Detailed examination of the steps by which Henry II negotiated peace and established the authority of his government. This book tells the story of the transition from the reign of King Stephen of England (1135-54) to that of Henry II (1154-89). It is a story of change: from civil war to peace, from a threatened throne to stability, from weak to strong royal government. Although previous writers on the general period have recognised the importance of the changeover, its details have been left largely unconsidered until now. Professor Amt explores the problems Henry faced in obtaining the throne, the conditions which allowed the negotiation of the peace treaty of 1153, the terms of that treaty and the basic steps by which the new royal government established its authority in England after 1154. Thisis achieved through detailed studies of both particular geographical regions (Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Essex) and of groups of people (Flemings and financial networks) who proved helpful in easing the transition. Also included are new analyses of royal financial adminstration in the first five years of the new reign. EMILIE AMT is associate professor of history, Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland.

A new annual volume of original articles on all aspects of warfare in the middle ages. Warfare is one of the central themes of medieval history. Until now, however, there has been no journal dedicated specifically to this area. The Journal of Medieval Military History, the new annual journal of De Re Militari: The Society for Medieval Military History will remedy this situation by publishing top-quality scholarly articles on topics across the full thematic and chronological ranges of the study of war in the middle ages. Medieval societywas dominated by men who considered themselves more as soldiers than landlords, judges or administrators. More of society's resources went into fortifications than cathedrals; deeds of arms were a topic rivalled in literature only by love; and in many times and places the common people dreaded war far more than famine or plague. War was the greatest force in determining the evolution of medieval governments. Although the study of war, its conduct and itsimpact, has never been absent from medieval historiography, the past few decades have seen this field rise to new prominence. Contributors: EMILIE AMT, BERNARD BACHRACH, DOUGLAS BIGGS, CHARLES BOWLUS, JOHN FRANCE, STEPHEN MORILLO, CLIFFORD ROGERS, and J.F. VERBRUGGEN.

The question of what constitutes good and bad rulership in the central middle ages, in both theory and practice, is the linking theme in this latest volume of the Haskins Society Journal. The nine complementary papers range widely across the Carolingian world, Norman and Angevin England and southern Italy, and the Latin East, exploring contemporary attitudes to rule and rulers (especially kings), and the methods and symbolism of ruling, as well as the reputations of individual kings in modern historiography. Dr C.P. LEWIS teaches in the Department of History at the University of Liverpool; Dr EMMA COWNIE teaches in the Department of History, King's College, London. Contributors: JANET L. NELSON, STEPHANIE MOOERS CHRISTELOW, JEAN A. TRUAX, RALPH V. TURNER, BROCK W. HOLDEN, EMILIE AMT, G.A. LOUD, DAVID ABULAFIA, DEBORAH GERISH