Tag: William the Conqueror

Book Review: “Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest” by Sharon Bennett Connolly

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When we think about medieval princesses, we often think about pawns in the marriage market. They were born to become brides to create stronger alliances between nations. They helped rule kingdoms, but more importantly, they gave birth to heirs to help their new families’ dynasties continue to grow. But outside of marriages, what was life like for these royal women? How did certain women break the stereotype that comes with being a medieval princess? And how did the political environments of their new kingdoms affect their marriages and their families? Sharon Bennett Connolly explores these questions in her latest book, “Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest.”

 

I would like to thank Sharon Bennett Connolly for sending me a copy of her latest book. I have been such a fan of Connolly’s books for years now. Her knowledge about medieval women, specifically women in power, is remarkable. When she announced that she was writing this particular book, I knew I wanted to read it. So I was extremely thankful when she sent me a copy of her latest book. 

 

As Connolly states in her introduction, this is book one in a duology exploring the lives of medieval princesses. This book explores the lives of English princesses, both legitimate and illegitimate, from the Early Middle Ages, which would be from the Norman Conquest to the reign of King John. With that timeline, you would think that Connolly would begin with the daughters of William the Conqueror, but in fact, she begins with Harold Godwinson and his wives, Edith Swanneck and Ealdgyth. His daughters, Gunhild and Gytha, would live very different lives. Gunhild would marry Count Alan Rufus, also known as Alan the Red, while Gytha would marry Grand Prince Vladimir of Kyiv. 

 

William the Conqueror married Matilda of Flanders and had several children, including Adelida and Cecilia. Both girls became nuns, and Adela of Normandy would marry Stephen II, Count of Blois. Their son would become King Stephen of England, who married Matilda, Countess of Boulogne, and would do battle against Empress Matilda, the legitimate daughter of Henry I and Matilda of Scotland. Their conflict would be known as the Anarchy, and would lead to the Plantagenet dynasty. Connolly takes the time to explore the daughters of Stephen of Blois and Adela of Normandy, as well as the illegitimate daughters of Henry I. It should be noted that even though Henry I did have illegitimate daughters, it does not mean that they did not marry well; in fact Sybilla of Normandy would marry King Alexander I of Scotland, and his other illegitimate daughters married members of nobility. 

 

Connolly then explores the daughters of King Stephen, Mary and Ida, both of whom had some interesting love lives. We also get to see the daughters of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and how Eleanor’s daughters with her first husband, Louis VII of France, had a different life from those of the Angevin princesses of England, whose father was Henry II. Finally, Connolly explores the daughters of King John, including his illegitimate daughter, Joan, who would marry Llywelyn the Great and had an affair with William de Braose. When John married Isabelle d’Angoulême, they would have several children, including Joan of England, who married Alexander II of Scotland, and Isabella of England, who married Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. Finally, we explore the chaotic relationship between Eleanor of England and Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and how Simon fought with Eleanor’s family, especially her brother, King Henry III.

 

This is another excellent book by Sharon Bennett Connolly. Extremely well researched and relatively easy to follow along, which is a great thing because there are so many Matildas and Eleanors in this book. If you are a fan of Sharon Bennett Connolly and studying medieval princesses, you will love “Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest” by Sharon Bennett Connolly.

Guest Post: “Excerpt from ‘The Will of God’ by Julian de la Motte”

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I am pleased to welcome Julian de la Motte to my blog to share an excerpt from his novel, “The Will of God.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Julian de la Motte for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.

Excerpt:

And so there had been, far more than a ‘little something’ in fact. Grandesmil was carrying in his panniers documents that entitled him to vast swathes of new lands in the Cotentin, and he was carrying in his head visions of the likely reaction to William’s death of certain of his more immediate family. And thus, to Robert, his eldest son: The boy had been with the King of France for four years now. Kept on a short leash and harboured by William’s greatest enemy, a boy caught in rebellion and open defiance of his father. To Robert, then, full pardon and restitution and the bestowing of the Duchy of Normandy for himself, but no Crown of England.

And thus, to Odo, his half-brother. A man so steeped in sin and villainy and treachery that he could no longer personally enjoy his former high estate. While he languished under close but comfortable confinement for his unchurchly crimes, the bounty of Kent, his bishopric of Bayeux, and a score of other properties and estates had gone, untasted by him and savoured by others. To Odo, then, forgiveness and a return of all his former glories and previous estate. To his problematic and scandalous second son William, called Rufus for his red hair and high complexion, the great prize of the Kingdom of England itself and all that it brought, good and bad. To Henry, his youngest and avaricious son, the sum of the weight of five thousand pounds of silver, to make of it what he would.

