Tag: 13th century

Book Review: “The Queen’s Granddaughter” by Diane Zahler

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When a medieval princess married, most of the time, she had to take an arduous journey to their new country. For many of these royal ladies, they had an idea that this would be their fate at a young age, but for others, it would come as a complete surprise. Take, for example, Blanca (Blanche) of Castile. She was the granddaughter of the indomitable Eleanor of Aquitaine. When it is time to create a marriage alliance between Castile and France, Blanca believes that her sister Urraca will be the one who will become Queen of France. However, Eleanor has other plans. How will the journey change Blanca and get her ready to rule a nation? Diane Zahler tells the tale of Blanca’s journey to the throne in her middle grade novel, “The Queen’s Granddaughter.”

I would like to thank Roaring Brook Press and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I tend to read books tailored towards young adults and adults, but I wanted to see how middle grade books handle historical figures. My love of history started with a middle grade book, so I wanted to see how middle grade books are for the next generation of history nerds.

We are introduced to Blanca of Castile when she was twelve years old. As the daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor of England, Blanca realizes that she will have to marry one day, but she wants to stay with her family in Castile. With the arrival of her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, from England to discuss a match between Castile and the French dauphin Louis. Blanca believes that the intended bride will be her elder sister Urraca, but she doesn’t want her sister to leave. Grandmother Eleanor has a different plan and says that the bride to be is Blanca.

To say Blanca is shocked will be an understatement, but after spending time with her best friend Suna and her family, who are Almohads, Blanca decides that she will go to France. Suna, grandmother Eleanor, and Sir William Marshal join Blanca in her journey over the Pyrenees Mountains to France. The journey is arduous as they encounter a snow storm that lands the party in a cave while grandmother Eleanor recovers from an illness. They also face off against Hugh de Lusignan, a man who is seeking vengeance. Throughout the journey, Blanca learns that a queen must make difficult decisions and say the hardest goodbyes for the good of her new kingdom.

This was a great novel to get younger future history nerds interested in history. It was well researched and even gives Zahler’s readers mini biographies about the main characters so that they can begin their own journey into medieval European history. If you want a book for a young history lover in your life that focuses on medieval Castile and France, I recommend you check out “The Queen’s Granddaughter” by Diane Zahler.

Book Review: “Arise, England: Six Kings and the Making of the English State” by Caroline Burt and Richard Partington

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Arise, EnglandLike many other countries, England has been through growing pains when it comes to reforming its political, military, and judicial systems. None more so than the pains of the medieval period, specifically from 1199 to 1399. In those two centuries, there were six Plantagenet kings, each with a different style of being king and a different way of changing England with each reign. We often think that the biggest change to England’s political history during this time was the Magna Carta, but in fact, that was only just the beginning. Caroline Burt and Richard Partington have combed the archives to do a deep dive into each reign of these Plantagenet kings, examining the political and judicial changes that happened in a short period. Their comprehensive book is entitled, “Arise, England: Six Kings and the Making of the English State.”

I want to thank Faber & Faber for sending me a copy of this book. I have seen this particular title circulating on social media and after the endorsement it received from Dan Jones, I decided to give it a shot. I am not a huge fan of political history as I find it a tad dry, but I wanted to give myself a challenge.

This book is broken into six different chapters, a chapter for each king and their reign, but the chapters are separated by sections focusing on distinct aspects of their reigns. The six kings that Burt and Partington have chosen to highlight in this book are King John, Henry III, Edward I, Edward II, Edward III, and Richard II. In these two centuries, England experienced so much change, starting with the Magna Carta, the Black Death, plenty of revolts, overthrowing kings, the establishment of what we now consider Parliament, and the relationship between the king and his nobles. That does not include external forces such as Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and France wanting to conquer England as their own. When you consider how much these kings had to face, it is no wonder that they had to change England’s political system gradually.

Personally, this book was a bit of a struggle for me with how dense and the amount of information that was presented. While it offered great insight and was meticulously researched, there were parts for me that were dry to read. If you do want to read this as a casual read, I would suggest taking it slow so that you can fully understand everything that is being presented. If you are someone who likes political history and how it changed over centuries in England, “Arise, England: Six Kings and the Making of the English State” by Caroline Burt and Richard Partington might be the book for you.

Book Review: “Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe” by Nancy Goldstone

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Four QueensIn southeastern France, there is a region called Provence, known today for its lavender fields and its vineyards. In 13th-century France, Provence would be known as the birthplace of four queens who dominated European politics. The daughters, Marguerite, Eleanor, Sanchia, and Beatrice were the daughters of Raymond Berenger V Count of Provence, and his wife Beatrice of Savoy. They would become the queens of France, England, Germany, and Sicily. While the sisters were known for their beauty, how they acted as queen consorts for their husbands cemented their legacies in history. Nancy Goldstone tells the tale of these remarkable siblings and how they changed European history in her book, “Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe.”

