A book by Dr Sophie Ambler, Lecturer in Later Medieval History and Deputy Director of the Centre for War and Diplomacy, has been featured on the BBC's Book Talk programme.

Dr Ambler was interviewed about The Song of Simon de Montfort: England's First Revolutionary and the Death of Chivalry (Picador, 2019) by presenter Mark d'Arcy.

The Song is a history of the nobleman who, between 1258 and 1265, seized power from King Henry III of England and established a radical regime to govern in his stead. Examining the revolution in the context of crusading culture across Europe and the Middle East, the book shows how Montfort cultivated his reputation as leader and came to amass a vast following, before he and a host of his men were cut down on the battlefield at Evesham in 1265.

As well as the trajectory of Montfort's career, the interview considered whether Montfort should be considered the founder of parliament, given that he held the assembly of 1265 known as the 'first House of Commons'. This was the first parliament to which men from the towns were definitely summoned.

The episode aired on 27 July 2019 on BBC Parliament, and will be available on BBC iPlayer for the following 30 days.