Jonathan Sumption is a British historian and author whose works delve into complex historical subjects. His writing style is characterized by its depth and precision in analyzing past events and their impacts. Sumption strives for engaging narratives that immerse the reader in the time and context of the events described. His works are valued for their intellectual contribution and ability to illuminate intricate historical processes.
In the early fifteenth century, France had gone from being the strongest and most populous nation state of medieval Europe to suffering a complete internal collapse and a partial conquest by a foreign power. This book tells the story of the destruction of France by the madness of its king and the greed and violence of his family.
The eagerly anticipated final volume in Jonathan Sumption's prize-winning history of the Hundred Years War, 'one of the great historical undertakings of our age' (Dan Jones, Sunday Times). Triumph and Illusion is the final volume of Jonathan Sumption's epic history of the Hundred Years War.
Contemporaries in both countries believed that they were living through memorable times: times of great wickedness and great achievement, of collective mediocrity but intense personal heroism, of extremes of wealth and poverty, fortune and failure.
Covers the period from the Truce of Calais, in 1347, to the 1367 victory at Najera, and its aftermath.
'Compulsively readable' (History), this is the first volume in a series that details the long and violent endeavour of the English to dismember Europe's strongest state, a succession of wars that is one of the seminal chapters in European history.
Edward III lived through bloody and turbulent times. His father was deposed by his mother and her lover when he was still a teenager; a third of England's population was killed by the Black Death midway through his reign; and the intractable Hundred Years War with France began under his leadership. Yet Edward managed to rule England for fifty years, and was viewed as a paragon of kingship in the eyes of both his contemporaries and later generations. Venerated as the victor of Sluys and Crécy and the founder of the Order of the Garter, he was regarded with awe even by his enemies. But he lived too long, and was ultimately condemned to see thirty years of conquests reversed in less than five. In this gripping new account of Edward III's rise and fall, Jonathan Sumption introduces us to a fêted king who ended his life a heroic failure.
An essential examination of the hinterland between the law and politics, judges and politicians.
Judges are meant to interpret laws but, increasingly, they make them.
Focusing on the current state of democracy, the book explores the global crisis facing democratic systems, particularly highlighting events like Brexit and the pandemic's impact in the UK. Jonathan Sumption provides a sharp analysis of issues such as the vulnerabilities in international law, the suppression of democratic activism in Hong Kong, and the intricacies of human rights legislation. This timely work addresses the pressing challenges to freedom of speech and activism, offering original insights into a critical political landscape.