--- product_id: 54857527 title: "Edward II: The Unconventional King" brand: "kathryn warnerian mortimer" price: "129 zł" currency: PLN in_stock: false reviews_count: 10 url: https://www.desertcart.pl/products/54857527-edward-ii-the-unconventional-king store_origin: PL region: Poland --- # Edward II: The Unconventional King **Brand:** kathryn warnerian mortimer **Price:** 129 zł **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Edward II: The Unconventional King by kathryn warnerian mortimer - **How much does it cost?** 129 zł with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pl](https://www.desertcart.pl/products/54857527-edward-ii-the-unconventional-king) ## Best For - kathryn warnerian mortimer enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted kathryn warnerian mortimer brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Edward II: The Unconventional King ## Images ![Edward II: The Unconventional King - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61mHzUgwaqL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful biography *by M***R on Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2018* I have followed Kathryn Warner's blog for years. It is well-researched and interesting, not only about Edward II but also about the other people in his era. Her book about King Edward II draws upon that research and provides an interesting portrait of a king who has been demonized by Shakespeare, Marlowe, and others throughout the centuries.She draws extensively upon contemporary records to provide a full picture of a man ill-suited for the role his birth ordained. I especially liked how Ms. Warner used account records to show Edward's generosity to the common man as well as his lavish lifestyle. She also gives a new and interesting view of Isabella, his wife, and one that I thought made more sense than the story often told about her. She is often portrayed as a woman who rebelled against her husband by taking a lover and then his crown, because of his interest in his male lovers. Ms. Warner demolishes this picture, showing a much more prosaic and less lurid version of both Edward and Isabella, thus providing a more complete story.This is a biography well worth reading by medieval history enthusiasts. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars A riveting story about a failed king *by C***S on Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2014* You probably won't buy this unless you are already interested in Medieval England and/or the characters of Edward's time specifically. Perhaps you come (as I do) from reading other history books about the period - books which are broadly accessible but usually well-sourced and argued. Or you come from reading about Isabella, Mortimer, Edward or other prominent persons of early 14th century England in fiction and are interested in checking out the real deal. In both cases, I think you will enjoy this book.If you, like me, are (mostly) from the first category this book is definitely for you. It ranks for me alongside some of the best history books I've read of the abovementioned genre, and it is a riveting story in itself. I had already become familiar with the tragedy of Edward's kingship (or lack thereof) through Jonathan Sumption's books about the (prelude to the) Hundred Years War and Ian Mortimer's book about, er, Roger Mortimer. But I could not put this down even though I knew, in broad strokes, about what happened to Edward!The people, of Edward's time (himself included) appear generally, at least to my mind, to have acted little better than modern day mafia-clans competing against each other; cheating, warring, killing, you name it - to get land, money and power. And yet they were also human beings, like us, with a variety of sympathetic traits, even if only on a small scale.Edward was a human being, if there ever was one. One we don't like to think mirrors ourself too much in any way, because he was a failure in almost everything he did. And yet exactly for this reason he, and others like him, hold a strange fascination for us. We like to think 'glad it's not me who ... ' and read on about these characters, and in the end we might also learn a little bit from them, I believe. Not in the least I think we can learn that they - and thus we - despite all our failings are never just that: never *just* a failure, even if the redeeming points on the score-card of life are few and far between.Edward was almost pathologically unable to be king - to rule wisely and justly. Yet he had much humour, he did love his wife (in his own way). He also loved (in another - much debated - way) a Gascon knight - among other men. He was fond of mingling with commoners and giving unexpected alms to the poor. And he may - just may - very late in life have been capable of seeing the error of his ways and, in some capacity, change himself (depending on how much you go with Warner - and Ian Mortimer's - argument that he probably lived out his life as a hermit in Italy!).Anyway, Kathryn Warner does much to show this gentler every-day life of Edward's without abusing it to gloss over Edward's grievous failings as a politician, military commander and husband. It therefore left me with that pleasant feeling of being able to see the whole man - or at least as much as we can see from 7 centuries down the road! And that being said, even if I didn't like him very much to begin with - or after reading the book!The prose is fluid, and in a few places a little dry, but fortunately that includes a very pleasant dry wit! Warner is also, like similar authors, very fond of family trees and financial records, but she almost always uses this information to serve the greater story. For example, she tells us sometimes about how Edward went to shop for certain items himself or hung out with/let himself be entertained by/gave gifts en masse to particular friends, (perhaps) as a way to escape the political catastrophes that he just couldn't handle very well. Despite being absolutely clear about Edward's capacity for vengefulness, self-delusion, egocentricity, etc. it still moved me from time to time to read about these parts of his life and they gave me the definite impression of a real man and not of some grotesque villain.So if you want to know more about Edward - and perhaps Isabella, Piers and Mortimer and others, too - you have to approach this book with an open mind, if you hitherto have read mostly about them in the world of -fiction-. They *are* real people - and Kathryn presents them as such, with all their vices as well as their virtues. There are no completely black and whites here, and Kathryn Warner does a very good job of discussing just what we can know (and what we probably can never know) about Edward, particularly his sexuality, relationship with Isabella and a minor handful of malicious acts that were probably overstated or complete invention. Be prepared to have some of your preconceptions about Edward, Isa, and Mortimer very much challenged!There is a good discussion of the various chronicles - not too heavy - and how much we can trust them, although if you come to this bio with as little knowledge as I about the chronicles, you might have wanted even *more* of just that. Sometimes you have to concentrate a bit to keep track of them, although repetition helps. Speaking of repetition, there are some times when it seems non-relevant to mention a detail from Edward's accounts, what he bought, etc. at a certain date, but it is a minor prob. Overall, and as said, this info serves the story. Also you might, especially if you come straight from fiction, miss some more vivid and prosaic descriptions of the period. But that's just icing on the cake. The cake itself is very edible as it is, although I would say that the Kindle edition of it is over-priced at 24 bucks! (I bought it for 12 on a day it was discounted.)But that is not Kathryn Warner's fault. In fact, for writing about such a flawed king, she has pulled off an almost flawless bio. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars A great read *by Y***Y on Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2022* I was reading Allison Weir’s Queen Isabella and decided I wanted to know more about her husband Edward II. I am about halfway through. This book reads pretty well and definitely fills in details of Edward II’s life. The two books complement each other. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.pl/products/54857527-edward-ii-the-unconventional-king](https://www.desertcart.pl/products/54857527-edward-ii-the-unconventional-king) --- *Product available on Desertcart Poland* *Store origin: PL* *Last updated: 2026-05-05*