Edward III reigned for fifty years, from 1327 to 1377. William Warburton writes that "the backbone of the story of his reign and times is the great Continental war...He was a genuine Englishman in his rough and ready, and often incoherent policy; in his contempt for foreigners and his audacious confidence in himself and his countrymen; in his love of manly exertion; his personal pride and popular sympathies, and his freedom from lasting enmity and vindictiveness...It is in vain for cold reason to contend against the spell of the names of Creci and Poitiers; they will forever stir the English heart like the blast of a trumpet or the rustle of a consecrated banner; but these battles are not, after all, the true titles of the age to honour. Searching deeper down we shall find, and thankfully admit, that the century was one not of conquest, but of transition, development, emancipation, and characterised by a silent and gradual contraction of the area of privilege, and a corresponding enlargement of the area of liberty." (Summary by Pamela Nagami, M.D.)
Chapters
1 Introduction 10 min 2 First Decade, 1327-1337, Ch. 1: From the King's Accession to the Fall of Mortimer, Pt. 1 14 min 3 First Decade, Ch. 1: From the King's Accession to the Fall of Mortimer, Pt. 2 13 min 4 First Decade, Ch. 1: From the King's Accession to the Fall of Mortimer, Pt. 3 11 min 5 First Decade, Ch. 2: From the First Invasion of Scotland to the Commencement of the French War, Pt. 1 14 min 6 First Decade, Ch. 2: From the First Invasion of Scotland to the Commencement of the French War, Pt. 2 16 min 7 First Decade, Ch. 2: From the First Invasion of Scotland to the Commencement of the French War, Pt. 3 10 min 8 First Decade, Ch. 3: The States of Europe, etc., in the Fourteenth Century, Pt. 1 12 min 9 First Decade, Ch. 3: The States of Europe, etc., in the Fourteenth Century, Pt. 2 14 min 10 First Decade, Ch. 3: The States of Europe, etc., in the Fourteenth Century, Pt. 3 10 min 11 Second Decade, A.D. 1337-1347, Ch. 1: The First Invasion of France, Pt. 1 15 min 12 Second Decade, Ch. 1: The First Invasion of France, Pt. 2 10 min 13 Second Decade, Ch. 1: The First Invasion of France, Pt. 3 14 min 14 Second Decade, Ch. 1: The First Invasion of France, Pt. 4 18 min 15 Second Decade, Ch. 2: Transactions in Scotland, Brittany, and Guienne, Pt. 1 17 min 16 Second Decade, Ch. 2: Transactions in Scotland, Brittany, and Guienne, Pt. 2 18 min 17 Second Decade, Ch. 3: The Campaigns of Crécy and Neville's Cross, and the Siege of Calais, Pt. 1 11 min 18 Second Decade, Ch. 3: The Campaigns of Crécy and Neville's Cross, and the Siege of Calais, Pt. 2 16 min 19 Second Decade, Ch. 3: The Campaigns of Crécy and Neville's Cross, and the Siege of Calais, Pt. 3 11 min 20 Second Decade, Ch. 3: The Campaigns of Crécy and Neville's Cross, and the Siege of Calais, Pt. 4 16 min 21 Third Decade, A.D. 1347-1357, Ch 1: The Black Death, Pt. 1 14 min 22 Third Decade, Ch. 1: The Black Death, Pt. 2 18 min 23 Third Decade, Ch. 1: The Black Death, Pt. 3 15 min 24 Third Decade, Ch. 2: From the Occupation of Calais to the Battle of Poitiers 16 min 25 Third Decade, Ch. 3: The Poitiers Campaign, Pt. 1 15 min 26 Third Decade, Ch. 3: The Poitiers Campaign, Pt. 2 15 min 27 Fourth Decade, A.D. 1357-1367, Ch. 1: From the Battle of Poitiers to the Death of King John, Pt. 1 22 min 28 Fourth Decade, Ch 1: From the Battle of Poitiers to the Death of King John, Pt. 2 13 min 29 Fourth Decade, Ch. 2: The Prince of Wales in Aquitaine and Spain, Pt. 1 12 min 30 Fourth Decade, Ch. 2: The Prince of Wales in Aquitaine and Spain, Pt. 2 11 min 31 Fourth Decade, Ch. 3: Domestic Affairs 18 min 32 Fifth Decade, A.D. 1367-1377, Ch. 1: From the End of the Spanish Campaign to King Edward's Last Treaty with France, Pt.1 13 min 33 Fifth Decade, Ch. 1: From the End of the Spanish Campaign to King Edward's Last Treaty with France, Pt. 2 16 min 34 Fifth Decade, Ch. 1: From the End of the Spanish Campaign to King Edward's Last Treaty with France, Pt. 3 13 min 35 Fifth Decade, Ch. 2: Internal Affairs of England Till the Death of the King, Pt. 1 13 min 36 Fifth Decade, Ch. 2: Internal Affairs of England Till the Death of the King, Pt. 2 10 min 37 Fifth Decade, Ch. 3: From the Death of the Black Prince to the Death of Edward III 22 min 38 Concluding Chapter: Pt. 1 Character of Edward III and of his Reign 17 min 39 Concluding Chapter, Pt. 2: Social Condition of the Period, Domestic Habits, Food and Dress of the People 22 min 40 Concluding Chapter, Pt. 3: Language and Literature, Vision of Piers Ploughman, The Canterbury Tales 14 min
