Right, ladies and gentlemen, if you want a real laugh, go here. It’s so full of bloopers that it really is a joke. For instance, OLD Richard II reigned during the Peasants’ Revolt. Um, Richard was 14 at the time. And then again Henry IV was Richard II’s son. But wait, Henry IV was Henry II’s son as well! Neat. Then Henry IV TOOK BACK his throne from Richard II. No he didn’t, he usurped his cousin Richard’s throne and then murdered him. And did you know that Edward I began the British Empire? No, nor did he. Henry II was also the greatest king – hmm.
The biggest joke is that it’s all from a review of Dan Jones‘s The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings And Queens Who Made England’. If it really is a sample of Jones’s work, he needs shoving in the stocks!
I quote “….Dan Jones’s book is an epic account of a remarkable dynasty that made England what it is today – full of insight into its kings and queens whose actions have been immortalized in history books across centuries….” Full of insight? It sure as hell is, although insight into which alternative universe is a mystery.
The above article continues: “….He [Dan Jones] also goes on to describe how Richard II’s son, Henry IV, and his successors were instrumental in making England a continental power. They reached their peak under the rule of Edward III and his successor Richard II who were both warrior kings and queens (clearly they were confused as to which sex they were!) that made an immense difference to their nation by unifying it as one kingdom….”
So, the very unwarriorlike and childless Richard II’s son Henry IV and their descendants were instrumental in making England great, but at the same time England had reached its peak under Edward III, who preceded the other two. Logic? Honestly, you couldn’t make it up. This article is a load of twaddle from beginning to end.
I actually feel sorry for Dan Jones, whose views may be wildly inaccurate on certain matters, but even he wouldn’t dream up all the howlers above!
murreyandblue 
Is this a problems with proof readers or editors Viscountessw? Recently my library tracked down a copy of the Forgotten Battle of Nibley Green for me by Peter Fleming and Michael Wood, (1988) and while I have little interest in the ‘battle’ (last private feud between landed families in England) what I wanted was better info on my personal headache, the Berkeley family… what I got was a book filled with errors, gross inaccuracies, and mistakes that any decent proof reader should have picked up. It’s not the first book I’ve had this problem with, and if you’re a stickler for getting dates, names, and other information correct it is darn annoying!
Fleming and Wood are academics, their manuscript should never have made it into print without at least ONE proof reader who is familiar with the era!
As for Dan Jones, a popular history author, it could be an even worse case scenario, NO proof reader, NO editor! Just slap that keyboard into high gear and knock it out!
Wanna guess how few will even be shocked that Dan Jones’ ‘Richard’ is murdered by his own son Henry??? Being ‘warrior’ kings it’s a natch.
(and don’t tell me what horrors he commits with Richard III!)
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Words fail me, really.
The disastrous campaigns in France by Edward III and Henry V bankrupted this country. Literally, because in those days you could not print paper money. They also caused untold human suffering on both sides. Sadly, some people still equate killing foreigners with ‘greatness’.
We had no rights in France outside Gascony (Guienne) and so it was an unjust war. The idea (in particular) that Henry V was the rightful King of France is so freaking absurd it makes Alice in Wonderland look like a telephone directory.
I could go on. Suffice it to say that I believe glorifying imperialism, or its roots, is a tad outdated in the 21st Century. Edwardian historians I can forgive.
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The problem is that people believe this rubbish, copy and share too! That’s why we are still fighting for Richard’s reputation… They are also called “historians”… Kyrie eleison!
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If true shameful. Public demands facts.
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