Introduction

Abstract

This chapter begins with an examination of the historiography of the captivity of John II. It shows that historians have often portrayed John’s time in captivity as the most disastrous years of pitiable reign, with his behaviour in England being seen in an especially negative light. Yet John’s time in captivity was the catalyst for a number of innovations in the presentation of the royal image which had lasting consequences in both England and France. After providing an analysis of the primary sources upon which the book is based (particularly the Valois monarch’s household accounts), the introduction concludes by establishing the chronology of John’s time in English captivity.