Edward III

The Perfect King

By: Ian Mortimer

Narrated by: Alex Wyndham

Holding power for over 50 years starting in 1327, Edward III was one of England's most influential kings and one who shaped the course of English history. Revered as one of the country's most illustrious leaders for centuries, he was also a usurper and a warmonger who ordered his uncle beheaded. A brutal man, to be sure, but also a brilliant one.

Noted historian Ian Mortimer offers us the first comprehensive look at the life of Edward III. The Perfect King was often the instigator of his own drama but also overthrew tyrannous guardians as a teenager and ushered in a period of chivalric ideals. Mortimer traces how Edward's reforms made feudal England a thriving, sophisticated country and one of Europe's major military powers. Ideal for anyone fascinated by medieval history, this book provides new insight into Edward III's lasting influence on the justice system, artistic traditions, language, and architecture of the country.

©2014 Ian Mortimer (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"[This book] deserves to be widely read." ( Sunday Times)

5 stars simple as that

Great book from start to finish, lots of detail and story. You can really see where Game of Thrones gets a lot of its material from.

Another brilliant work from Mortimer.

Biographies like these often stray off into tangential areas for the sake of context and padding out the narrative and end up losing it in the process. Not so here as Mortimer keeps you laser focused on Edward. It’s a different format than his Time Traveler series but manages the same trick of transporting you there to the King’s side. Outstanding.

Great listen

This was presented very well. The information was great and did not drag on. I really enjoyed this book

Edward iii - historical telling

Lovely telling of history. So much detail with data bases explanations.
Unique and plausible approach to King Edward II death.

Ian Mortimer never disappoints.

As always the historical detail was on point. Mortimer writes about history with such enthusiasm his love of the topic is evident. The narration was great. Loved it and would recommend.