An interesting read, a dual biography of two characters who were cousins and both kings of England in their turn - neither of them characters I knew particularly much about outside of the well-known Shakespeare portrayals (where my sympathies, like the author's it seems, have always been more with Bolingbroke - later Henry IV - than Richard II).

Richard is pretty poor as a king - he's keen on all the trappings of that position but not particularly on being king with all that entails in terms of actually ruling the country and making decisions. Henry is in many ways a better fit for the job of king but doesn't have the good fortune to be born to the right brother, as well as struggling with the consequences (for the country, for his immortal soul) of deposing an anointed monarch.

It's a solid read, though the interest level drops dramatically once Richard is dead and Henry has got what he wanted, only to discover it was a bit of a poison chalice after all. The book gives a good overview of the period, if that's what you're looking for - I certainly wasn't aware that Henry had been so well-travelled before he became king and that part of his life was fascinating. As is often the case, I'm glad I read this but wouldn't re-read it, hence the 3* rating.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

I am fascinated by this period of history but all too often realise that what I think I know about it is in fact cobbled together from a bit of Shakespeare and a BBC documentary. This book made me realise how much I didn't know about Richard and Henry but totally engaged me with new stories and detail. I admire Helen Castor's prose style and ability to pace the story which made reading this fairly weighty history as straightforward and as engaging as a novel. Unlike Shakespeare she doesn't allow story to become the master of fact and so I do now know a lot more about the actual documented lives of these men and the story of suspicion, family drama and usurpation that characterises their era.

I imagine that this will be winning well-deserved awards and praise and I was grateful to read it early courtesy of NetGalley.

Superbly researched and written biography of two cousins who both became kings of England.
Top class work for academics, scholars and history buffs. Magnificent.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penquin Press UK for this arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

The Eagle and the Hart is a brilliant double biography of English medieval kings Richard II and Henry IV. At once thorough and compelling, it's rich in research and detail but still has the momentum of a novel. It's by nature not the easiest read - you need to keep your concentration up through all 500+ pages to keep track of who's who - but the clear prose helps with the fluidity. Castor gives us a real insight into the personalities and the politics of the two kings, as well as the powerful figures in their courts, which both illustrates and explains how their reigns intertwine.

The Eagle and the Hart by Helen Castor tells the remarkable story of the rivalry between cousins Richard II and Henry IV. With birthdates just 3 months apart, Richard became king of England at the age of 10. Twenty two years later Henry deposed the despotic Richard and proclaimed himself King. It is a fascinating dual biography of a period that I knew little about prior to reading this most enjoyable and fascinating book.

Cousins born within months of each other, Richard of Bordeaux and Henry of Bolingbroke became enemies and powerful rivals. Known as Richard II and Henry IV their true stories are just as tragic as Shakespeare portrayed them and the medieval politics around their reigns is complex. Castor is a superb historian, able to find and interpret the minutiae as well as create a compelling narrative to entertain. I read this book after the Dan Jones biography of Henry V and wish I'd read them in the chronological order as they make good companion pieces.

I really enjoyed Helen Castor's The Eagle and the Hart. The dichotomy of Richard II and Henry IV makes for such an arresting read, and the way Helen Castor presents the two really captivates the nuances between their overlapping legacy. We learn about the expectations of the two of them, and the way their families both enabled and contextualised their positive/negatives attributes to the kingdom. I knew little of the two but came out with a wealth of knowledge. Castor's slow unravelling really eases the reader into feeling comfortable with the subject matter and makes it such a brilliant read.