Hanley brings to life the royal families of England and France in this exciting period, through their interactions as close bedfellows (literally), brothers (and sisters) in arms, petulant rivals, and bitter enemies.'-Anne Curry, author of Henry V: From Playboy Prince to Warrior King 'Hanley has created a rich tapestry that tells the story of two kingdoms whose rulers bucked against the fundamental truth that their histories and futures were woven together. In Two Houses, Two Kingdoms she brings vividly to life an extraordinary cast of characters, the men and women through whom the kingdoms of England and France took shape, telling their story with wit, wisdom, and formidable scholarship.'-Helen Castor, author of She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth 'People make history, but never alone. Much of what comes in between reads like the plot of a soap opera peopled by larger-than-life characters.'-Katherine Harvey, Sunday Times 'Written with verve and based on impeccable scholarship, Two Houses, Two Kingdoms is peppered with human stories about the struggle to maintain a dynasty.'-Helen Carr, Times Literary Supplement 'Catherine Hanley knows the twelfth and thirteenth centuries like the back of her hand. 'Catherine Hanley's engaging account of England and France during the 12th and 13th centuries covers a turbulent period bookended by the accession of Henry I (after the suspicious death of his brother William Rufus) and the marriage of Edward II to Isabella of France (she would later be implicated in his murder). This is a tale of two intertwined dynasties that shaped the present and the future of England and France, told through the stories of the people involved.

Along the way, she emphasizes the fascinating and influential women of the houses-including Eleanor of Aquitaine and Blanche of Castille-and shows how personalities and familial bonds shaped the fate of two countries.

In this lively, engaging history, Catherine Hanley traces the great clashes, and occasional friendships, of the two dynasties. The lands under the control of the English king once reached to within a few miles of Paris, and those ruled by the French house, at their apogee, crossed the Channel and encompassed London itself. The Capetians of France and the Angevins of England waged war, made peace, and intermarried. About the Book An exhilarating chronicle of the ruling families of France and England, showing how two dynasties formed one extraordinary storyīook Synopsis An exhilarating, accessible chronicle of the ruling families of France and England, showing how two dynasties formed one extraordinary story The twelfth and thirteenth centuries were a time of personal monarchy, when the close friendship or petty feuding between kings and queens could determine the course of history.

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