This brilliant new book explores the lives of eight generations of the greatest kings and queens that this country has ever seen, and the worst. The Plantagenets  their story is the story of Britain. A rich, sprawling cast of characters, the Plantagenets were both gifted and cursed by an inherited trait that made some brilliant rulers and statesmen, and others cowards, bullies and tyrants. They ruled over wars of conquest and wars of defence. They fought holy Crusades and bitter feuds with Rome. At times their subjects enjoyed prosperity, security, national glory and vast wealth; at others they suffered plagues, invasions, famines and ignominious defeat at the hands of their enemies. The Plantagenets were by turns beautiful and cruel, judicious and insanely paranoid, brilliant and a tragically flawed family. The Plantagenets is divided into three parts, each telling a gripping story of the three main eras of Plantagenet rule.