It was ever the fate of younger sons to make of themselves what they could. That, after all, was what the wild lands of Spain, of Italy, and Sicily and the possessions of the Byzantines were for, so that determined men with horses and swords could take and make of them what they could. But the strange and cold and calculating boy would not embark upon the world empty-handed.

Blurb: 

“Deus Lo Vult!” 

Gilles is the natural son of the Earl Waltheof, executed by William the Conqueror for supposed treachery. Raised in Normandy by Queen Matilda of England, Gilles is a young servant of Robert, Duke of Normandy, when the first call for a Holy War against the infidel and the liberation of Jerusalem is raised in Christendom. Along with thousands of others, inspired by a variety of motives, intense piety mixed with a sense of adventure and the prospects of richness, Gilles becomes a key and respected follower of the Duke of Normandy and travels through France and into Italy to the point of embarkation for Constantinople and the land of the Greeks. 

In this epic first phase of a long and gruelling journey, Gilles begins to discover a sense of his strengths and weaknesses, encounters for the first time the full might and strength of the Norman war machine and achieves his much coveted aim of knighthood, as well as a sense of responsibility to the men that he must now lead into battle. 

The Will of God is the literal translation of the Latin phrase “Deus Lo Vult,” a ubiquitous war cry and a commonly offered explanation of all the horrors and iniquities unleashed by the First Crusade of 1096 to 1099, when thousands of Europeans made the dangerous and terrifying journey to the Holy Land and the liberation of Jerusalem. It is the first of two books on the subject. 

Praise for The Will of God: 

“De la Motte has superpowers as a writer of historical fiction; he’s a warhorse of a writer bred to stun and trample the literary senses. You won’t stop turning the pages of The Will of God.”  

~ Charles McNair, Pulitzer Prize nominee and author of Land O’Goshen 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link:  https://geni.us/uXe6u  

Author Bio: 

Julian de la Motte is a Londoner. He graduated from the University of Wales with a degree in Medieval History. He was further awarded a Master of Arts qualification in Medieval English Art from the University of York.  

 

He studied and taught in Italy for nearly four years before returning to the U.K. and a career as a teacher, teacher trainer, and materials designer before taking up a new role as the Director of Foreign Languages and of English as a Foreign Language. 

 

Married and with two grown-up children, He is now extensively involved in review writing and historical research, primarily on medieval history. 

 

”The Will of God” [the first of two books on the subject of the First Crusade] is his third novel. 

Author Links: 

Website: www.historiumpress.com/julian-de-la-motte  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julian.delamotteharrison.3  

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08XWMRPYK  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/20873400.julian_de_la_Motte  

 

 

Book Review: “Crown and Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II” by Tracy Borman

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England’s history is centuries old, full of colorful characters and change galore. What truly defines the history of England is the monarchy, which has lasted over a thousand years. Over 40 kings and queens left their distinct marks on the history of this proud island nation. While some could maintain the crown with no issues, others had to fight to earn the crown, and a few even died for the crown. While there has been a plethora of books and novels written about individual monarchs and their impacts on the history of England, only a select few have chosen to take the arduous task of telling the story of the British Monarchy from its origins to the modern-day. One such historian who has chosen the latter is Tracy Borman in her book, “Crown and Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II.”

I have been a fan of Tracy Borman and her writing for many years now. She has a way of making history come alive, so when I heard about this book, it was something I knew I wanted to read. I usually don’t read books like this because in the past, I have not been interested in the Stuarts and Hanoverians, but as I have begun to dive more into the Stuarts, I think it was the perfect time to read this book.

Borman begins with a brief introduction to the early kings of England, the Anglo-Saxon kings, to show how different it was from the Norman kings. She has divided the book into sections to highlight the different dynasties; Norman, Plantagenet, Lancaster, York, Tudor, Stuart, Hanoverian, and Windsor. Within each section is a mini-biography of each ruler during that dynasty. While there is not a whole lot of new information, it does give the reader a taste of what each reign was like.

As someone who usually reads about the Normans, Plantagenets, and Tudors, it was a nice review of the basic facts of the kings and queens during this span of history. Reading about the Stuarts, Hanoverians, and Windsors was something different for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It made me interested in studying the Stuarts and the Windsors, but I am on the fence about the Hanoverians. What is remarkable about the story is that the monarchy of England could have toppled at any point and did for a few years before it was restored, and continues to this day for over a thousand years.

