Henry I had a great number of children, but his only legitimate male heir was drowned when the White Ship foundered. His daughter, Matilda, her father's choice to succeed, had some problems. She was a woman, for a start, and her cousin, Stephen, was, unlike her, in England and able to act.
This new book from Teresa Cole tells the story of what has become known as The Anarchy, when twelfth-century England was torn apart by the fight for the throne and the opposing forces of the Empress Matilda and King Stephen.
It's a complicated history, one which I only really know from having read fiction set in the period, but the author does a tremendous job of explaining the complicated family connections, the siege warfare and the politics of the time.
She has a lightness of phrase which makes the book easy to read, yet all the information is there, making this a volume full of well-researched information presented in an extremely readable way.
Making full use of the primary sources, the author presents the history of the period in an assured and measured way, allowing the story almost to tell itself.
I found this an easy yet informative read and would recommend it to anyone wishing to learn more about this turbulent period of history which led, ultimately, to the era of the Plantagenet rulers.
Find The Anarchy on Amazon and at Amberley Books
[I was sent an advance review copy by the publishers]
Most of what I know about the Anarchy I learned from the Brother Cadfael books. Not, I suspect, the best source.
ReplyDeleteOh, I don't know - I've not read the Cadfael books but I've read some of her other 'hist fic' and it seemed to me that they were pretty accurate :-)
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