barber's vivid and sympathetic account the reader can see why Henry II left such a compelling impression on his contemporaries.

Henry II: A Prince Among Princes (Penguin Monarchs)

Allen Lane.

The acclaimed Penguin Monarchs series: short, fresh, expert accounts of England's rulers - now in paperback
Henry II (1154-89) through a series of astonishing dynastic coups became the ruler of an enormous European empire. One of the most dynamic, restless and clever men ever to rule England, he was brought down both by his catastrophic relationship with his archbishop Thomas Becket and his debilitating arguments with his sons, most importantly the future Richard I and King John. His empire may have ultimately collapsed, but in Richard Barber's vivid and sympathetic account the reader can see why Henry II left such a compelling impression on his contemporaries.
Richard Barber has written for Penguin The Penguin Guide to Medieval Europe, The Holy Grail and Edward III and the Triumph of England. He is a major figure in medieval studies, both as a writer and as a publisher.

Henry II (Penguin Monarchs)

A Strong Land & a Sturdy: England in the Middle Ages (The Mirror of Britain Series)

Carlton Books, Limited

King Arthur in Legend and History

Literature & Fiction

History & Criticism

Cardinal

Strong Land and a Sturdy England in the Middle Ages

Teen & Young Adult

Houghton, mifflin, harcourt

The Holy Grail, as created and conceived by Chretien de Troyes in the late 12th century, had no obvious religious or Christian connotations but appeared in a story of chivalric adventure involving the knight Perceval. By the medieval period the Grail was to be found at the centre of the Christian church, within its liturgy and art. This superb book tells the history of the Grail from its origins in romance literature to its role as a central object of the Christian faith, its decline during the Reformation and its resurgance in recent years, devoid of its religious connotations. The intricacies and complexities of its meaning throughout history are explored in detail, especially its links with Joseph of Arimathea, with Christ's blood and the Last Supper, its power as a restorer and sustainer of life, and its mysticism in general. Whether a dish, bowl, vessel or chalice, the Grail became an exciting topic for later writers and theologians to explore and utilise, and Richard Barber suggests why this was the case. Well written, detailed and thoroughly absorbing, this is an excellent book.

The Holy Grail: Imagination and Belief

Harvard University Press

The elusive image of the Holy Grail has haunted the Western imagination for eight centuries. It represents the ideal of an unattainable yet infinitely desirable goal, the possibility of perfection. Initially conceived in literature, it became a Christian icon which has been re-created in a multitude of forms over time even though the Grail has no specific material attributes or true religious significance. 
 Richard Barber traces the history of the legends surrounding the Holy Grail, beginning with Chrétien de Troyes's great romances of the twelfth century and the medieval Church's religious version of the secular ideal. He pursues the myths through Victorian obsessions and enthusiasms to the popular bestsellers of the late twentieth century that have embraced its mysteries. Crisscrossing the borders of fiction and spirituality, the quest for the Holy Grail has long attracted writers, artists, and admirers of the esoteric. It has been a recurrent theme in tales of imagination and belief which have laid claim to the highest religious and secular ideals and experiences. From Lancelot to Parsifal, chivalric romances to Wagner's Ring, T. S. Eliot to Monty Python, the Grail has fascinated and lured the Western imagination from beyond the reach of the ordinary world.

History

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Books by BARBER, Richard