Overall, I found this an interesting introductory read into the different dynasties that have shaped the English monarchy and the history of England. If you want new research about the individual monarchs, this might not be the book for you. However, if you want a great introductory book on the history of the British monarchy, I highly suggest you read, “Crown and Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II” by Tracy Borman.

Book Review: “Searching for the Last Anglo-Saxon King: Harold Godwinson, England’s Golden Warrior” by Paula Lofting

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We all know the story of William the Conqueror and the Norman Conquest. William claimed he was the heir of Edward the Confessor instead of his rival Harold Godwinson. Harold was seen as a villain throughout history thanks to the Norman sources, but what was the historical Harold Godwinson like? Was he a malicious usurper who had to die at the Battle of Hastings for the rightful King William I to take the throne or is there more to his story than his death? Paula Lofting scoured the archives to find the truth about this maligned man in her book, “Searching for the Last Anglo-Saxon King: Harold Godwinson, England’s Golden Warrior.”

I want to thank Paula Lofting and Pen and Sword Books for sending me a copy of this book. I will be honest I am not super familiar with the life of Harold Godwinson other than his role in the Battle of Hastings and from the book “The House of Godwin” by Michael John Key. It’s been a while since I dived into the story of the Godwin family and the Norman Conquest, so I was hoping to learn something new about Harold Godwinson.

Harold Godwinson was King of England for only nine months and nine days, but he left quite an impact. What makes him an interesting character is how he rose to the position of power to become a king. It all had to do with his family connections. Lofting lays out the origins of the Godwins, especially Harold’s father Earl Godwin. What makes the Godwin family is that Harold’s father Godwin and his brother Tostig would end up in exile or an enemy to the crown numerous times and yet it was Harold, his brother-in-law, who Edward chose to succeed him due to his loyalty and his strengths.

Then, in walks William Duke of Normandy, the illegitimate son of Robert Duke of Normandy, who not only became the new Duke of Normandy but desired the crown of England. Well, the only thing Harold could do was defend England from this invasion. Lofting goes into great detail about the multiple battles that were fought the most famous one, the Battle of Hastings, where King Harold died. She also goes into detail about the theories about where Harold Godwinson might have been buried after the battle.

As someone who is a relative novice to this subject, I found myself getting lost while reading the first half of this book which detailed the origins of the family and the drama that led Harold to the throne. It was very detailed and a real challenge for me to follow along. Once we hit the introduction of Duke William and Harold’s path to the throne, it became a better read for me. I think if you are interested in the Anglo-Saxon world, the Godwins, and the Battle of Hastings, I would recommend you read, “Searching for the Last Anglo-Saxon King: Harold Godwinson, England’s Golden Warrior” by Paula Lofting.

Book Review: “Foundation: The History of England From Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors” by Peter Ackroyd

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FoundationEngland is a nation that is rich in history and conflicts galore. Through the centuries, England has seen so much change. Many of us know the stories of the medieval and the Tudor kings and queens of England, covered in numerous books, but Peter Ackroyd has taken this concept a step forward. Ackroyd embarked on an epic quest to chronicle the history of England from its prehistoric origins to the modern age. In “Foundation: The History of England From Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors,” Peter Ackroyd begins his epic journey into the past to explore the origins of English history.

This book is one that I have seen every time I go to a bookstore and look at the history nonfiction section. I have heard great things about Ackroyd and this series, however, I have yet to read any of his books. It was always an intriguing book to me, but it was one that I never read until now.

Ackroyd has decided to begin his book with one of the most ancient sites in all of England, Stonehenge, explaining that before the first stone was set in Stonehenge, the origins of England were centuries old. We travel through the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and into Roman Britain before we dive into the time of the Anglo-Saxons and the Viking invasions. There is a lot of history to cover in less than a hundred pages, but Ackroyd can get his point across about how much change England went through during that time and that it continued to grow throughout the following centuries.

We see the impact that the Norman Conquest and William the Conqueror’s reign. The fall of the Normans with the death of King Stephen led to the rise of the Plantagenets and the reign of King Henry II. It was the Plantagenets that Ackroyd focuses the bulk of this book on as the dynasty lasted over 300 years and witnessed much change. From the Crusades, the Hundred Years War, and the Wars of the Roses, to the Black Death, rebellions, and religious changes, the Plantagenets saw England through major highs and lows. It was not just the monarchs that Ackroyd highlights in this book, he also examines how normal life changed with each dynasty and through the centuries, which adds a bit of depth to his examination of the past. Ackroyd concludes with the fall of Richard III and the rise of Henry VII and the Tudor dynasty. I wish Ackroyd would have waited until his next book to discuss the reign of Henry VII, but it is a minor qualm in the long run.

