---
product_id: 32304482
title: "A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain"
brand: "marc morris"
price: "€ 50.73"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.it/products/32304482-a-great-and-terrible-king-edward-i-and-the-forging
store_origin: IT
region: Italy
---

# A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain

**Brand:** marc morris
**Price:** € 50.73
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain by marc morris
- **How much does it cost?** € 50.73 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.it](https://www.desertcart.it/products/32304482-a-great-and-terrible-king-edward-i-and-the-forging)

## Best For

- marc morris enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted marc morris brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain

## Images

![A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81GFrcM1rUL.jpg)
![A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31ZaRHi6mgL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Very good biography -- what it is and what it isn't
  

*by D***) on Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2015*

Edward I (1239-1307, reigned from 1272) was a remarkable ruler, both good and bad. He was first and foremost a warrior but in the early years of his reign he displayed an interest in good government -- and it helped that his interests coincided with those of his subjects who had suffered from civil strife during the years of Edward's predessor and father, the wretched Henry III. Of necessity, and since Edward was 33 when he succeeded his father, the reader has to endure a complicated tale of Henry's failures and the idiotic policies he pursued which led to civil war and years of intrigue, betrayal, the breaking of holy vows, and erratic kingship. This can be tedious for the casual reader. Morris, however, manages to untangle all of these strings in a clear and concise narrative.While waiting to assume the throne, Edward led an interesting life. He came under the spell of Simon de Montfort and for a time he was in conflict with Henry III. Later, he returned to his loyalty to his father and this section, too, Morris untangles (and it IS complicated). Of interest to many is Morris' narrative of Edward's adventures during the Crusades (and almost losing his life in the process). He was on his way home when he learned that he was now king of Englad after Henry III finally obliged many by dying. It is here that Edward comes into his own.Morris deals with all of Edward's wars, first against Wales and then later against Scotland. The propriety or impropriety of these wars is left to the reader to decide. This is a very good military history of the times: marches, counter marches, more victories than not, betrayals and all the rest. Running like threads throughout this part of the book some are interesting problems that Edward faced while fighting his wars. First, Edward was impecunious throughout most of his reign. This brought him into continual conflict with his many parliaments, where he often faced off against Roger Bigod, earl of Norfolk, and Roger Winchelsea, Archbishop of Canterbury, when Edward applied to the laity and clergy to pay for all of his wars. Second, Edward's lordship of Gascony was a constant trouble, as its inhabitants were unruly and a series of French kings kept a predatory eye on his territory, one of the last remnants of Henry II's Angevin empire. Third, Edward's dubious claims to Scottish lordship troubled the rest of his reign. Here he faced the unremitting antipathy of Roger Wishart, bishop of Glasgow, William Wallace, and various obstreperous Scottish lords. Dealing was these people was fairly straightforward compared to what Edward had to endure from the ultra-slippery Bruce family, especially Robert the younger. Edward was facing yet another Scottish rebellion when he died at Burgh by Sands in Cumbria, bringing to a close one of the most eventful lives experienced by any monarch.What this biography is not is a look at life at Edward's court. Such a peripatetic King had little time for the usual stories of activities that fill biographies of, say, the Tudor house. This is a male-dominated narrative. Edward's first queen, Eleanor of Castile, provides what little there is of female perspectives. We learn little about his daughters and very little about his second wife, Margaret of France, sister to Philip IV. Of all of Edward's children we learn most about his son Alfonso and, towards the end of the book, and inevitably, his eventual heir who became Edward II. Morris tries to steer clear of lurid premonitions about Edward II, who later was also in the running for worst king of England. Still, there is no getting around the epic character flaws of Edward I's heir, but Morris is both frank and tactful about this aspect of Edward I's troubles.Readers will also have to look elsewhere for more information about William Wallace, the Welsh princes, and other legendary characters. In sum, however, this book is highly readable and, as mentioned before, Morris never loses control of his narrative. It is consistently clear, closely reasoned, and speculation is kept to an utter minimum. It appears that Morris will publish a biography of Edward I's grandfather, King John of ill fame, and I hope that Marc Morris will continue to publish more excellent biographies of British monarchs.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    He was very good at depleting the treasury too
  

*by A***N on Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2017*

Mel Gibson make Edward I famous in America.  Braveheart, a lot-of-fun movie, is about Edward and his hapless son, as well as William Wallace and his fight for Scottish independence.  The scope here is considerably larger and Wallace does not get all that  much page space.Edward was tough, not always fair, sometimes seemingly bloodthirsty, stunningly selfish --but a very effective monarch in terms of creating a kingdom, suppressing rivals and building international alliances. He unified Wales and kept Scotland within English rule,mostly.  He was very good at depleting the treasury too, suggesting that nation building is not an inexpensive enterprise.  While 'Braveheart' indelibly made Edward  ("Longshanks"} look like Patrick McGoohan in my imagination, the scope of A Great and Terrible King is much more, as well as  more thorough and remains  consistently interesting.  It was inspiring enough to make me look around for other authors covering the same time period with less success than I hoped. . Those were busy times, when "nation hood' sort of became a thing, and when an English king could, very reasonably, assume that a substantial swath of France belonged to him as well. The inability of Edward II (son and heir) to keep it together supports the Great Man theory of evaluating history (a view I don't entirely hold).  I read this book perhaps 6-8 months ago and am certainly failing to note some important moments, but for me to still remember so much of  the man and his wars and wives is an endorsement of the effectiveness of the author. An interesting and engaging read throughout.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Should Edward I be the second king called "Great"?
  

*by A***O on Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2019*

I've been reading a lot of medieval history over the last couple of years. I'm not a professional historian or even a student of history. Merely an interested member of the public.I didn't know much about Edward I as most of my reading has been about the transition between the Plantagents and the Tudors. Going further back to the post conquest kings was an adventure. Edward had a busy reign with many successes and failures. It would be tedious to summarise his reign here and really you should read the book. But, there's really never a dull moment and Marc Morris manages the compleixities and characters really well. The book is a skillful blend of history and narrative. It reminded me of the book about William Marshal (The Greatest Knight, Thomas Asbridge). This makes the book useful for fans of history and very readable. The footnotes leave you in no doubt of the intensive research behind the book. There are a couple of trends I've noticed from this course of self-study. There are narrative histories that can be mostly narrative and not much history or there are histories with no narrative. If you do want to learn more about the complex world of the thirteenth century then there is no better way to do it. And yes, I'd vote for Edward I as being the second English king called "great"

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.it/products/32304482-a-great-and-terrible-king-edward-i-and-the-forging](https://www.desertcart.it/products/32304482-a-great-and-terrible-king-edward-i-and-the-forging)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Italy*
*Store origin: IT*
*Last updated: 2026-03-16*