Henry II by L. F. Salzman
QR code
"Henry II" by L. F. Salzman is a historical biography written in the early 20th century. It traces the life and reign of Henry II, from disputed succession and civil war to the consolidation of royal authority across England and its continental lands. The narrative balances campaigns in Wales and France with court politics, church-state conflict (notably with Thomas Becket), and the legal, fiscal, and social character of the realm. The opening
of the book follows the succession crisis after the White Ship disaster, Empress Maud’s claim, and her marriage to Geoffrey of Anjou, leading to the birth of Henry “Fitz-Empress.” It covers Stephen’s seizure of the throne, Henry’s precarious youth and first ventures in England, Geoffrey’s conquest of Normandy, and Henry’s decisive marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine before his negotiated path to the English crown. Once king, he restores order by dismissing mercenaries, demolishing unauthorized castles, reclaiming royal lands, and checking over-mighty barons, while shelving an Irish project despite papal favour. The narrative then turns to the hard Welsh campaigns (notably setbacks against Owain Gwynedd and Rhys ap Gruffudd) and to continental statecraft built on force and marriage alliances, including Becket’s dazzling embassy, the Vexin gained through a child-marriage, and truces with Louis VII. It culminates in the early phases of the Becket controversy: Thomas’s elevation to Canterbury, his break with royal policy, the collision over clerical jurisdiction and the Constitutions of Clarendon, his momentary capitulation and remorse, and the mounting royal pressure that leads to the stormy Northampton proceedings. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
- Download the EPUB3 file above
- Upload it on the Amazon site your Kindle is registered with: amazon.com/sendtokindle for the US, amazon.co.uk/sendtokindle for the UK etc.
- It appears on your Kindle and in the Kindle app
Kobo, Nook etc. → Transfer via USB
- Download the EPUB3 file on your computer
- Connect your e-reader by USB and tap "Connect" on its screen
- Drag the file onto the e-reader drive
Phone, Tablet or Computer → Online or Reading App
Easiest: read online in your browser. Nothing to install.
Or use a reading app:
- Find and install one you like, for example Apple Books, ReadEra or Thorium Reader
- Download the EPUB3 file above
- Open it in the app
More help: iPhone / iPad · Android · Computer
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Salzman, L. F. (Louis Francis), 1878-1971 |
|---|---|
| LoC No. | 14022014 |
| Title | Henry II |
| Original Publication | Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1914. |
| Credits | Chuck Greif, MWS and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | DA: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Great Britain, Ireland, Central Europe |
| Subject | Great Britain -- Kings and rulers -- Biography |
| Subject | Great Britain -- History -- Henry II, 1154-1189 |
| Subject | Henry II, King of England, 1133-1189 |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 77429 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-77429-9 |
| Release Date | Dec 8, 2025 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 488 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!