The Gothic King: A Biography of Henry III

(Revised Edition 2025)

By: John Paul Davis

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

NEW AND IMPROVED SECOND EDITION - 2025
Initially published by Peter Owen Publishers, 2013

FROM THE BACK PAGE

Henry III’s reign was the longest of any king in medieval Europe, spanning an unprecedented 56 years from 1216 until 1272. The first child king in England for 200 years, his time on the throne oversaw more significant change than any other monarch, in which England prospered.

Though often overlooked by historians, Henry III was a unique figure emerging from this chivalric yet gothic era. A compulsive builder of daunting castles and glorious cathedrals, Henry was an intelligent, graceful monarch who faced down three civil wars, as well as feuds with Wales and France. The son of King John and the father of Edward I, Henry, much more than his father, hammered out the terms of Magna Carta with the barons before facing down Simon de Montfort’s rebellion forty years later.

In an updated version of what, at the time of its initial publication, was the first biography of Henry III in more than a century, John Paul Davis brings all his forensic skills and insights to the grand story of England’s Gothic King in this, a unique insight into the life of one of our most remarkable monarchs.

Interesting History

Interesting information about a king I knew little about. I appreciate the author's balanced approach and attempt to simply present history without any particular opinions. I will admit to glazing over a little when it was going into all the building projects, but overall I found the book interesting and informative. The reader was good and made for a pleasant listen.

Virtual Voice is Painful

Well researched and set forth coherently, but the writing is a bit boring. The mistakes and mispronunciations of the virtual voice are terribly distracting and annoying.