The young King was determined to strike. His throne and power had been taken from him; now he would seize them both back. Now his chosen men entered the castle where he was a virtual prisoner, under the watchful eyes of his mother and her lover. Joining them, he led their rush to the Queen Mother’s apartments. There they seized those who had prevented Edward III from truly ruling as King of England. 

Those dramatic events–which occurred in Nottingham Castle, of all places–are just one of many that occur in Michael Livingston’s new book, Bloody Crowns: A New History of the Hundred Year’s War. From the origins of the great conflict between France and England, to the last bitter acts, Livingston weaves the story of how not just those two powers but all Europe was riven by a war that last not just for a hundred years, but for two full centuries of war from 1292 to 1492.

Michael Livingston is Citadel Distinguished Professor at The Citadel and the author of many books on medieval military history. The former secretary-general for the US Commission on Military History, he lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

For more information, see the show notes for this episode on Historically Thinking Substack page.

• Defining the 200 Years War: 1292 to 1492
• Cantering Through 200 Years
• Scotland: The Enemy in the Rear
• Doctrine and the Birth of Standing Armies
• The Forgotten Naval War
• Anarchy, Free Companies, and Peasant Revolts
• The Longbow: Myth vs. Reality
• The Papacy and Religious Schism
• The Myth of the Decisive Battle
• Generational Conflict and Modern Parallels
• Conclusion