John of Gaunt (1340 -99), Duke of Lancaster and pretender to the throne of Castile, was son to Edward III, uncle to the ill-starred Richard III and father to Henry IV and the Lancastrian line. The richest and most powerful subject in England, a key actor on the international stage, patron of Wycliffe and Chaucer, he was deeply involved in the Peasant's revolt and the Hundred Years War. He is also one of the most hated men of his time. This splendid study, the first since 1904, vividly portrays the political life of the age, with the controversial figure of Gaunt at the heart of it.

1. The inheritance of Edward III and Richard II. 2. Gaunt in history. 3. The Education of a prince (1340-61). 4. Rise to power (1361-77). 5. From dominance to exile (1377-81). 6. Gaunt and Richard II (1381-6). 7. Gaunt and Iberian affairs. 8. From dominance to crisis (1389-99). 9. Gaunt and Christendom. 10. Gaunt and warfare. 11. Gaunt and the Church. 12. Gaunt and the secular peerage. 13. Lancastrian residences and governmental institutions.
14. Gaunt's regional interests, estate administration and finances. 15. Gaunt characterised. Conclusion. Calender of documents. Bibliography. Maps and tables. Index.