Richard of Bordeaux and Henry Bolingbroke were first cousins. When they were still children, Richard was crowned King Richard II with Henry at his side, but as the animals on their heraldic badges showed, they grew up to be opposites: Richard was the white hart, a thin-skinned narcissist, and Henry was the eagle, chivalric hero and military leader. Henry had all the qualities a sovereign needed, bar one: birth right. Increasingly threatened by his charismatic cousin, Richard was consumed by the need for total power in a time of constant conflict, and banished Henry from England.

Helen Castor tells a story about power, and masculinity in crisis, and a nation brought to the brink of catastrophe. At its heart, it is the story of two men whose lives were played out in extraordinary parallel to devastating effect.

‘There was no book published this year, novels included, that I found richer in character; no plot more taut' - Tom Holland, The Spectator
‘A compulsive, unputdownable real-life thriller, a gripping portrait of ruthless power politics, and a study of British tyranny.’ - Simon Sebag-Montefiore