Crown and Nobility traces the development of the relationship between kings and nobles in late medieval England. It shows how the differing abilities and personalities of the late medieval English kings powerfully affected their relationship with the nobility. The author examines the contrast between the dominant style of Edward I and both the weakness of Edward II and the chivalric reputation of Edward III, and reveals how the ineptitude of Henry VI did much to provoke the political crisis of the mid-fifteenth century, which led to the downfall of the House of Lancaster. Much of the political history of late medieval England was played out against a background of war, and Anthony Tuck vividly describes the Welsh and Scottish wars, the great victories in France, and the final debacle under Henry VI. He shows how success and setback in war crucially affected the relationship between the king and his nobles.
For this new edition the author has revised the original text to take account of recent scholarship. The book now includes a new epilog discussing historiographical developments since the book was first published. There is also an enlarged and updated bibliography.