"Henry the Second," written by Alice Stopford Green, is a thorough historical biography that covers the monarch Henry II of England's life, reign, and impact. Green's work examines Henry II's reign (1154-1189), focusing on his political abilities, legal changes, and part in building the Angevin Empire. The biography gives insight on Henry's complicated relationship with his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, as well as his turbulent contacts with Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket. Green depicts the intricate network of power struggles, alliances, and conflicts that marked Henry's rule through difficult research and powerful storytelling. The book analyzes Henry II's triumphs and challenges as a king, as well as his contributions to legal and administrative institutions that lay the framework for contemporary governance. Green's interesting story offers viewers a multifaceted view on the medieval world by providing insight into the cultural, political, and social dynamics of the time.
Alice Stopford Green was an Irish historian and patriot who lived from 30 May 1847 to 28 May 1929. She stayed in London from 1874 to 1877, where she met historian John Richard Green. On June 14, 1877, they married in Chester. He passed away in 1883. As a result of her association with John Francis Taylor, she got interested in Irish history and the nationalist movement in the 1890s. During the Boer Wars, she was outspoken in her opposition to English colonial policy in South Africa, and she supported Roger Casement's Congo Reform campaign. Her book The Making of Ireland and its Undoing, published in 1908, advocated for the subtlety and richness of native Irish civilisation. Stopford Green worked hard to make the concept of Home Rule more appealing to Ulster Unionists.