Overall, I found this an enjoyable and informative read. This is not only a tale of warring kings but a story of the people of England and what makes England so unique. A story whose origins are centuries old, but are rich and vivid in details. I look forward to seeing how Ackroyd will chronicle the Tudors and the rest of England’s history. If you want a book that explores as much of the beginnings of England’s story through multiple dynasties and dramatic changes, I would suggest you read, “Foundation: The History of England From Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors” by Peter Ackroyd.

Book Review: “Uncrowned: Royal Heirs Who Didn’t Take the Throne” by Ashley Mantle

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UncrownedA life of luxury from birth, destined to be crowned King or Queen of England. This is what we often think life must have been like for royal heirs who reached the ultimate destination of a crown and a throne. However, the stories of those who failed to reach the throne are mired in tragedy and heartache. The question of royal succession in England is a complex issue, especially when the heir to the throne dies unexpectedly, leaving doubts on whether a dynasty will survive through blood or dissolve in conflict. How did the deaths of these potential rulers radically transform the fabric of English history as a whole and what can their lives tell us about what kind of rulers they might have been? Ashley Mantle hopes to answer all of these questions and more in his latest book, “Uncrowned: Royal Heirs Who Didn’t Take the Throne.”

I would like to thank Amberley Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. The description of this book caught my attention. I wanted to see what heirs Mantle would feature in this book and if he would stay with well-known tales or venture into the realm of the relatively unknown heirs.

To begin his book, Mantle explains that he will be going through over a thousand years of royal succession history for England, which is a lot of history to include in one book. He also explains the difference between heir apparent and heir presumptive, which is key to understanding the complex nature of royal succession. While many of the stories included in this book focus on the male heirs, Mantle does include heiress to the throne like Empress Matilda, the Grey sisters (Lady Jane, Catherine, and Mary), Mary Queen of Scots, and Sophia Electress of Hanover, just to name a few.

Mantle’s deep dive into royal succession begins with Robert II Duke of Normandy, also known as Robert “Curthose”, the son of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders; it concludes with Frederick Duke of York and Albany, the son of King George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Each chapter focuses on one of the heirs, in chronological order, with miniature family trees at the beginning to help readers understand how close they were to the throne. This book is full of stories of betrayal, deaths, disappearances, family feuds, and heartache. Some of these heirs were relatively new stories for me, especially the ones more current than the Tudors, which was exciting to discover.

I must say that this task of combining over a thousand years of royal history into a comprehensive book is no easy task, but Mantle does a spectacular job. It was an informative and engaging read that would be perfect for any fan of royal history. If you want a fascinating book about those who were so close to the throne but never ruled, I highly suggest you read, “Uncrowned: Royal Heirs Who Didn’t Take the Throne” by Ashley Mantle.

Book Review: “Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror, First Queen of England” by Tracy Borman

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MatildaOne of the most critical years in English history was 1066, when William Duke of Normandy invaded England in the Norman Conquest. Known as William the Conqueror, his strength and ruthlessness made him a legend, but William would not have been the Duke or King of England without his equally formidable wife. Matilda of Flanders stood her ground, became the Duchess of Normandy, had a large family with William, and would become the first crowned Queen of England. Although much has been written about William the Conqueror and the Norman Conquest, Matilda of Flanders has not received the same attention until now. Tracy Borman has written the first biography dedicated to this remarkable woman entitled, “Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror, First Queen of England.”

I enjoyed reading her previous book about Henry VIII and the men who made him, and I wanted to read more books by Tracy Borman. When I heard about this book, it drew me in because I did not know much about Matilda of Flanders and her time, so I wanted to learn more.

Matilda of Flanders, the daughter of Count Baldwin V of Flanders and his wife, Adela, was one of the prominent women in 9th-century Europe. Borman shows how Flanders grew from a lawless society to a significant court that drew the attention of the dukedom of Normandy. Normandy was the home of William, the illegitimate son of Duke Robert I and his mistress Herleva. William shocked Europe when he became his father’s heir as Duke of Normandy and chose Matilda as his wife. To say they had a rocky start was an understatement, but Matilda and William had a large family and solidified Normandy as a powerhouse of Europe.

