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The Red Prince: The Life of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster Audiobook
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Medieval history from a rising star in the field, this is a biography of one of the most important figures of the age, John of Gaunt.
John Gaunt was the son of Edward III, brother to the Black Prince, father to Henry IV, and the sire of all those Tudors. He has had pretty bad press: supposed usurper of Richard II’s crown and the focus of hatred in the Peasants’ Revolt, as they torched his home, the Savoy Palace.
Helen Carr paints a complex portrait of a man who held the levers of power on the English and European stage, passionately upheld chivalric values, pressed for the Bible to be translated into English, patronized the arts—and, if you follow Shakespeare, gave the most beautiful oration on England: “this sceptred isle…this blessed plot.”
The Red Prince is an engrossing drama of political machinations, violence, romance, plague, revolt, and tragedy played out at the cusp of a new era.
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“The Red Prince is not…just a book of battles and wars. Carr’s John of Gaunt is a man who loved as passionately as he fought…Carr’s sensitive use of contemporary sources paints a poignant deathbed scene…in The Red Prince it is the towering figure of John of Gaunt, a thoroughly European Englishman, who takes center stage and it’s a stirring and memorable performance.”
— Leanda de Lisle, The Times
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“A long overdue reappraisal of one of medieval England’s greatest but most enigmatic figures. The Red Prince announces Helen Carr as one of the most exciting new voices in narrative history.”
— Dan Jones, New York Times bestselling author -
“Helen Carr is a really exciting new talent in the world of history writing, whose work strikes a perfect balance between lucidity and scholarship. Her debut, The Red Prince, is a beautifully nuanced portrait of an oft misunderstood man.”
— Rebecca Rideal, author of 1666: Plague, War, and Hellfire -
“Superb, gripping, and fascinating, here is John of Gaunt and a cast of kings, killers, and queens brought blazingly, sensitively, and swashbucklingly to life. An outstanding debut.”
— Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Jerusalem: The Biography -
“Helen Carr is one of the most exciting and talented young historians out there. She has a passion for medieval history which is infectious and is always energetic and engaging, whether on the printed page or the screen.”
— Dan Snow, author of This Day in History -
“Deploying vivid and compelling prose alongside her considerable scholarship, Helen Carr fully succeeds in restoring John of Gaunt to his rightful place—in the first rank of medieval princes. This is an excellent book, that brings the fourteenth century back to life through a thoughtful parade of intriguing characters—none more fascinating than John of Gaunt himself.”
— Charles Spencer, bestselling author of Blenheim and Killers of the King -
“John of Gaunt is a name to conjure with—an English duke who sought to become a king in Spain, a complicated, controversial man to whom, as ‘time-honour’d Lancaster,’ Shakespeare gives one of his greatest speeches. Helen Carr puts him center stage: The Red Prince is the rattling good story of a life lived on an epic scale, told with care, insight, and humanity.”
— Helen Castor, author of She-Wolves and Joan of Arc -
“Helen Carr tells the gripping story of John of Gaunt’s dramatic and controversial career, from the wars he waged across Europe to the political intrigue and rebellion he faced at home, and above all the way in which his life was marked by profound love, and loss. This is an engaging and moving portrait of one of the leading figures of the Hundred Years War.”
— Sophie Thérèse Ambler, author of The Song of Simon de Montfort -
“This biography explores the motivations of a complex figure who, for years, skillfully moved through a world of chivalry, legislative machinations, and enormous wealth…This is a compelling profile of a pivotal figure in English history.”
— History Revealed
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About Helen Carr
Helen Carr is a historian, writer, and producer. She has produced history documentaries for BBC, SkyArts, Discovery, CNN, and HistoryHit TV and has previously worked in radio for BBC Radio4’s weekly program In Our Time. She is a regular features writer for BBC History magazine and has contributed to the New Statesman, HistoryToday, and HistoryExtra. She runs her own podcast, Hidden Histories, available on iTunes.