With All For All: The Life of Simon de Montfort - Hardcover

`A vivid and colourful biography of this fascinating man' -- John Maddicott, author of Simon de Montfort A stranger steps ashore, wins the King's favour, marries his sister, topples him in revolution and falls in battle with the King's son. Such was the life of Simon de Montfort, a man full of passion and intensity of purpose, whose enduring fame lies in his determination to make the King answerable to all, and not just the select few. 'Darren Baker has written a vivid and colourful biography of this fascinating man. Drawing extensively on original sources, it provides a lively picture of his life, his relations with the King and the aristocracy, and the forces which led to his eventual death. Entertaining and never dull, it should be interest to a wide range of readers.' -- John Maddicott, Author of Simon de Montfort `This compelling new biography of Simon de Montfort is much to be welcomed. It provides fascinating insights into the character and career of one of the chief architects of England's first political revolution.' -- Louise Wilkinson, author of Eleanor de Montfort: A Rebel Countess in Medieval England

Like his crusading father before him, Simon de Montfort's combination of charisma, determination and fearlessness, reinforced by a wife with similar qualities, made him one of the greatest men of his age. This biography follows his life from his birth and upbringing in France until his defeat and death at the hands of the future Edward I. The pivotal year was 1264, when Montfort captured Henry III in battle, established a constitutional monarchy and, in the act he is most famous for, revolutionised the representation of Parliament, the future Commons. While calling him the founder of that institution begs too much, Montfort recognised and cultivated a new awakening in national identity and political awareness not seen since before the Norman Conquest two centuries earlier. Henry's long reign of fifty-six years saw many changes taking place in England and on the Continent, most strikingly the rise of humanism and power politics, and Montfort's entree to the courts of Paris and Rome was instrumental in his rebellion against the king. Not for another four hundred years, until the advent of Oliver Cromwell, would England see a revolution led by a figure of comparable stature.