The Reign of Edward III: Crown and Political Society in England, 1327-1377.

W.M. Ormrod says that "for all the new pressures and challenges raised by the Hundred Years War, it is remarkable how little politics really changed under Edward III" (202). As unpromising as this suggestion may be for those who look to history to paint broad strokes and dramatic images, Ormrod demonstrates convincingly that change occurs slowly and that what sometimes appears as change is more of the same under a new name. Finding his own path between the accolades and animadversions bestowed on Edward by historians from Walsingham to Stubbs (and modern historians, too), he rejects the often-touted portrait of Edward III as a king concerned more with martial enterprise than management of the kingdom, and shows a more complex (and consequently more credible) monarch. His main arguments - that the development of institutions (particularly parliament) played a crucial part in the reign, that "cooperation and consensus" (202) became increasingly important in political life, and that Edward was able to maintain, largely unchanged, the "power of the crown" (202) - lead to an assessment of Edward III's achievement "less through the formal statements of the statute roll and the rhetoric of the later chroniclers, and more through the reality of contemporary politics" (200). But he gives us some vivid pictures of the person of Edward III as well. This "bluff, brave, generous, slightly boorish, heartily heterosexual, fair-minded and, on the whole, even-tempered" king reveals himself as a "natural showman . . . remarkably successful at manipulating public opinion through displays of majesty," a king who performs within the space of one year, at a time when his popularity was particularly low, "355 ritual healings [for scrofula], at least 257 of them at Westminster" (44).

Renaissance scholars in disciplines other than history will find this work especially useful; besides insights into the political aspects of Edward III's rule Ormrod frequently shows the links between this reign and that of Edward II, and looks forward, both explicitly and implicitly, to those of the Tudors. He does it in such a way that hard-edged historical "periods" give way to fluid movements of thought and action that remind us that the history of the Renaissance is of a piece with, and a natural continuation of, the medieval period. Perhaps it's true to say that most historical works emphasize the distinctiveness of the chosen period or subject; Ormrod points to the continuities of political life, and it's the continuities that provide the larger, and more valuable perspective for scholarship. Non-specialist readers will particularly appreciate his courteous provision of background information necessary to make the subject immediately accessible. These, together with the vivid examples he offers, give a sense of an almost armchair expatiation of information; the well-documented manuscript sources he draws from promise to be fruitful fields for research in many areas other than history.

Ormrod writes with exemplary clarity and directness of purpose. The work consists of two main parts, the first dealing with the reign chronologically and the second examining the relationship of the king with the clergy, merchants, ministers, magnates and gentry. His arrangement of material allows for a detailed examination of the links between these sections of society - links that often seem resistant to comprehension in more general studies, but which are essential to an understanding of developments in Edward's reign, and those that follow. He concludes with a useful summing up of scholarship and a reiteration of the main arguments. One criticism: his insistence on meticulous refining of the argument leads him to repeat rather tedious constructions such as "it would be a mistake to think" or "we would be wrong, therefore, to assume," but it's a small price to pay for accuracy.

Except for the genealogical tables where names and dates run alarmingly into the gutters, Yale's introduction of a paperback edition makes a valuable study more accessible without sacrificing anything of content or presentation. For those who wish to extend, refresh, or even begin their understanding of the period this work is a very good place to start.

MAUREEN GODMAN University of Kansas