Edward I and the Forging of Britain - A Great and Terrible King

Doctor Morris writes an interesting and thorough book about Edward I. He describes his good and bad attributes and seems to take a neutral position and let the facts determine my opinion of Edward. His style of writing is easy to follow but the book appeals to the reader with a background in English history as well as the newcomer to the period. I can recommend this book without reservation.

As a great fan of Edward I (and collector of a number of books about him and his times), I find this new book by Marc Morris to be among the very best, largely because it is structured as a narrative rather than by themes. Not only has Morris done a great job sorting through all the chronicles, but he also brings to the task a delightfully shrewd wit and a lively style. Only a gifted writer could make 13th/14th Century English history so engaging. Detailed accounts of battles usually bore me; with his wonderful sense of details, Morris makes them suspenseful and intriguing.

If you are interested in very distant British history, or you believe that the movie "Braveheart" was accurate, this is the book for you. It clarifies a great deal and proves that sometimes the acorn falls very far from the tree.

Excellent history of a period before the Hundred Years War. I recommend it to readers who have an interest in Europe of the 13th and 14th centuries. This book pretty much sets the table for Barbara Tuchman's " A Distant Mirror" which tells more than most people want to know about the One Hundred Years War.

Thoroughly enjoyed this history on the basis of the perso of Edward himself. The writing was not especially inspired and I felt stiil detached from him after reading this book. But it is well and thoroughly researched.

This was a very well written story of King Edward I. It flowed well and was very informative about England, Wales, Scotland and other countries. This is my first book about a king, as I have until now read about all the English queens. So very fascinating and I highly recommend it

Very interesting and engaging bio of a man who shaped Britain's history. The author does a great job describing the subject's highlights without glossing over the more troubling aspects of his character.

The book does a good job of discussing an era that I knew little about and although the writer didn't have the most attention-riveting style, it was informative. The title is perfect for the king and his actions. A complicated era to read about.

The title pretty much says it all. This is a well-written, well-paced biography. Enjoyed reading it and learning a lot I did not know about King Edward and his times, although I am quite happy not to have lived during his reign.

The first history of Edward I 'Longshanks' Plantagenet to focus on his reign with an eye to biography since England's Justinian', appearing near the turn of the 20th century. A first-rate and readable account.

Reading this book was a pleasure. A critical period of the development of English democracy is presented. The described events explain why the development of democratic government is a gradual process.

Knowing very little about this period of history, I was totally drawn into it through this book. Excellently written; fully engaging. A thorough all-round treatment of complex characters and the complex times they lived in. Anyone who is interested in medieval times, monarchy, a decent biography, history in general should find this book a great addition. I loved this from first to last.

Lengthy and detailed history of the reign of 'Longshanks', nemesis of Braveheart. This is a king that was instrumental in unifying the British isles and the book shows the relatively small role William Wallace played during his tenure. The book drags in places, as many histories do, but well worth reading as it covers a time in English history that was pivotal to the establishment, ultimately, of the British empire.

Very well researched account of the career of one of England's early kings and one who ruled during a difficult time. The author acknowledges a number of frustrating gaps in the direct record, but he has done a masterful job of using combinations of other contemporary sources to piece in the most reasonable conclusions about events during the places where the first-hand accounts are silent.

As a great fan of Edward I (and collector of a number of books about him and his times), I find this new book by Marc Morris to be among the very best, largely because it is structured as a narrative rather than by themes. Not only has Morris done a great job sorting through all the chronicles, but he also brings to the task a delightfully shrewd wit and a lively style. Only a gifted writer could make 13th/14th Century English history so engaging. Detailed accounts of battles usually bore me; with his wonderful sense of details, Morris makes them suspenseful and intriguing.

A nice chronological voyage through one of the longer reigning kings, who essentially created "Great Britain" from force of will in spite of so much working against him. His son unintentionally reversed much of the gains after his passing, much as his father had been a weak king before him, and the violence of his reign was used as license to kill both his son and his lover who had caused great havoc. But he did many powerful things, had weakness and great loves. He was one of those kings pitted against the Robert Bruces in Scotland's wars. He was a major stepping stone to England in the modern age. A good read of an interesting life.

This is a very informative and extensively documented book but it is far from being dry like an history book. The author brings back to life these medieval major characters and events as if they were contemporary. The reader gets an amazing perspective and understanding of the society, life, mores and customs of these times besides the making of a world we are still living in.

Reading this book was a pleasure. A critical period of the development of English democracy is presented. The described events explain why the development of democratic government is a gradual process.

The title pretty much says it all. This is a well-written, well-paced biography. Enjoyed reading it and learning a lot I did not know about King Edward and his times, although I am quite happy not to have lived during his reign.

Books about historical figures or events are inherently dry, even the most interesting of lives are not generally as exciting as those stories told in fiction; but I did not find that to be the case with this book. As a Scot I am almost obliged to hate "The Hammer of the Scots", but the simple truth is that Edward "Longshanks" was a great king for his age. Equal parts cunning and ruthless, it is a treat to learn what made Braveheart's villain so devastatingly effective. Edward I's reign is an important one; right or wrong, his rule laid the foundations of the British Kingdom and Empire and this book tells that story in a manner that keeps the reader engaged and interested. If you have any interest in English history, you should not miss this book.

A great insight into a little known but important period of British history.It explains in detail how Wales became ruled from London and how the great welsh castle building programme was established. Later in the reign how An untimely death resulted in an opportunity to include Scotland in Great Britain being lost for 300 years

Knowing very little about this period of history, I was totally drawn into it through this book. Excellently written; fully engaging. A thorough all-round treatment of complex characters and the complex times they lived in. Anyone who is interested in medieval times, monarchy, a decent biography, history in general should find this book a great addition. I loved this from first to last.

I love this time period in history so am always looking for a good book. King Edward I was strong, brutal, intelligent and, depending which side you're on, will love or hate him, but you will have strong opinions about him either way. Worth the read.

To me, this read like a history textbook. It covered the time of Edward I with extensive detail. I am just not into reading that type of book at this point. She even reviewed what he had done trying to make a case for Edward I being a great king. This was overkill for me and I quit reading it at that point.

Difficult to read, jumps around between various episodes, not well organized or written.
The historical record is there, but nothing particularly new revealed, no real sense of the personality behind the title.
Am trying to finish, but finding it a tedious slog.

Nothing wrong with the book. Just too much detail. I do not do detail any more. I like broad brush strokes. After reading what seemed like forever I found I was only at 10%. I am a readers digest type of guy. Just give me the basics. It is OK to spend a little time on a particular point but I want to move on. I am not interested in verification or justification. Just say your peace and move on. To be fair about the only type of history I read now (not entirely true) is historical fiction.

Again, nothing wrong with the book I just want less detail and more broad strokes.