Content Warning: This section contains graphic violence, including depictions of war, mutilation, killing, and rape. Additionally, Jones uses language that reflects the attitudes of the historical figures in his work, including anti-Muslim, anti-foreigner, anti-LGBTQ+, antisemitic, and ableist sentiments.

“Part VII charts how rapidly fortune’s wheel—a favorite medieval metaphor for the vicissitudes of life—could turn.”

Jones introduces a metaphor—the wheel of fortune—which he uses to indicate the ups and downs of the kings’ fortunes during his period. This promises exciting episodes to come, building anticipation. He chose an idea that was popular in contemporary accounts to immerse his narrative in the medieval world. The image of the wheel implies a level of luck or fate involved, as seen in episodes like the arrival of the Black Death. However, in keeping with Jones’s examination of the kings’ leadership, it was used in contemporary writing alongside accounts of individual personality and actions; it did not absolve responsibility. It also suggests a cyclical pattern in history, something Jones leans into when he compares Henry II’s empire at the beginning with Richard II’s deposition at the end. He presents the rise and fall of a dynasty.

“His first name, William, was in honor of his grandfather, William the Conqueror. His sobriquet, ‘Aetheling’, was a traditional Anglo-Saxon title for the heir to the throne.”

Jones highlights the significance of the forename and title combining Norman and Anglo-Saxon culture to create a continuous dynastic narrative, backing up William’s right to inherit leadership. This also reflects the dominant political community in this period that spanned Normandy and England, representing a shared culture that drew on the traditions of both areas. Jones’s introduction of the deliberate political and cultural use of names here paves the way for his inclusion of this detail throughout the rest of the narrative, in which he highlights how name selection represented statements of intent and