This book covers the reigns of Edward I and Edward II, a time of turbulence among the leaders of society, important developments in the law and constitution alongside extreme suffering among the peasantry. The author examines the key events and institutions of the period, explaining how we know about them and reviewing important debates among historians. Building outwards from the land and its inhabitants, to government, politics, and the formative role of the church, Sandra Raban makes comparisons with the wider world, as well as exploring broader aspects of culture. Highlighting the extraordinary contrasts which were a feature of Britain during this period, the book makes use of a wealth of artistic material to capture the atmosphere of late-thirteenth- and early-fourteenth-century England in all its colour and diversity.