This is probably a perfectly good book about the grandchildren of the 14th century Plantagenet King. But I couldn't get into it.

An accessible history of the family of King Edward III of England.

At a mere 144 pages of biographical content, this book will provide a basic introduction to not only the granddaughters of Edward II and his queen, Philippa of Hainault, but also of their children and other grandchildren.

Warner provides a basic Who's Who and family trees at the start, and ends with the descendants of the featured granddaughters, and approx 50 pages of notes.

If this is your particular era of study, Warner's book will provide a handy introductory resource for the lineage and general biographical study of Edward's offspring. For those wanting a bit more substance to those featured granddaughters, you will find it lacking here.

'The Granddaughters of Edward III' is a highly detailed, thoroughly researched, and meticulously referenced book. Kathryn Warner's work provides a great secondary source not only for those history lovers of this period but also those who appreciate the revealing dynastic, political landscape created through carefully crafted betrothals, marriages, and property. Spanning the United Kingdom, Iberia and France, Edward III's legacy as a powerful European authority. The complexity of the family tree means that some readers might find it useful to begin the book with some knowledge of England's royal history, although plenty of family trees and references are included. Very informative.

I think that this would be better in paperback than on Kindle. Although Kathryn Warner kindly provides a list of prominent people at the front of the book, I found so many characters and their relationships a bit confusing, and it was hard to get to grips with them all. It might be a better idea to use this as a reference book, and look up the people who especially interest you, although I liked the descriptions of medieval life, especially the descriptions of the gifts. As always, Kathryn has thoroughly researched this book, and shows expert knowledge.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Kathryn Warner brings the granddaughters of Edward III, King of England, and Philippa of Hainault, Queen of England, to life in this particular book. Many of these granddaughters share their grandmother’s name, and all of these remarkable medieval women shape European culture and politics with their dynastic marriages across Europe. Warner introduces the reader to Philippa of Clarence, Philippa of Lancaster, Elizabeth of Lancaster, Catalina of Lancaster, Joan Beaufort, Constance of York, Anne of Gloucester, Joan of Gloucester, Isabel of Gloucester, Marie de Coucy, and Philippa de Coucy. These women are the ancestresses of the Tudor, Lancaster, and York dynasties of England, monarchs of the Iberian peninsula (Castile, Aragon, Leon, and Portugal), and matriarchs of ruling families in France and the Low Countries. Warner successfully distinguishes the many Philippas from each other and demonstrates the ties between the granddaughters and their descendants, reflecting how important these English noblewomen were to the medieval period. Warner’s familiarity with her subjects and her clarity of naming and dating allows the reader to easily track these eleven women in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and her prose draws the reader into the book and the lives of these fascinating royal granddaughters.

This book is a mine of invaluable data on some extraordinary characters and anecdotes, and on the complex web of connections between the royal and aristocratic families who shaped the future of England and of Western Europe.

Kathryn Warner collates the data from dry administrative records, threads together the sparse details of individual lives, and teases out implications and stories. Too much history has been written while considering only half of the population, so readers already interested in the history of England in the late 14th and early 15th century are likely to find the information here a useful complement to what they already know. Many people interested in their family histories will find that they have ancestors discussed here, as the descendants of Edward III were so numerous and influential (and sometimes, of course, combative: here lie the roots of the Wars of the Roses and subsequent Tudor history, as well as Portugal's Illustrious Generation).

The book is also rich in remarkable characters and anecdotes to provide an abundance of material to writers of historical novels and dramas. However, the review copy lacks an index, an extraordinary omission. A good index would greatly increase the utility of the book. A plea to the publisher, could this be added before printing? Or at least made available online as a free download? (The latter would also be great marketing material!) I prefer physical books in almost all circumstances, but unless an index will be forthcoming, potential buyers may wish to consider a searchable e-format.

If you really enjoy royal genealogies this wonderful book will be right up your alley.

