SOCIAL SCIENCES

The Demon's Brood: A History of the Plantagenet Dynasty

by Desmond Seward
Pegasus. Sept. 2014. 364p. notes. index. ISBN 9781605986180. $28.95; ebk. ISBN 9781605987064. HIST
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The Plantagenet dynasty, a union of several European familial houses, retained a grip on the British throne for more than three centuries despite constant wars (including the Hundred Years' War and the Scottish Wars of Independence), upheavals amongst local vassals, and the rulers' own personal flaws. By Seward's (A Brief History of the Hundred Years War) own admission, this title is specifically aimed at the nonspecialist, packing the Plantagenets' 300-year history into a tidy volume that briefly touches upon the highs and lows of the dynasty's 14 rulers. The result is a history that provides a fairly vivid overall picture of the kings themselves, yet the cost of omitting much of the in-depth details of their reigns means that most information is more akin to light sketches than scholarly narratives.
VERDICT As in his previous works, Seward has a tendency to present his viewpoint on historical figures (or the viewpoint of his particular sources) as irrevocable fact. However, the breadth of history covered and the author's succinct style will likely make this a satisfactory choice for casual readers seeking a full but accessible history of this dynasty.
Reviewed by Kathleen McCallister, Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia , Sep 01, 2014
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