Within the Hollow Crown by Margaret Campbell Barnes – Review

April 24, 2010 by MartinaCK 2 Comments

Within the Hollow Crown by Margaret Campbell Barnes was originally written in the 1940s and is now being re-issued by Sourcebooks! (thank you, thank you).  It’s the story of Richard II.

I found the book hard to get into initially, but once I got over the hump (about 50 pages or so) I found the book really came alive.  Campbell Barnes is a wonderful writer and while she took some liberties with history, you have to remember when it was written and the amount of research that has been done since then and how much easier that research is to access.

I recommend this book to anyone with a love of history and especially this time period.  Very informative and a great read all in all.

Synopsis:  Set against the backdrop of a country racked by revolt and class warfare, Within the Hollow Crown showcases the true spirit of a king at the end of one of the most glorious dynasties, who wants both England’s heart and crown. Perhaps one of the most misunderstood of all English monarchs, the son of the Black Prince and grandson of Edward III has been portrayed in a dim light by history. But Margaret Campbell Barnes gives readers a different portrait of Richard II. Although his peace-loving ways set him apart from the war-mongering medieval world around him, Richard proved himself a true king by standing down a peasant revolt and outwitting the political schemes of his enemies. Struggling to uphold the valiant Plantagent dynasty, Richard and his queen, Anne of Bohemia, nonetheless manage to create an exquisite partnership, described as “one of the tenderest idylls of romance ever written.”

I received this book for review from Danielle at Sourcebooks.