With the granddaughters of Edward III, Kathryn Warner offers us the opportunity to discover the lives of some very impressive medieval women and the role of their various descendants during the tumultuous one hundred years stretching from 1377 to the dawn of the first Tudor monarch.

I personally loved this book because it allowed me to know more about John of Gaunt's two daughters who became respectively Queen consort of Castille and Queen consort of Portugal.
But I must confess that some readers may find the sheer abundance of genealogical informations a bit daunting...

Highly recommended for anyone interested by English medieval history.

Many thanks to Pen & Sword and Netgalley for this terrific ARC

When we think about the legacy of Edward III, we often think about a warrior king who became king after his father, Edward II’s disastrous fall from grace. We know about his sons that he had with his beloved wife, Philippa of Hainault: Edward the Black Prince, Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence, John of Gaunt 1st Duke of Lancaster, Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, and Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester. Famously, we get the 15th-century conflict known as the Wars of the Roses through the descendants of Edward III. However, the male descendants only tell half the story of Edward III and Philippa of Hainault’s legacy in England and throughout Europe. In her latest book, “The Granddaughters of Edward III,” Kathryn Warner examines the lives of Edward III’s female descendants to better appreciate the strength of this group of branches of the Plantagenet family tree.

Thank you, Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley, for sending me a copy of this book. I am always looking for more books about the Plantagenets, and I know a bit about Edward III’s sons but not much about his granddaughters.

Warner has chosen to take a joint biography approach to this book by focusing on nine out of eleven of Edward III’s granddaughters. These eleven granddaughters were the daughters of Lionel Antwerp, John of Gaunt, Isabella Woodstock, Edmund of Langley, and Thomas of Woodstock. The eleven granddaughters of Edward III and Philippa of Hainault were: Philippa of Clarence, Philippa of Lancaster, Elizabeth of Lancaster, Marie de Coucy, Philippa de Coucy, Catalina of Lancaster, Constance of York, Joan Beaufort, Anne of Gloucester, Joan of Gloucester, and Isabel of Gloucester.

These women were not just great ladies in England, but in the case of Philippa of Lancaster and Catalina of Lancaster, they were Queens of Portugal and Castile, respectively. Philippa of Lancaster ushered in the Illustrious Generation in the history of the royal family of Portugal. Catalina married her mother’s mortal enemy to create a stronger connection between England and Castile. Back in England, the remaining granddaughters had to deal with rebellions against King Henry IV, resulting in husbands and sons being beheaded. One had married her former brother-in-law when her husband died, and another had an affair with the king’s half-brother, resulting in the birth of an illegitimate daughter. A granddaughter had her marriage annulled when her husband decided to marry a lady-in-waiting. One began her life as an illegitimate child and would end up being the grandmother to two Kings of England.

Warner has been able to take the stories of these eleven women who shared a grandfather and show how their tales transformed England, Castile, and Portugal forever. The amount of love and attention she dedicated to this book is admirable. I appreciate how Warner could give readers who only understood the English side of these tales a better understanding of the political situations in Castile and Portugal. If you want a book with brand new medieval heroines with a connection to the Plantagenet dynasty, I highly recommend you read “The Granddaughters of Edward III” by Kathryn Warner.

If your into historical records and history book type narratives I'd say go ahead and check this out.It is very,very well researched and interesting but the writing just wasn't for me.It's more of an information dump and I couldn't fathom all the names,dates and off topic side stories.Could be a wealth of gems for another author or historical researcher though.

Well researched with some new information that I wasn't aware of made this interesting. Not drawn out or dry - a must read for any monarchy fan! Thank you to the author, publishers and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my opinion.

This book really should be titled ‘Grandchildren of Edward III’ as it does provide some focus on two of Edward’s grandsons, the famous Richard II and Henry IV. But it is nonetheless entertaining and informative, and in fact I enjoyed this book more for the peeks at Richard and Henry as much as the story of the lives of the Phillippas, Elizabeths, and Marys. It put the lives of these women in context with the larger family, almost a clan that the women lived in.