Thomas Becket and His World: Medieval Lives
Autor Michael Stauntonen Limba Engleză Hardback – 22 apr 2025
This book explores the turbulent life and violent death of Thomas Becket, one of the most controversial figures in the Middle Ages: a London merchant’s son turned royal chancellor, an archbishop of Canterbury turned martyred saint. Michael Staunton looks at Becket’s complex and contested legacy, drawing from the bishop’s writings as well as those of his contemporaries.
Based on extensive research, this account offers a fresh perspective on Thomas Becket’s life and places him within the broader landscape of twelfth-century England and Europe—a time of rapid change and conflict. The book is perfect for anyone wanting to learn more about a pivotal figure in medieval history.
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Specificații
ISBN-13: 9781836390701
ISBN-10: 183639070X
Pagini: 216
Ilustrații: 25 color plates, 4 halftones
Dimensiuni: 138 x 216 mm
Greutate: 0.45 kg
Editura: REAKTION BOOKS
Colecția Reaktion Books
Seria Medieval Lives
ISBN-10: 183639070X
Pagini: 216
Ilustrații: 25 color plates, 4 halftones
Dimensiuni: 138 x 216 mm
Greutate: 0.45 kg
Editura: REAKTION BOOKS
Colecția Reaktion Books
Seria Medieval Lives
Notă biografică
Michael Staunton is professor of medieval history at University College Dublin. His books include The Historians of Angevin England.
Cuprins
Introduction
1 Thomas of London
2 Royal Chancellor
3 Conversion and Conflict
4 Trial and Exile
5 Thomas Alone
6 Martyrdom
References
Select Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index
1 Thomas of London
2 Royal Chancellor
3 Conversion and Conflict
4 Trial and Exile
5 Thomas Alone
6 Martyrdom
References
Select Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index
Recenzii
"In this beautifully fluent new biography, Michael Staunton brings out the challenges and contradictions running through the controversial life and death of Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury. We see a man who was, by turns, worldly, aloof and, ultimately, exasperatingly intransigent and unafraid to die for his beliefs. Blending smart storytelling with clever nuance, this is a genuine pleasure to read."
"Splendidly illustrated and a fascinating read, Michael Staunton brings to life the personal and political contexts that propelled the “lowborn clerk”, son of immigrant parents, to the positions of royal chancellor, archbishop of Canterbury, and finally the martyred victim of “the murder in the cathedral” and saint."
"Michael Staunton’s Thomas Becket and His World achieves what historical novels only dream of attaining. It is a masterful account of one of the most famous figures of the Middle Ages, written with the clarity and confidence one might expect of a leading authority in the Angevin world. By interweaving a close study of the original texts and a nuanced consideration of their historical context, the book provides a persuasive reading of the martyred archbishop of Canterbury and the twelfth century he inhabited. Yet the Thomas Becket that emerges from these pages is not a distant medieval churchman, but a complex and conflicted human being, seemingly more alive than most people we know today. Torn between his duty to serve his king (and onetime friend) and his duty to serve his Church, Thomas experiences in his own life the tension between political and ecclesiastical authority that dominated so much of medieval history. By the time we reach the thrilling crescendo of the last chapters, the book has become a meditation on the complexities of heroic virtue. Succinct but thorough, restrained but passionate, this is a perfect book."
"This compelling account of the life of Thomas Becket is an enthralling story of the saint’s life set within the wider context of the world in which he lived and died. Michael Staunton wears his scholarship and erudition with a lightness of touch which is awe-inspiring. The book is a triumph."