Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Bastard King | 1974 | Eleanor Burford / Hibbert | Buy |
| 2 | The Lion of Justice | 1975 | Eleanor Burford / Hibbert | Buy |
| 3 | The Passionate Enemies | 1976 | Eleanor Burford / Hibbert | Buy |
The Norman Trilogy by Eleanor Burford Hibbert, writing as Jean Plaidy, covers the first century of Norman rule in England. The Bastard King follows William, Duke of Normandy, from his difficult childhood as an illegitimate son through his conquest of England in 1066 and the consolidation of his power. The Lion of Justice continues with the reign of Henry I, William’s youngest son, who gained the throne after the death of William Rufus in a suspicious hunting accident.
The Passionate Enemies tells the story of the civil war between Henry I’s daughter Matilda and her cousin Stephen, both of whom claimed the English crown. This period of disorder, known as the Anarchy, ended with a compromise that placed Matilda’s son on the throne as Henry II. That is where the Plantagenet Saga begins, making the Norman Trilogy a natural prequel to Plaidy’s longest English history series.