Book description
As younger brother of the Black Prince, and fourth son of Edward III, John of Gaunt was not destined to play an important role in the Plantagenet dynasty’s fortunes.
Yet the Black Prince and Edward died before their time, and John found his influence increased with the accession of his…
Why read it?
1 author picked John of Gaunt as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
No study about Richard II would be complete without an understanding of his uncle, the powerful and intimidating John of Gaunt. Before I read this book, I accepted the usual depiction that he was arrogant, unpleasant, and downright nasty. But really, this was a gross exaggeration. Although many contemporaries assumed he coveted the throne, in reality, it would have been against his honor to usurp the king, no matter how helpless, ungrateful, or deserving Richard may have seemed. Gaunt was the only person who stood between the king and his many enemies. Once Richard discovered this for himself, he treated…
From Mercedes' list on The best books about the Plantagenets.
If you love John of Gaunt...
December on 5C4
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…
Want books like John of Gaunt?
Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 35 books like John of Gaunt.
Share your top 3 reads of 2026!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
175
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like John of Gaunt, you might also like...
Sexy Selfie Nation
The problem is not with the actions young women take but with the toxic, sexist conditions they are responding to.
Tanenbaum found, based on six years of interviews with young people ages 14-30, that young women are navigating a culture littered with gendered dress codes, revenge porn, and sexually explicit…
In This Together
In This Together explores how we can harness our social networks to make a real impact fighting the climate crisis. Against notions of the lone environmental crusader, Marianne E. Krasny shows us the power of "network climate action"—the idea that our own ordinary acts can influence and inspire those close…
