First published in 1971, The Loyal Conspiracy gives a detailed examination of the most critical years of the reign of Richard II, through an account of the careers of the Lords Appellant. These were the five great noblemen, ranging from Thomas of Woodstock, the King’s uncle, to Henry of Bolingbroke, later Henry IV, who rose in arms to restrain the activities of Richard II and his partisans in 1387. Anthony Goodman looks, too, at the origins, course and results of this revolt, and his study of these five nobles and the dramatic episode which united them briefly and reluctantly provides a novel and interesting interpretation of an important section of English medieval history. He directs new light on the personalities of Richard and the Lords Appellant, and also on the nature of the polity –it bases and tensions – in later fourteenth-century England. This book will be of interest to students of history and literature.

Richard II, son of the Black Prince, had a dramatic and contentious kingship. At fourteen he faced down the ringleaders of the Peasant Revolt of 1381; only to reach the nadir of his royal authority in 1388 with the Merciless Parliament. Yet in only a decade, his rule was being referred to as `the tyranny'. This collection of essays by leading historians aims to re-evaluate the frequently biased evidence and create a rounded portrait of this fascinating and much-maligned figure.

First published in 1990. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

John of Gaunt (1340 -99), Duke of Lancaster and pretender to the throne of Castile, was son to Edward III, uncle to the ill-starred Richard III and father to Henry IV and the Lancastrian line. The richest and most powerful subject in England, a key actor on the international stage, patron of Wycliffe and Chaucer, he was deeply involved in the Peasant's revolt and the Hundred Years War. He is also one of the most hated men of his time. This splendid study, the first since 1904, vividly portrays the political life of the age, with the controversial figure of Gaunt at the heart of it.

The frontier or `marcher' societies flourished in the Middle Ages and their influence has lasted well into modern times. In this study of Anglo-Scottish relations and of border society, the contributors examine the infrastructure beneath societies which were permanently `organized for war'. They draw on Anglo-Scottish archival material to argue that the issues which feature in other frontier societies - acculturation and the creation of special institutions - appeared also on the Anglo-Scottish frontier. The book uses the celebrated Battle of Otterburn as a starting-point for a major reassessment of border society, challenging the view put forward in popular ballads that the borders were isolated and self-contained.

John of Gaunt (1340 -99), Duke of Lancaster and pretender to the throne of Castile, was son to Edward III, uncle to the ill-starred Richard III and father to Henry IV and the Lancastrian line. The richest and most powerful subject in England, a key actor on the international stage, patron of Wycliffe and Chaucer, he was deeply involved in the Peasant's revolt and the Hundred Years War. He is also one of the most hated men of his time. This splendid study, the first since 1904, vividly portrays the political life of the age, with the controversial figure of Gaunt at the heart of it.

This book presents an overall view of the campaigns, from the first skirmishes of 1452 to the last campaign in 1497, and examines the generalship of the commanders in both camps. Anthony Goodman discusses military organization and assesses the effects of wars on society in general. He shows that in a period of rapid change in European methods of warfare the English were not so old fashioned as had sometimes been supposed. The book makes extensive use of 15th century sources, both English and Continental, including chronicles, civic centres, and letters, and presents a picture of the wars as they were seen and described by contemporaries.

The frontier or `marcher' societies flourished in the Middle Ages and their influence has lasted well into modern times. In this study of Anglo-Scottish relations and of border society, the contributors examine the infrastructure beneath societies which were permanently `organized for war'. They draw on Anglo-Scottish archival material to argue that the issues which feature in other frontier societies - acculturation and the creation of special institutions - appeared also on the Anglo-Scottish frontier. The book uses the celebrated Battle of Otterburn as a starting-point for a major reassessment of border society, challenging the view put forward in popular ballads that the borders were isolated and self-contained.

A new account of the life and turbulent times of Joan, the wife of the Black Prince and mother of Richard II. Anthony Goodman's brilliant yet accessible scholarship draws in the reader in the most entertaining and vibrant way. He was one of our greatest historians of the later medieval period, whose warm humanity shines forth in his writing. He has given us, as a parting gift, the definitive biography of an exceptional, intriguing woman. I cannot recommend it highly enough. ALISON WEIR Joan Plantagenet (1328-1385), acclaimed in her youth as the "FairMaid of Kent", became notorious for making both a clandestine and a bigamous marriage in her teens and, in her thirties, a scandalous marriage to her kinsman, Edward III's son and heir, Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince. Despite these transgressions, she later became one of the most influential people in the realm and a highly respected source of stability. Her life provides a distinctive perspective of a noblewoman at the heart of affairs in fourteenth-century England, a period when the Crown, despite enjoying some striking triumphs, also faced a series of political and social crises which shook conventional expectations. Furthermore, her life adds depth to our understanding of a time when marriage began to be regarded not just as a dynastic arrangement but a contract freely entered into by a couple. This accessibly written account of her life sets her in the full context of her world, and vividlyportrays a spirited medieval woman who was determined to be mistress of her fate and to make a mark in challenging times. The late Anthony Goodman was Professor Emeritus of Medieval and Renaissance History at the University of Edinburgh. His numerous publications include John of Gaunt; The Wars of the Roses; and Margery Kempe and Her World.

