I want to thank NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for a copy of this book.

Summary: Castor examines the major players around the English throne between 1360 and 1415. It was a turbulent time in which the Plantagenet dynasty grappled with family dynamics and the struggle for power between the Commons and the landed gentry.

Thoughts: Before reading this book I knew absolutely nothing about either of the central characters. The only thing I was slightly aware of was that Richard II was disposed and only because of the Essex Rebellion during the reign of Elizabeth I when she commented that she was Richard II in response to Essex's behaviour.

Castor did an excellent job of creating a vivid picture of the world which the book examines. Castor was able to hyper-focus on Richard and Henry, while also pulling out to discuss the events and important individuals engaging in the narrative around them. She also managed to make things incredibly easy to follow. An accomplishment since the number of members within the royal family let alone in other royal houses and within the nobility and Commons was staggering in addition to many of them sharing names such as John, Richard, Henry, or Humphrey.

I also really appreciated how Castor highlighted the women throughout the book. Much of her previous work has focused on the females central to the period of history in which she was focusing, but given that this book was focused on a time when women were not often in the political arena it was fascinating and often heartbreaking to see them pop up throughout the story. It even made me want to purchase books on some of the women discussed including Queen Phillipa and Queen Isabella of France. That is how I knew that this was a great work of history it made me interested in learning more about others in the period.

I also really appreciated how this book made me better understand the Wars of the Roses and the Tudor period. Having so little knowledge of this early period it was eye-opening to see how entwined events throughout history truly are.

The final thing that I will say is that I did not leave this book liking either Richard or Henry. That was not Castor's goal in writing this book and she does an excellent job of describing events, including the motivations of these two men clearly and within the given context. Although I didn't find two new favorite historical figures in this text I did learn a great deal and enjoyed doing so.

I would highly recommend this book for history lovers. Particularly those with an interest in the Wars of the Roses and/or the rise of the Tudors.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

The story of the Plantagenets is filled with high triumphs and devastating tragedies. It is a story of families torn apart for a crown and the desire to either rule with an iron fist for the glory of England or live a life of luxury at the expense of their citizens. The story explored in this particular book is the tale of two cousins born months apart, Richard of Bordeaux and Henry Bolingbroke. Richard and Henry were not born to become King of England, but Fortune’s Wheel had a different plan for the cousins. So how did these cousins become kings and how did their tale turn to tragedy not only for their relationship but for all of England? Helen Castor tells the tale of these two Plantagenet kings in her latest book, “The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV.”

I want to thank Avid Reader Press and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have seen this book on social media and ever since it was announced, I knew I wanted to read it. I have enjoyed Castor’s posts online as well as her documentary on the She-Wolves, based on her book of the same name, so when I heard about this one, it was an intriguing premise and so I jumped at the chance to read it.

The fact that Richard of Bordeaux and Henry Bolingbroke became King Richard II and King Henry IV respectively is quite the story. Richard was the son of Edward The Black Prince and Henry was the son of John of Gaunt; both of their fathers were sons of Edward III and so the idea was that one of his sons would inherit the throne. However, Edward III had different plans after the death of Edward The Black Prince. It was announced that the young Richard of Bordeaux would be crowned King of England. This should have been the first red flag for England because it means that a Regency council must be formed. There are fights for power and fights over finances that culminate in the Peasants’ Revolt. Richard II doesn’t have much desire to fight for his country on the battlefield against the French or the Scottish, but he does care about favoring his favorites, even if it means turning the government against him. One such group, the Appellant Lords, will prove an extremely dangerous challenge for Richard II, and it will include his cousin Henry Bolingbroke. While many of the Appellant Lords will end up dead, Henry Bolingbroke is merely exiled, which in the long run, was not the best decision for Richard II.

