Seven Kings of England

The kings of England were many, but Geoffrey Trease has wisely chosen to present in this book the vivid stories of seven outstanding men who reflected their country's glory throughout a thousand momentous years.

Here are Alfred the Great, truth-teller, law-giver, and the first king of England whose name is honored throughout the world; [William, the self-made king, who in time became known as William the Conqueror;] Richard the Lion-Hearted, the great Crusader; Charles I, the sad cavalier; Charles II, the "merry monarch"; William III, who was known as William the Silent; and then a king of our own day, the shy reluctant monarch, King George VI, father of Queen Elizabeth and grandfather of the young Prince Charles, who will, in time, take his place on the throne of England.

Ten centuries of pageantry and important events, ten centuries of a changing world but a continuing tradition are excitingly brought to life by Geoffrey Trease in this long perspective on England's past.

This book shakes the dust from the dates of history and gives us instead the color and glory of England as revealed in the lives of her dedicated kings. A companion volume to Mr. Trease's highly acclaimed The Seven Queens of England, the present volume will delight, inform, and inspire every young reader.

—from the dust jacket