Thomas Becket

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What to expect

From Thomas Becket's early life as a merchant's son and his time as the Archbishop of Canterbury to his assassination in the Cathedral itself, this enlightening book brings to life a colossal figure of British history.

'Lively, effortlessly readable, superb. A beautifully layered portrait of one of the most complex characters in English history' The Times
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This is the man, not the legend . . .

Thomas Becket lived at the centre of medieval England. Son of a draper's merchant, he was befriended and favoured by Henry II and quickly ascended the rungs of power and privilege. He led 700 knights into battle, brokered peace between warring states and advised King and Pope.

Yet he lost it all defying his closest friend and King, resulting in his bloody murder and the birth of a saint.

In award-winning biographer John Guy's masterful account, the life, death and times of Thomas Becket come vividly into focus.
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'Suspenseful, meticulously researched . . . however well you think you know the story, it is well worth the read' Financial Times

'Wonderfully moving and subtle. Reading of the assassination is almost unbearably intense and brings tears to one's eye' Daily Express

'Compelling, marvellously measured, entertainingly astute, and in places positively moving' The Independent

'Scintillates with energetic scene-setting, giving us a tactile, visual feel for early medieval England . . . breathes new life into an oft-told tale' Financial Times

Critics Review

  • Lively, effortlessly readable, superb. A triumph

    The Times

  • Suspenseful, meticulously researched . . . however well you think you know the story, it is well worth the read

    Financial Times

  • Wonderfully moving and subtle. Reading of the assassination is almost unbearably intense and brings tears to one’s eye

    Daily Express

  • Compelling, marvellously measured, entertainingly astute, and in places positively moving

    Independent

  • A beautifully layered portrait of one of the most complex characters in English history . . . not only corrects many historical errors and uncertainties, but merits reading more than once, for the sheer joy of its superb storytelling

    The Times

  • Scintillates with energetic scene-setting, giving us a tactile, visual feel for early medieval England . . . breathes new life into an oft-told tale

    Financial Times

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