With the death of Edward the Confessor, William and Matilda saw their opportunity to take a bigger prize, the crown of England. While William had the military know-how to win the crown, it was Matilda who was able to help William with his conquest financially and took care of Normandy while he was taking care of his new kingdom. In return, William had Matilda crowned Queen of England.

However, not everything was perfect for William and Matilda. When their eldest son, Robert Curthose, was fed up with not getting the chance to become the Duke of Normandy as was his birthright, he rebelled, and Matilda decided to support her son over her husband. Matilda was not afraid to speak her mind, even if it felt like she was going beyond what was expected of a woman during that time. Matilda’s death in 1083 impacted the rest of William’s reign as King of England as the king mourned for the woman who could stand toe to toe with the great conqueror.

Borman has taken on the arduous task of telling the tale of Matilda of Flanders, and she absolutely smashes it. This biography is engaging and thought-provoking, revealing who Matilda was when you remove the myths surrounding her life. If you want a delightful biography about the first crowned Queen of England, I highly suggest reading “Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror, First Queen of England” by Tracy Borman.

Book Review: “Medieval Royal Mistresses: Mischievous Women who Slept with Kings and Princes” by Julia A. Hickey

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61816116When we think about royal relationships from the past, we do not associate them with love; it is more about cementing power. Princes and kings knew how much was at stake, so they tended to have wives for politics and produce legitimate heirs that would inherit their kingdoms. For matters of love and lust, kings and princes would have mistresses, either of noble birth or lower, on the side. These women have been deemed whores and homewreckers but is that a fair assessment of their legacies? Julia A. Hickey takes a closer look at these misunderstood mistresses in her latest book, “Medieval Royal Mistresses: Mischievous Women who Slept with Kings and Princes.”

Thank you, Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley, for sending me a copy of this book. When I saw this title, it intrigued me, and I was hoping to learn something new.

Hickey covers several hundred years in this book, starting around the year 1000 and ending in 1485. We begin with Queen Emma, Aelfgifu, and the confusion of whether Aelfgifu should be considered a mistress. With these Anglo-Saxon and Norman kings of England, we see many relatively hidden mistresses of William I and Henry I (who had quite a few). We then move to the Plantagenets with Henry II, King John, Edward II, Edward III, and Edward IV. Hickey also pays attention to other affairs in different countries, such as King David of Scotland and the Tour de Neste Affair.

Some of these mistresses would be familiar to readers, such as Isabella of Angouleme, Fair Rosamund, Piers Gaveston, Alice Perrers, Katherine Swynford, Isabella of France and Roger Mortimer, Jane Shore, Eleanor Talbot, and Elizabeth Woodville. Many were new to me, including Princess Nest of Wales, whose abduction started a war, Edith Forne Sigulfson, and Elizabeth Wayte. She even included Eleanor of Aquitaine as one of the mistresses mentioned in this book, which I’m afraid I have to disagree with, as most of this stems from the black legend that has tainted her legacy.

I found the information provided in this book rather intriguing, but my one concern about this book was how it was structured. I wish Hickey had sections marked for each king she mentioned in this book so we could distinguish which mistress was associated with which king or prince.

Overall, I found this book enjoyable and informative. It was a bit repetitive, and there were some arguments that I disagreed with. Still, the fact that Hickey could combine nearly 500 years’ worth of history about relatively hidden royal mistresses is quite admirable. Suppose you want a solid introduction to medieval England’s world of royal mistresses. In that case, I recommend you read “Medieval Royal Mistresses: Mischievous Women who Slept with Kings and Princes” by Julia A. Hickey.

Book Review: “The House of Godwin: The Rise and Fall of an Anglo-Saxon Dynasty” by Michael John Key

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52652202When we think of the past, especially those close to a thousand years past our current time, we tend to think about kings and conquerors who transformed the political landscape of certain countries. However, kings and conquerors would be nothing more than mere men if it was not for advisors and allies that stood by their sides or against them. For example, for nearly a century, the men and women of the House of Godwin were at the center of Anglo-Saxon politics and helped or hindered the path of those who wished to sit on the throne of England. The House of Godwin might not be a familiar family for those who are not familiar with Anglo-Saxon England before the Norman Conquest. Still, Michael John Key takes on the challenge to tell their story in his book, “The House of Godwin: The Rise and Fall of an Anglo-Saxon Dynasty.”

I want to thank Amberley Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. I have heard of the House of Godwin, but I only knew about some family members, like Earl Godwin and Harold Godwinson, who would become King Harold II. I wanted to learn more about this family and what kind of influence they held before and after the Norman Conquest.

