He has been cast as a reluctant soldier, and for good reason; until Hosler (British history, Morgan State U.) unearthed the evidence presented here very little was actually known about Henry II's war record. Hosler places Henry's battlefield experience within the context of late twelfth-century war and shows how adept the king was at creating or patronizing breakthrough technologies in materiel, fortifications, strategy, weaponry and even human resources. He describes how Henry's strong administrative powers translated well into success on the field, and how a few battles cleanly done and efficiently won served Henry's ambitions for empire surprisingly well. He also shows how rulers actually conducted themselves during battle, setting aside the myth that they were allowed to sit on a hill somewhere and passively watch their men die. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)