An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List

486. Henry IV: Warrior Princes and Fat Knights (Part 2)

August 21, 2024

Description

The year is 1403, and the Usurper King, Henry IV, faces a seemingly insurmountable challenge to his rule. He has been brought the news that his old friend, Harry “Hotspur” Percy, has betrayed him,...
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Books Referenced

Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human

Author: Harold Bloom

Context:

Referenced when discussing Falstaff, with the hosts noting that critic Harold Bloom said Falstaff was 'Shakespeare's greatest character. The character who invented what it was to be human' - this phrase directly references Bloom's famous book on Shakespeare

Biography of Henry V

Author: Christopher Ormond

Context:

Explicitly mentioned as 'Christopher Ormond, who's written a brilliant biography of Henry V' when discussing the story of Prince Hal taking the crown from his dying father

Biography of Henry IV

Author: Chris Given-Wilson

Context:

Explicitly referenced as 'Chris Gibbon Wilson, in his biography of Henry IV' when discussing how Henry IV's kingship 'gradually shaded into Lancastrian family government' after 1406