Originally published on September 29, 2022 at 4:00 AM (Episode 283)
Introduction
For centuries England looked across the North Sea toward Scandinavia—indeed, under King Cnut it belonged to that world. The Norman Conquest pivoted England dramatically south and east, binding it to France in a tangle of dynastic marriages, rivalries, wars, and truces—often all at once. As Catherine Hanley puts it in Two Houses, Two Kingdoms: A History of France and England, 1100–1300 (Yale University Press, 2022), this is “a book about people,” because in the 12th and 13th centuries the personal shaped the political: kings, queens, siblings, and cousins whose life stories and relationships redirected the lives of millions.
About the Guest
Catherine Hanley is a historian and writer. She previously joined the podcast in Episode 122 to discuss Matilda: Empress, Queen, and Warrior (Yale University Press, 2019). She is also the author of Louis: The French Prince Who Invaded England (Yale University Press, 2016). Born in Australia, she lives in Somerset and—when it comes to cricket—supports Somerset, Australia, and Tasmania (in that order).
For Further Investigation
Catherine Hanley, Two Houses, Two Kingdoms: A History of France and England, 1100–1300 (Yale University Press, 2022)
Catherine Hanley, Matilda: Empress, Queen, and Warrior (Yale University Press, 2019)
Catherine Hanley, Louis: The French Prince Who Invaded England (Yale University Press, 2016)
Medieval France overview – The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
The Magna Carta Project (excellent for early 13th-c. England and Louis’s invasion)
Suggested Links to Other Conversations
Episode 122 – Catherine Hanley on Matilda: Empress, Queen, and Warrior
A people-level view of what comes next: Episode 66 – A People’s History of the Hundred Years War
💬 Listen & Discuss
How much of medieval politics was family drama with armies attached? Drop your thoughts in the comments—and pass the episode to a friend who loves Plantagenets, Capetians, and complicated family trees.
