Author Description

"The murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in his cathedral at Canterbury in December 1170 was one of the most momentous events in medieval European history. News of it spread like wildfire throughout Christendom, and the chroniclers of the age vied with one another to report how and why it had happened. For centuries the shrine of St. Thomas drew an unceasing stream of pilgrims to Canterbury, and even today the first object of many visitors to the cathedral is to see the Martyrdom, the spot where the murder took place." "Drawing not only on the array of contemporary accounts but also on his own unrivalled knowledge of the local scene, William Urry tells here in gripping detail the full story of the fateful month of December 1170, its aftermath and its legacy."--Jacket.