Henry I King of England

Henry IV is known primarily for grabbing the throne and holding on to it long enough to pass it on to his more famous son. Nevertheless, he is a pivotal figure in English history, and I can think of no better introduction to him than this vivid biography. When I started it, I had just finished a biography of Richard II, the king he replaced. It was fuill of typically academic hedging like "some sources say he was in York at this time, others that he was in Calais."

The youngest of William the Conqueror's sons, Henry I (1100-35) was never meant to be king, but he was destined to become one of the greatest of all medieval monarchs, both through his own ruthlessness and intelligence and through the dynastic legacy of his daughter Matilda, who began the Plantagenet line that would rule England until 1485. A self-consciously diligent and thoughtful king, his rule was looked back on as the real post-invasion re-founding of England as a new realm, integrated into the continent, wealthy and stable.

Great series of Kings and Queens of England, featuring atmospheric re-enactments and fascinating expert analysis from Alan Ereira, this superb walk through time discovers centuries of lust, betrayal, heroism, mysteries, murders and triumphs.