A major new biography of the Black Prince: hero of the battles of Crécy and Poitiers and England's greatest medieval warrior.

A major new biography of the Black Prince. 'A clear-eyed and thrilling vision of the man behind the legend' DAN JONES. 'Pacy, vivid and extremely readable' TLS. In 1346, at the age of sixteen, he won his spurs at Crécy; nine years later he conducted a brutal raid across Languedoc; in 1356 he captured the king of France at Poitiers; as lord of Aquitaine he ruled a vast swathe of southwestern France. He was Edward of Woodstock, eldest son of Edward III, but better known to posterity as 'the Black Prince'. Michael Jones tells the remarkable story of a great warrior-prince – and paints an unforgettable portrait of warfare and chivalry in the late Middle Ages.

"Pacy, vivid and extremely readable... its extensive research and questioning approach also make it an important work for specialists to consult'" - TLS

"It is not often that a work of medieval history provokes a news story in the Daily Mail" - The Oldie

"Jones has done an excellent job... It is not easy to make somebody so far back in history really come alive, but this book has pulled it off extremely well. It is supplemented with several pages of maps, battle plans and a detailed timeline'" - The Bookbag

"Michael Jones superbly brings to life the campaigns and battles which made the Black Prince's name... The hero and the villain were one man and Jones does justice to this complexity'" - The Times

"Splendid... Jones convincingly argues that Edward should not be too readily condemned [...] with great skill and lightly worn erudition... Will enthral a wide audience'" - Spectator

"Get to know the heir of Edward III in all his guises in this accomplished volume" - Historical Trips UK

"Fascinating... restores one of our great heroes to his rightful position'" - Daily Mail

"Sure to enlighten and entertain thanks to the author's use of new archival research and his pacy, atmospheric writing style" - History Revealed.

"Offers a thoughtful, rounded picture of a man who led not solely by virtue of birth, but through personality and achievement, too" - The Tablet

"A thoroughly riveting biography of Edward of Woodstock" - Military History Monthly

"Pacy, vivid and extremely readable, Jones's book [...] will appeal to a wide spectrum of readers, but its extensive research and questioning approach also make it an important work for specialists to consult" - TLS

"A fascinating biography of England's greatest king that never was... Jones brings to life the achievements of a man whose contemporary popular appeal has been dimmed by time'" - BBC History Magazine Book of the Year (2017)

"Essential reading for those who prefer fact to fantasy" - Historical Novel Society

"The author is set on uncovering the man behind the myth of the Black Prince. It is an endeavour in which he largely succeeds, convincingly portraying the Prince as an exemplary military commander who is undeserving of the bad reputation he has received... This book will undoubtedly become the first port of call for anyone interested in the Black Prince for years to come'" - Royal Studies Journal