The Medieval Anarchy: History In An Hour

With the death of King Henry I in 1135 came a succession crisis that resulted in England’s first civil war. Nicknamed ‘the Anarchy’ for its unprecedented levels of chaos and disorder, this nineteen-year conflict witnessed the usurpation of King Stephen and the on-going fight of Henry’s daughter, Matilda, to reclaim her royal inheritance. Though the civil war came to a peaceful end with the Treaty of Winchester in 1153, it was Matilda’s son, Henry, who succeeded to the throne of England after the death of King Stephen in 1154. This, in an hour, is the story of the Anarchy, its personalities, context, events and the aftermath of England’s first, and often forgotten, civil war. The Medieval Anarchy: History In An Hour by Kaye Jones is essential reading for all history lovers.