Ensure your pupils are thoroughly prepared for the new-style Common Entrance History examinations with this revised edition of a best-selling, ISEB-endorsed textbook.

The first edition of Medieval Realms became a best-seller because of the way it combined step-by-step building of pupils historical understanding and skill with thoughtful and targeted exam preparation. This second edition faithfully retains that approach while thoroughly revising the exam advice to cover the new approach to source evaluation required for the Common Entrance examinations from 2015.

Key features of our approach:
- Read! The bold, meaty and authoritative narrative provides clear explanation of the content
- Think! For each topic carefully constructed tasks build pupil's understanding of the content
- Prepare! There is also extensive advice and practice in how to write Common Entrance essays and how to evaluate historical sources to ensure pupils are thoroughly prepared for the Common Entrance examination.

Plus a new feature for the second edition: 'An historian writes..' - accessible but stimulating insights from secondary sources which contribute to pupils' wider understanding of the topic and expose them to historical viewpoints on the events they are studying.

This book is part of a book series called History For Common Entrance .

This book is suitable for Key Stage 3. KS3 covers school years 7, 8 and 9, and ages 12-14 years. A key stage is any of the fixed stages into which the national curriculum is divided, each having its own prescribed course of study. At the end of each stage, pupils are required to complete standard assessment tasks. This book is aimed at children in secondary school.

There are 192 pages in this book. This is a study guide book. This book was published 2014 by Hodder Education .

Colin Shephard and Rosemary Rees are experienced examiners and accomplished textbook authors. Martin Collier is Headteacher of St John's School, Leatherhead; was formerly Head of History at Oundle School and is an experienced marker of Common Entrance History papers

This book has the following chapters:

• Section 1: Good and bad monarchs
• • Unit 1: How did William and the Normans conquer England?
  • Unit 2: Matilda or Stephen: who should reign?
  • Unit 3: Who made the biggest mistakes: John or Henry III?
  • Unit 4: Edward I: why was he such a success?
  • Unit 5: Richard II and the Peasants' Revolt: was he brave or devious?
  • Unit 6: Who was the real Henry V?
  • Unit 7: Richard III: wicked uncle or loyal brother?
• Section 2: Religion in the Middle Ages
• • Unit 8: Church and State: Henry versus Becket
  • Unit 9: A visit to Canterbury Cathedral
  • Unit 10: Monks and nuns: what did they do and why did they do it?
  • Unit 11: Why was the Church so important to peasants?
  • Unit 12: What do the Crusades tell us about the power of religion in the Middle Ages?
• Section 3: How did ordinary people live?
• • Unit 13: Villages and towns: how did they change and why?
  • Unit 14: Health and medicine: how did medieval people cope with disease?
  • Unit 15: Law and order: how was it enforced?
  • Unit 16: What about the women?