The Plantagenets: the kings that made Britain, by Derek Wilson

 

This is a good introduction to the Plantagenet dynasty in Britain. It devotes a chapter to almost all of the kings from Henry II through Henry V, one chapter on the War of the Roses, and then a final chapter on Edward IV, Edward V, and Richard III. It includes helpful family trees of the ancestors of Henry II, the Plantagenet kings, and the Houses of Lancaster and York. My one beef is that the family trees include the individuals' lifespan dates, but I would also like to see their dates of rule. Most kings' portraits are included in their respective chapters, and there is one map of England and its territorial possessions under Henry II. The book covers more than a dozen reigns and 300+ years of history in fewer than 300 pages, so it is a cursory look at this period.