In 1400, John of Gaunt died and the title as well as the lands of the Duke of Lancaster were turned over to Richard II while Henry Bolingbroke was in exile in France. This marks the turning point for Henry as he decides to invade England while Richard is away dealing with problems in Ireland. It will end with Richard’s abdication and the coronation of Henry Bolingbroke as King Henry IV. However, things are not all sunshine and rainbows for Henry IV, the 1st Lancastrian King of England, as he finds out that it is not easy being a king.

I must applaud Castor for writing a dual biography that is both balanced and utterly brilliant. It did take me a while to read this book because I was taking so many notes while I was reading and it gave me a better understanding of this tumultuous time. I would suggest that if you do read this book, take your time so that you can understand the complex nature of the conflict between these two cousins. If you are a fan of the Plantagenet dynasty, I highly recommend you read, “The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV” by Helen Castor.

While some parts of this seemed to take forever - and keeping track of everyone with the same names and titles is a headache - I did like how Castor gets past the dry and dusty record to give you a sense of the heightened emotions - when punches are thrown in Parliament you know things are bad. Castor shows how Richard does just about everything wrong, very much forcing Henry's revolt, but we also see just how hard kingship is as Henry struggles to live up to all his promises of being a better king than his cousin.

I wasn't expecting this to be quite the political account that it is but for what it's worth I still enjoyed reading it.It's very well researched and extremely detailed and definitely provided me a bit more insight into Richard II and Henry IV.However,the writing wasn't for me I found it a bit plodding and uninteresting at points.I was hoping for a more personal look at our main players and I admit being rather disappointed.It's still a really good look into their courts and the people and events around them.

I really enjoyed this as a biography of Richard II and Henry IV and had that element that I was looking for. I learned about the these real people and glad it had that research that I was looking for. Helen Castor has a great writing style and hope to read more biography from her. I had enjoyed the Joan of Arc book and this had that writing that I enjoyed from this.

Helen Castor has yet again given us new perspectives on major historical moments. This book takes a detailed and almost psychological dive into the making of, the reigns of, and the deeds and missteps of the cousin kings Richard II and Henry IV. Well-researched, thorough, forensic, and yet the book reads like a novel in that you feel for these real human beings that lived so long ago that they feel unapproachable. Helen Castor’s mastery of the art of research and composition are second to none. Yet another fantastic offering from an OG of medieval history.

Bringing her expertise from her incredible book 'She-Wolves', Helen Castor crafts a brilliant interwoven biography of two larger than life characters.

requested and received an eARC of The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV by Helen Castor via NetGalley. I feel like I’ve been circling around these cousins for a while, having read The Fears of Henry IV a few months ago and a short biography of Richard II at some point late last year. I was drawn to this work not only because of the subject matter, but also because of the author. I really enjoyed her book She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth as well as her slim volume about Elizabeth I for the Penguin Monarchs series. Castor has a knack for narrative history, so I was intrigued to see what she would make of the young king and his usurping cousin.

The introduction to the text draws an image of parallel lives and the temperaments that led to the development of such different personalities, while reminding us of Shakespeare’s hand in shaping popular perception of the two monarchs. Castor also, without accusation or judgment, invites the reader to consider how the monarchal crisis of the Middle Ages might resonate with modern political crises (what happens when a ruler demands loyalty to himself as an individual, rather than duty to a established constitution, or when he seeks to create his own reality rather than acknowledge truths.) I love a strong introduction, and this one made me excited to read the content that followed.

Castor’s book is balanced and very informative. I always judge historical non-fiction by how accessible it is, because it is often easy to get lost in a sea of unfamiliar names and dates. This is definitely an area where the author succeeds. This book is brimming with details, each chapter taking a solid chunk of time to work through, but the information is presented in a clear and engaging manner that makes it easy to immerse yourself in the Middle Ages and the compelling cast of historical figures we meet along the way. The text succeeds at capturing two very distinct personalities in Richard II and Henry IV, explaining the circumstances necessitating Henry Bolingbroke's action, and the consequences of his claiming the throne. I greatly enjoyed reading this and I look forward to adding a physical copy of this book to my collection!