Review: Usurpers: a New Look at Medieval Kings by Michele Morrical

Synopsis: In the Middle Ages, England had to contend with a string of usurpers who disrupted the British monarchy and ultimately changed the course of European history by deposing England's reigning kings and seizing power for themselves. Some of the most infamous usurper kings to come out of medieval England include William the Conqueror, Stephen of Blois, Henry Bolingbroke, Edward IV, Richard III, and Henry Tudor. Did these kings really deserve the title of usurper or were they unfairly vilified by royal propaganda and biased chroniclers?

In this book we examine the lives of these six medieval kings, the circumstances which brought each of them to power, and whether or not they deserve the title of usurper. Along the way readers will hear stories of some of the most fascinating people from medieval Europe, including Empress Matilda, the woman who nearly succeeded at becoming the first ruling Queen of England; Eleanor of Aquitaine, the queen of both France and England who stirred her own sons to rebel against their father, Henry II; the cruel and vengeful reign of Richard II which caused his own family to overthrow him; the epic struggle for power between Henry VI, Margaret of Anjou, Richard of York, and Edward IV during the Wars of the Roses; the notorious Richard III and his monstrous reputation as a child-killer; and Henry VII who rose from relative obscurity to establish the most famous royal family of all time: the Tudors.

Whilst I appreciate that this promises a rather unique look at the reigns of some notable kings and whether they were worthy of the title "usurper" that had been applied to them, this really did not ignite any spark.

If you are going to use the words "a new look" in the title, then there should be something new that has not been repeated elsewhere. If I have picked up your tome with the title "usurpers" in it - it means that I have read the usual tomes, have a working background knowledge, and don't need the details of each kings' reign ..... in detail, including a history of events of the previous rulers.

Even a cursory read of the synopsis will tell you that there is more being included than needs to be - in fact - where really does Eleanor of Aquitaine fit into the subjects being studied - Henry II is not being accused of being a usurper nor is Richard or John. Begs a number of questions ... 

If you plan to provide an analysis of the reign of kings considered as usurpers, then more than a one to two page assessment at the end of what I considered to be an information dump, is required. What I am after is a unique, unbiased, assessment of why each deserved or did not deserve the title of usurper - not just a throw-away "because he snuffed out the previous ruler" or "because of his father's political ambitions" or "because his stole it {the crown} away".  And the synopsis will also tell you - if you read between the lines - what the verdict already is!

The assessment, whatever the author's opinion is, needs to be weighted against the reign, the actions, and viewed in the context of the period in order to be able to formulate a cohesive analysis. Sure provide some background - but - after I finished and looked at the sources provided and noted that I had read them all - sometimes less is more - a short sharp summary of events. I know you've done the research - what I want to see is how you've applied it to the premise - did the book meet the brief. Well ... briefly.

I would put this in the category of more popularist history - certainly, from the tone of the narrative, the language, it is not an academic text - I was left wondering who the intended audience was. Even if the reader had read nothing about the history of England from the time of Alfred to Henry VIII, I would be hesitant is suggesting this as an initial text. I actually did not enjoy reading this at all.  I think this is more of a case of someone thought it was a good idea to cobble together a number of blog posts and present them in book form (and not for the first time from this publisher unfortunately).

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion - and this is mine (based upon many, many years of reading and studying history).