The monograph under review here is dedicated to investigating the lives of monastic superiors (abbots and priors) in England during the later Middle Ages and Reformation period. The book opens with an introduction (pp. 1–14) that offers a concise discussion of the importance of the abbot and his role(s) as set out in some of the most widely read primary sources, starting with the Rule of St Benedict and the Gesta abbatum tradition, before providing a succinct review of previous scholarship dedicated to studying these abbatial roles, and, finally, setting out the main parameters of the analysis conducted over the course of the book's subsequent chapters. As Heale points out, ‘no overview of the monastic superior in England has yet been produced, despite the obvious interest of the topic’ (p. 6). Heale certainly strikes a nerve here, given that the desideratum of a book-length study on medieval monastic superiors has become rather urgent during recent years, which have witnessed a notable upsurge in academic publications on monastic leadership in different parts of Europe and the British Isles – the works of Steven Vanderputten, Véronique Gazeau and Giles Constable in particular come to mind, all of whom, and many more, Heale duly acknowledges.

Heale's new monograph seeks to fill this lacuna with regard to the later Middle Ages and Reformation period by investigating the tasks and activities of English monastic superiors, both within and without their respective communities, their self-fashioning and socio-institutional habitus, their reputation amongst ecclesiastical and secular peers, and, ultimately, their relationship with the late medieval/early modern world more generally. In doing so, Heale limits his investigation to covering only the heads of monastic houses, thereby excluding dependent priories and the mendicant and military orders, which seems a sensible decision. Throughout the book, Heale shows a commendable awareness and mastery of the latest scholarly discourse not only with regard to the study's primary period of interest, the early fourteenth to late sixteenth century, but also with regard to pertinent developments of the Central Middle Ages.

Chapter i (‘Election and selection’) turns to the various dynamics and decisions that determined the nomination and election of a suitable monastic superior for a later medieval monastic community. Heale draws the reader's attention to some of the vital challenges that the later medieval sources associate with the topic of abbatial vacancies, and not just financially, but also logistically and ideologically, which leads neatly into his subsequent analysis of disputes and interventions in monastic elections on the part of ecclesiastical and/or lay authorities. The final, and perhaps most seminal, part of the chapter (pp. 45–54) is dedicated to discussing the personal, social and educational backgrounds of late medieval superiors, as well as the expectations that they faced inside as well as outside of their communities. Naturally, we should not expect a blueprint of a ‘model abbot’ to emerge from this discussion; rather, the admirably nuanced way in which Heale negotiates selected aspects in the vitae of individual abbots and priors with the wider historiography, in tandem with the important historical and/or literary discourses that he teases out from the primary sources, offers a multifaceted and compelling panorama of the different ways in which monastic leaders obtained their qualification for office and secured recognition from both their followers and peers.

Chapters ii–iv focus more specifically on the various activities fulfilled by late medieval monastic superiors both within and on behalf of their communities. First to be discussed are some of the more fundamental aspects, such as the superiors’ physical presence and (co-)habitation within the monastic precinct, as well as the extent of their participation in the monasteries’ liturgical and educational routine (‘Abbots and priors in their community’, pp. 57–100). This is followed by a detailed discussion of the growing legal and administrative tasks (or indeed burdens) of monastic heads in representing their institutions in jurisdictional, financial and spiritual negotiations (pp. 101–38). Heale's primary interest here seems to rest with financial organisation, however, whereas questions of spiritual authority and ecclesiastical jurisdiction, especially in relation to episcopal influence, are mostly dealt with in passing. Given the recent proliferation of studies dedicated to conflicts and rivalries between medieval abbots and their diocesan bishops and cathedral chapters (for example, in the works of Grégory Combalbert and others), a more balanced discussion might have served to situate Heale's arguments more effectively within current academic dialogue. This being said, the arguments presented by Heale concerning financial matters dovetail very nicely with his discussion on abbatial living standards and rituals of self-representation and display (pp. 139–86). Again, the main thrust of the argument seems to be based on financial data, such as the expenses allocated to the abbot's household, his dining and dressing preferences, and the entertainment of guests, but these are set in meaningful relation to the self-fashioning and institutional persona of the monastic superior in accordance with both internal obligations and external expectations. Indeed, chapter iv constitutes a good example of how economic and religious history can be combined to form a persuasive argument that will be of interest, and use, to scholars across the disciplines.

Chapters v and vi continue this methodology by bringing into focus the external relations of late medieval superiors and their engagement in public life. In the course of these discussions, political history can be seen to occupy an increasingly important position alongside its economic and religious counterparts, thereby increasing further the interdisciplinary merit and value of Heale's monograph. The analysis offered in these chapters covers not only the high ecclesiastical office, but also the involvement of monastic leaders in key areas of later medieval ‘statecraft’ such as diplomatic missions, local governance and, not least, parliament. Their complex relationship with the Crown is also thematised, and this is continued, and indeed expanded, in chapters vii and viii. One of the sections that stands out particularly positively in the second half of Heale's book is his short yet impactful excursus entitled ‘Literary depictions of the later medieval superior’ (pp. 250–6). Here, Heale temporarily abandons the book's comfort zone of documentary records and historical narratives in order to complement his argument with evidence from the corpus of late medieval vernacular literature and poetry ranging from A gest of Robyn Hode and The court of love to Chaucer's Canterbury tales and Malory's Morte Darthur. I, for one, find myself entirely compelled by this addition and the arguments presented therein. If I had to criticise anything in this context, it would have to be that similar attention could have been devoted to discussing not just literary, but also pictorial evidence. Throughout the book, Heale makes occasional reference to manuscript illumination and decoration, several examples of which are reproduced in the form of black-and-white figures (for example, pp. 68, 74, 76, 95, 160, 170 etc). However, readers with a specialism (or at least interest) in medieval manuscript studies might have appreciated some more detailed engagement with these important sources.

All in all, this is an exceptionally well-conceived and beautifully executed book that generates comprehensive knowledge about the lives (and deaths) of late medieval monastic superiors and provides many important stimuli for future research in the field of medieval and early modern religious history. It is not, and does not claim to be, a work of biography. Those looking for in-depth analyses of the lives and deeds of specific individuals will have to be directed elsewhere. Instead, what we are offered here is a systematic, if selective, assessment of the role(s), rather than the personalities or characters, of medieval abbots and priors, and their development over the course of almost three centuries. Due to its density and high level of detail, the book's later chapters will probably be most beneficial to specialist audiences, whereas the more conceptual discussions presented in the introduction and early chapters will also be appreciated by students and colleagues hailing from other disciplines.