Henry the Fourth and Henry the Fifth Through the Eyes of Shakespeare

He dreamed of changing history with victories and conquests, but changed it — with his death. Young prince Henry leads a dissolute life with the jester Falstaff and other friends. But then his father, Henry the Fourth, dies. And the new king, Henry the Fifth, unexpectedly seizes power. He believes: God and England expect him to conquer France, and at the same time — the hand and heart of the French princess Catherine, daughter of the Mad King... “If desiring fame without measure is a vice, then I swear, I am the most terrible sinner!” Alexandra Marinina offers an engaging historical investigation into why rulers triumph on battlefields but lose to their own demons. The main witness and expert is the genius William Shakespeare.