Key begins by showing his readers how Godwin became Earl Godwin through the reigns of Swein Forkbeard, Edmund the Confessor, and King Cnut. Godwin married a Danish noblewoman named Gytha, and they would go on to have at least eight children, the eldest being a son named Swegn; Swegn was seen as the black sheep of the family and caused quite a few headaches for his father. When Cnut died, Earl Godwin helped navigate the succession squabble to get Harold Harefoot to the throne to become King Harold I.

After Harold I’s death, Godwin decided to take matters into his own hands as he proposed a marriage between Edward the Confessor and his daughter Edith. Under Edward’s reign, we see the rise of the eldest sons of Godwin, Harold, and Tostig, but we also see the Godwinson family in exile. Godwin would win his earldom back, but when news reached him that his eldest son Swegn died, he died soon afterward. Harold would become the head of the family, the chief advisor to Edward the Confessor, and eventually the king’s heir.

Since the events of Edward’s succession and Harold’s reign were the catalyst for the Norman invasion, Key spends a few chapters looking into the events that led to the monumental year of 1066. He also looks at critical battles, especially the Battle of Hastings and how they allowed William the Conqueror to become King of England. Key also examines the relationship between Harold and Tostig, which would help bring the Godwinsons crashing down.

I think Key does a decent job of diving deep into the archives as he tries to find the truth of the 11th century. There were points where it was a bit dry for me, but I did appreciate the charts and maps that he included to help illustrate the wealth and land holdings of the Godwinsons. Overall, I think it was a solid yet complex introduction to the Godwinsons and their legacy. Suppose you want to learn more about Anglo-Saxon England and one of the most influential families of that period in history. In that case, I recommend you read “The House of Godwin: The Rise and Fall of an Anglo-Saxon Dynasty” by Michael John Key.

Book Review: “Harry of England: The History of Eight Kings, From Henry I to Henry VIII” by Teresa Cole

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52509401English kings are some of the most recognizable monarchs in all of European history, and when we think of Kings of England, a few names pop into our minds. Edward, George, and William tend to be popular, but you cannot study English history without Henry. Eight kings of England were Henry, and they would change the history of England forever. These eight kings give us an entire range of what kingship was like in medieval Europe. From men born to be king to opportunists who decided to take the throne as their own, from saints to warrior kings, the Henrys of English history were a colorful group of characters. Each king has had numerous biographies written about him, but there has never been a collection of biographies about the kings named Henry until now. This is “Harry of England: The History of Eight Kings, From Henry I to Henry VIII” by Teresa Cole.

I want to thank Amberley Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. When I saw this title, I was fascinated by the concept. I have read several books about certain Henrys, but I have never read one that talks about them all in one book.

Cole begins her book with the first Henry, the 4th son of William the Conqueror. The prospects of him ever becoming king was very slim, especially when William the Conqueror passed away and the crown went to William Rufus, the eldest son. Yet destiny took an unexpected turn when William Rufus was killed in a hunting accident, and Henry was there to take the throne before his other brothers had a chance. Henry had to deal with numerous rebellions and the tragedy of the White Ship, which killed his only legitimate son and heir. This led to the period of fighting between Henry’s daughter Matilda and Stephen of Blois, known as the Anarchy, which led to the reign of King Henry II and the beginning of the Plantagenet Dynasty.

King Henry II had his fair share of family drama with his sons and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, plus a deadly confrontation with his former best friend, Thomas Becket. The following Henry, Henry III did not have the best of starts to his reign as he followed King John and had to deal with barons’ war and external threats to the throne while balancing the Magna Carta. Luckily for Henry III, he had the longest reign of any medieval English king, fifty-six years.

We enter the Hundred Years’ War with France during the reign of Henry IV, the son of John of Gaunt, who took the throne from Richard II. Henry IV’s son Henry V was the great warrior king who won a decisive victory against the French at Agincourt. Henry V’s son Henry VI became king when he was just a baby, and it was during his reign, that we saw the emergence of what we call today the Wars of the Roses. Finally, Cole tackles the Tudor kings, Henry VII and his second son Henry VIII.

Cole has done her research and given her readers a collection of biographies that are easy to read. Each king has his moment to shine, and Cole does not show favoritism as she explains important battles, events, policies, and changes to the law and religion that each king brought forth. If you want an excellent book that gives you an introductory course into the English kings named Henry, I would recommend “Harry of England: The History of Eight Kings, From Henry I to Henry VIII” by Teresa Cole.