Edward, Prince of Wales and Aquitaine: A Biography of the Black Prince
Worth buying if: you want detailed coverage of Edward’s Aquitaine administration.
Skip it if: you seek dense archival apparatus or exhaustive primary-source citation.
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780851156866. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
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Summary
Edward, Prince of Wales and Aquitaine: A Biography of the Black Prince (Richard Barber) offers a compact, evidence-grounded life of Edward of Woodstock—his campaigns in Aquitaine and at Crécy and Poitiers, his household, reputation, and legacy across 14th-century England and France.
Why this book now
Barber’s 1996 study remains a concise reference for readers revisiting the Black Prince amid renewed interest in medieval biography and military history.
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Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- you want detailed coverage of Edward’s Aquitaine administration.
- you enjoy military episodes like Crecy and Poitiers in a readable biography.
- you seek dense archival apparatus or exhaustive primary-source citation.
- you prefer modern reinterpretations that challenge the traditional Black Prince narrative.
- You are specifically hunting for the newest framing rather than a backlist perspective.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780851156866
Worth buying if: you want detailed coverage of Edward’s Aquitaine administration.
Skip it if: you seek dense archival apparatus or exhaustive primary-source citation.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Reader guide
Cues to help you decide faster.
Reading commitment
Balanced Moderate time
At roughly 316 pages, Barber’s book is a moderate single-sitting to multi-evening read, suitable for history readers aiming for one focused biography on the Black Prince.
What stands out here
This Boydell 1996 edition is notable for Barber’s narrative synthesis of campaigns, household life, and the Prince’s reputation rather than for new archival discoveries.
Best way to approach it
Approach the book as a tightly argued life: follow campaign narratives and then pause for chapters on governance and legend to appreciate Barber’s balance of military action and biography.
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Exact edition: ISBN-13 9780851156866
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.