“Medieval England was a great military power with a sophisticated machinery of government, but her naval administration, at best improvised and for long periods missing altogether, pointed to a grave weakness: the lack of any reliable means of putting a force of warships at the disposal of the crown. Only Richard I and Henry V of all the kings of England can be said to have understood the problem and attempted to remedy it. It is no coincidence that they wer by far the most successful in war.” MeanLongSaidWarProblemGovernmentForceSuccessfulMilitaryMissingKingsPeriodsUnderstoodWeaknessEnglandGravesAdministrationRemedyCrownsSophisticatedCoincidenceMachineryMedievalNavalMilitary PowerGreat MilitaryHenry VWarships Author:Nicholas Rodger
“Ruling is hard. This was maybe my answer to Tolkien, whom, as much as I admire him, I do quibble with. Lord of the Rings had a very medieval philosophy: that if the king was a good man, the land would prosper. We look at real history and it's not that simple... Real-life kings had real-life problems to deal with... My people who are trying to rule don't have an easy time of it. Just having good intentions doesn't make you a wise king.” PeopleIfsMenTryingLooksRealHardPhilosophyProblemRealityEasyLeadershipSimpleAnswersDealsLordWiseLandHuman NatureKingsIntentionRingsReal LifeAdmireIdeologyGood ManRulingMedievalGood Intentions Author:George R. R. Martin
“To the medieval mind a liberty was a right to the enjoyment of a specific property It was a freedom to do something with one's own without interference by the king or any other man.” MenMindLibertyKingsPropertyEnjoymentMedievalInterference Book:Set in a silver sea: the island peoples from earliest times to the fifteenth century Source: Set in a silver sea: the island peoples from earliest times to the fifteenth century
“There are some examples of medieval kings who were terrible human beings but were nevertheless good kings.” HumansHuman BeingsExampleKingsTerribleNeverthelessMedievalGood Kings Author:George R. R. Martin