Were the English and the Scots always at loggerheads in the fourteenth century? The essays here offer a more nuanced picture. Typical accounts of Anglo-Scottish relations over the whole fourteenth century tends to present a sustained period of bitter enmity, described routinely by stock-phrases such as "endemic warfare", and typified by battles such as Bannockburn (1314), Neville's Cross (1346) or Otterburn (1388), border-raiding and the capture of James I of Scotland by English pirates in 1406. However, as this collection shows, the situation was far more complex. Drawing together new perspectives from new and leading researchers, the essays investigate the great complexity of Anglo-Scottish tensions in this most momentous of centuries and in doing so often reveal a far more ambivalent and at times evena peaceful and productive Anglo-Scottish dynamic. The topics treated include military campaigns and ethos; the development of artillery; the leading "Disinherited" Anglo-Scot, Edward Balliol; Scots in English allegiance and BorderSociety; religious patronage; Papal relations; the effect of dealings with Scotland on England's government and parliament; identity, ethnicity and otherness; and shared values and acculturation. Contributors: AMANDA BEAM, MICHAEL BROWN, DAVID CALDWELL, GWILYM DODD, ANTHONY GOODMAN, ANDY KING, SARAH LAYFIELD, IAIN MACINNES, RICHARD ORAM, MICHAEL PENMAN, ANDREA RUDDICK, DAVID SIMPKIN.

The essays collected here provide fresh insight into a range of important topics across the period. They discuss religion (both orthodox, as revealed by the lives of anchoresses living in Norwich, and heretical, as practised by lollards living in Coventry); politics (exploring the motivations of individuals seeking election to parliament, and how the way Cade's Rebellion was recorded by contemporaries affected its subsequent perception); law (whether it may be deduced from manorial court rolls that lawyers were employed by peasants, and an examination of the process of peace-making in feuds on the Scottish border); national, ethnic and political identity in the British Isles; social ranking and chivalry (in particular knighthood in Scotland); and verse (a consideration of the poem Lydgate addressed to Thomas Chaucer, and the occasion of its composition). Contributors: JACKSON W. ARMSTRONG, JACQUELYN FERNHOLTZ, TONY GOODMAN, DAVID GRUMMITT, CAROLE HILL, MAUREEN JURKOWSKI, JENNI NUTTALL, SIMON PAYLING, ANDREA RUDDICK, KATIE STEVENSON, MATTHEW TOMPKINS

Richard II, son of the Black Prince, had a dramatic and contentious kingship. At fourteen he faced down the ringleaders of the Peasant Revolt of 1381; only to reach the nadir of his royal authority in 1388 with the Merciless Parliament. Yet in only a decade, his rule was being referred to as 'the tyranny'. This collection of essays by leading historians aims to re-evaluate the frequently biased evidence and create a rounded portrait of this fascinating and much maligned figure.

It has long been recognised that clients with addiction problems need a skilled and thoughtful response when they come into contact with social services. However, students often find that policy and the law surrounding working with drug, alcohol and substance misusers can be complex and often unclear. This fully-revised third edition will help students cultivate the skills required to work effectively with clients and service users who misuse drugs and alcohol. There are clear introductions to the law and to social policy in this area, while the author considers how a holistic approach can be effective when working with this particular client group. Case studies and reflective exercises are used to draw out these key skills. The book also features sections on anti-oppressive practice with a focus on service user empowerment. With this third edition comes new material on social work practice with alcohol misusers, making this book even more essential reading for students and practitioners who want to engage with clients who struggle with addiction.

This book highlights the problems, dilemmas and challenges facing the child protection agencies in England and Wales and tackles a variety of areas where knowledge on child abuse is either limited or out-of-date. Raising awareness of social, demographic, situational and environmental risk factors that may lead to the harming of children, it also looks at difficult cultural issues that sometimes get in the way of protecting children. Any professional working in, or studying, child protection will find this book an essential read.

Historians have researched extensively the motives and fortunes of kings, nobles, and gentlemen in the Wars of the Roses, that bewildering sequence of rebellions fought between 1455 and 1485. The shadows cast by the awesome puppet masters of the Wars, like Richard of York, Warwick the Kingmaker, or Richard III, add to the mist which swirls around the mass of participants. What sort of people were the soldiers? Why did they repeatedly buckle and saddle up for combat? What hopes and fears kept them awake, lying under the stars?