Creativity, Contradictions and Commemoration in the Reign of Richard II

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Aspects of the turbulent rule of Richard II freshly examined.The reign
of Richard II is well known for its political turmoil as well as its literary and artistic
innovations, all areas explored by Professor Nigel Saul during his distinguished career. The
present volume interrogates many familiar literary and narrative sources, including works by
Froissart, Gower, Chaucer, Clanvow, and the Continuation of the Eulogium Historiarum, along
with those less well-known, such as coroner's inquests and gaol delivery proceedings. The
reign is also notorious for its larger than life personalities - not least Richard himself.
But how was he shaped by other personalities? A prosopographical study of Richard's bishops,
a comparison of the literary biographies of his father the Black Prince, and Bertrand du
Guesclin, and a reconsideration of Plantagenet family politics, all shed light on this
question. Meanwhile, Richard II's tomb reflects his desire to shape a new vision of
kingship. Commemoration more broadly was changing in the late fourteenth century, and this
volume includes several studies of both individual and communal memorials of various types
that illustrate this again, appropriately for an area Professor Saul has made his
Mark Arvanigian, Caroline Barron, Michael Bennett, Jerome Bertram, David
Carpenter, Chris Given-Wilson, Jill Havens, Claire Kennan, Hannes Kleineke, John Leland,
Joel Rosenthal, Christian Steer, George Stow, Jenny Stratford, Kelcey Wilson-Lee.