Named after his famous grandfather, John of Gaunt, John of Lancaster Duke of Bedford, has been largely forgotten and sidelined in history. As the third of four sons, he was not his father’s heir, but he nonetheless distinguished himself in his youth in his service on the Scottish borders. As an adult, he was overshadowed by his charismatic older brother, the warrior king and victor of Agincourt, Henry V. Yet Henry trusted John the most of all his brothers and twice left him to rule England during his expeditions in France. John Duke of Bedford was the man who really governed England for almost half of his brother’s nine-year reign. John reached the pinnacle of his career when he was appointed Regent of France. As Regent, he governed a polity that had not existed for three centuries: a truly Anglo-Norman realm. It was not just ruled by England but populated by English settlers who lived & fought alongside the French. For thirteen years, John held the English kingdom of France together on the negotiating table and often on the battlefield. He struggled against renegade soldiers and his adversary, Charles VII of France, but sometimes against the political machinations of his relatives to keep his late brother’s dream alive. John became a man noted for equitable rule and an unshakeable commitment to justice. In England, people looked to him to heal the divisions which poisoned Henry VI’s government, and in France, they viewed him as the only statesman fully committed to the good governance of Normandy and Paris. Today, John is only remembered as the man who condemned Joan of Arc, even though he was not involved. This biography provides a much-needed reassessment of John’s life and political career.

Joanna Arman gained her love of Medieval History from childhood trips to castles, cathedrals, and Joust Weeks at Arundel Castle. As a teenager, she became a certified History nerd, reading Bede and books about the Early English kings, instead of Harry Potter or Mark Haddon. She obtained a BA Degree in Medieval History, quickly followed by a master’s degree from the University of Winchester. At Winchester she developed a special interest in Medieval Women: not just queens and noblewomen but also those lower down the social order, such as female landholders, businesswomen and female plaintiffs in marriage cases. Her first book was a biography of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, published by Amberley in 2017. She lives in Sussex, the county where she grew up, with an excitable greyhound.