I am always looking for a new history story to familiarize myself with to read and grow as a history nerd. I was familiar with Eleanor of Provence as she is mentioned in biographies about Henry III, but her sisters were a complete mystery to me and so when I heard about this book and its exploration into the sister queens and 13th-century European history, it intrigued me.

Goldstone begins with a story of how the English King Henry III met with the French King Louis IX in Paris during Christmas 1254, and this extraordinary meeting was orchestrated by two sisters, Eleanor and Marguerite of Provence. We then jump back in time to the childhood of the four sisters in Provence, full of wine and songs of the troubadours. At the heart of this glamorous court was Raymond Berenger V and Beatrice of Savoy, Count and Countess of Provence, along with their four daughters; Marguerite, Eleanor, Sanchia, and Beatrice. All around Provence, wars raged, and without a male heir, Raymond Berenger V and his beloved Provence risked the wars coming into his home and taking everything he loved. What is a father to do, but make exceptional matches for his daughters?

Marguerite, the oldest daughter, was married to the young Louis IX of France, thanks to the deal made by her father and her new mother-in-law, the formidable Blanche of Castile, the White Queen. Guillaume of Savoy, the sisters’ uncle, decided to arrange the next marriage, which was between Eleanor of Provence and the King of England, Henry III, who had been ruling a turbulent nation for over 20 years. The two eldest sisters would help weather civil wars and crusades to allow the dynasties that they married to survive.

The younger sisters, Sanchia and Beatrice, married men who were also younger siblings and were fighting for their rights to rule in Europe. Sanchia married Richard, Earl of Cornwall, the younger brother of Henry III. They would become King and Queen of Germany for only a brief time, but they would pave the way for the Habsburgs. Finally, Beatrice married the younger brother of Louis IX, Charles Count of Anjou; they would soon become the King and Queen of Sicily.

In the world of 13th-century Europe which was dominated by kings and popes fighting crusades and civil wars, it was the women at home and their husbands’ sides that helped stabilize nations. Marguerite, Eleanor, Sanchia, and Beatrice were fierce women who were loyal to their own families even if that meant that they had to step in the way of their sister’s glory. Goldstone can weave together a narrative of all four siblings that is compelling, engaging, and academically fascinating. If you want a book that explores the familial bonds of four sisters and the lengths that they had to go to to protect what they loved the most, I highly suggest you read, “Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe” by Nancy Goldstone.

Book Review: “King Arthur: Man or Myth?” by Tony Sullivan

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Myths and legends have come to define the legacy of kingdoms. Stories of men like Robin Hood who did not have magical aspects have captured the imagination of Englishmen for generations. However, there is one legend whose legacy is synonymous with the English people; the legend of King Arthur. We all know the story of the mythical king who ruled over Camelot with his beloved wife Gwenivere, his magical sword Excalibur, and his trusty Knights of the Round Table. Yet a question arises when we study this legend; was there ever a historical King Arthur? This is the central issue that Tony Sullivan has chosen to investigate thoroughly in his book, “King Arthur: Man or Myth?”.

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books for sending me a copy of this book. I was curious about this book after reading a previous book about Robin Hood. I will say that I did not know much about the Arthurian legend except the popular aspects that tend to appear in novels and films. Of course being a Tudor nerd I knew that Henry VII had a fascination with the story, since he named his eldest son Arthur, so I wanted to explore what made this tale so intriguing for many centuries.

To understand the origins of the myth, we must go back in the past, but not to the medieval period that many would expect after reading the legend. Sullivan’s main focus is on a period much farther back in time, Roman Britain. This is not an area of history that I normally study so I was unfamiliar with the people and the battles that Sullivan mentioned in connection to the “real” Arthur. It did feel a bit dense to me and it took me a while to get through this portion of the book, even though I did find it rather interesting to read about Roman Britain.

What impressed me about this book is Sullivan’s passion for this subject and his willingness to go the extra mile to show both sides of the argument, that there was a historical Arthur and a mythical Arthur. He dives deep into the sources, from the earliest annals and chronicles to the 11th and 13th centuries legends and romances. It was extremely fascinating to see how he treated this book like a criminal investigation, using different fields of study to figure out the origins of the legend, how it evolved, and whether or not there was a king named Arthur.

Overall, I found this book intriguing and rather challenging. If you are a novice when it comes to the academic world of the Arthurian legend, it might be a difficult read. I would suggest that if you are interested in reading this book, take your time and take plenty of notes. This may not be the best introductory book for those who want to know about the Arthurian legend, but I think that it will give you a better understanding of Roman Britain and the academic side of studying such a legendary figure. If this piques your interest, you should check out, “King Arthur: Man or Myth?” by Tony Sullivan.