The New Murrey and Blue blog

Right, ladies and gentlemen, if you want a real laugh, go here. It’s so full of bloopers that it really is a joke. For instance, OLD Richard II reigned during the Peasants’ Revolt. Um, Richard was 14 at the time. And then again Henry IV was Richard II’s son. But wait, Henry IV was Henry II’s son as well! Neat. Then Henry IV TOOK BACK his throne from Richard II. No he didn’t, he usurped his cousin Richard’s throne and then murdered him. And did you know that Edward I began the British Empire? No, nor did he. Henry II was also the greatest king – hmm.

The biggest joke is that it’s all from a review of Dan Jones‘s The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings And Queens Who Made England’. If it really is a sample of Jones’s work, he needs shoving in the stocks!

I quote “….Dan Jones’s book is an epic account of a remarkable dynasty that made England what it is today – full of insight into its kings and queens whose actions have been immortalized in history books across centuries….” Full of insight? It sure as hell is, although insight into which alternative universe is a mystery.

The above article continues: “….He [Dan Jones] also goes on to describe how Richard II’s son, Henry IV, and his successors were instrumental in making England a continental power. They reached their peak under the rule of Edward III and his successor Richard II who were both warrior kings and queens (clearly they were confused as to which sex they were!) that made an immense difference to their nation by unifying it as one kingdom….”

So, the very unwarriorlike and childless Richard II’s son Henry IV and their descendants were instrumental in making England great, but at the same time England had reached its peak under Edward III, who preceded the other two. Logic? Honestly, you couldn’t make it up. This article is a load of twaddle from beginning to end.

I actually feel sorry for Dan Jones, whose views may be wildly inaccurate on certain matters, but even he wouldn’t dream up all the howlers above!