Review: Lotharingia by Lara Byrne

Synopsis: Against the backdrop of the Investiture Controversy, a young woman is forging her own special destiny.

AD 1062. One day warrior Countess Matilde will rule like a man, and inherit her mother's mysterious relics, but she cannot escape the marriage arranged for her.

When her enigmatic overlord King Heinrich rescues her from her abusive husband, friendship blossoms into forbidden love. But her personal journey has only just begun.

A medieval tale of love, political intrigue, and relic hunting.

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A fictional account of the early life of Matilda of Canossa, a formidable women who stood up for what she believed in, in the face of opposition from more powerful political players. And that is where my interest started and stopped.

By the author's own words, the plot is entirely fictitious and is her own creative attempt to tie up "historical" loose ends, to provide both herself and the reader a semblance of a satisfactory explanation / conclusion to historical events that actually presented none and to fill in gaps in the historical chronology.

Unfortunately, it read more like a medieval Dan Brown novel than what could have been a more considered and structured historical novel of a woman at the centre of one of the most important political and religious events of not only her time but of our own.

To throw in relic hunting and an undocumented illicit love affair in order to explain things or tie up loose ends is really doing your subject a great disservice - and just didn't work on so many levels.

I will be labeling this one as alternate historical fiction - as that is what it represents, especially for those of us who have actually taken the time to get to know Matilda and invest in her story a little more seriously. I won't be pursuing the second in this series.

If you are truly interest in Matilda, then invest in "The Military Leadership of Matilda of Canossa 1046-1115" by David J. Hay or even "Tuscan Countess: The Life and Extraordinary Times of Matilda of Canossa" by Michele K. Spike

Review: The Sisters of Richard III by Sarah J Hodder

Synopsis: This book is the narrative of three women of York, sisters to not one, but two kings of England. Anne, Elizabeth and Margaret Plantagenet were the daughters of Richard, Duke of York and his wife, Cecily Neville, and therefore sisters to Edward IV and Richard III. These women watched from the sidelines as their father challenged England’s anointed king and lost his life, as their brothers fought together for the throne of England and then amongst themselves and as the Plantagenet dynasty fell, making way for the reign of the Tudors.

But they were not just bystanders; they had their own stories to tell. Anne of York was married to the Lancastrian Duke of Exeter who sided against her father and brother, before finding later happiness, albeit briefly, with her second husband. Elizabeth of York married John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk and became the mother of eleven children who would become thorns in the side of the Tudor kings and Margaret of York became Duchess of Burgundy, a hugely influential woman in her adopted kingdom although she never stopped supporting her family back in England. Between them, they witnessed and contributed to one of the most turbulent times in English history yet they have naturally been overshadowed by their more famous brothers. This is their story.

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The story of the three Yorkists sisters - Anne, Elizabeth and Margaret - as told against the backdrop of the Wars of the Roses. And the story of the sisters is one full of persistence in keeping both the Yorkist cause and that of their family name, alive. With their mother Cecily, these three women were the great survivors of this tumultuous period in history.

Hodder provides the reader with a well-researched tome that covers off the events of the Wars of the Roses, whilst linking the lives of these women to both their family and the events.

That there may have been a perception that they had gone unremarked is only due to the fact that two of their brothers - Edward IV and Richard III - outshone them. However, they did not go completely unobserved - a careful historian or student of history will find all three women,scattered across the pages of numerous tomes. What Hodder does is bring this all under one book cover and puts their lives into context with events as their not only occurred but also how they impacted this particular family.

The keen reader of the Wars of the Roses history will enjoy this as will someone who is coming new into this period. There were many extraordinary women at this point in history - this is the story of three of them (four if you also count in their mother, Cecily).

Review: House of Lilies by Justine Firnhaber-Baker

Synopsis: The definitive history of the Capetians, the crusading dynasty that made the French crown the wealthiest and most powerful in medieval Europe and forged France as we know it today

In House of Lilies , historian Justine Firnhaber-Baker tells the epic story of the Capetian dynasty of medieval France, showing how their ideas about power, religion, and identity continue to shape European society and politics today.

Reigning from 987 to 1328, the Capetian kings became the most powerful monarchy of the Middle Ages and established the foundations of a shared French culture. Consolidating a fragmented realm that eventually stretched from the Rhône to the Pyrenees, they were the first royal house to adopt the fleur-de-lys, displaying this lily emblem to signify their divine favor and legitimate their rule. The Capetians played a part in some of the most dramatic and far-reaching episodes in European history, including the Crusades, bloody waves of religious persecution, and a series of wars with England. The Capetian age saw the emergence of Gothic architecture, the romantic ideals of chivalry and courtly love, and the Church’s role at the center of daily life.

Evocatively interweaving these pivotal developments with the human stories of the rulers who drove them, House of Lilies is the definitive history of the dynasty that forged France—and Europe—as we know it.

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Four stars for the following reasons:

* easy to read

* informative though not dull or dry

* covers the Capetian Dynasty well, including the women

* well researched

* additional notes, maps, family trees

Covering nearly over three centuries of French history and international politicking, Firnhaber-Baker does a remarkable job at presenting one of the pivotal dynasties in French history - the Capetians. This work has all the elements: religious fervor and upheaval, crusades,scandal, warfare, adultery, ambition, family drama, politicking - and on a magnificent grandiose scale.

Each monarch has their own dedicated chapter which covers off the pivotal moments of their reign, including each monarch's relationships with France's closest neighbours - England, Normandy, Flanders, Blois, Anjou, Valois - as France as we know it today, was still very much in its infancy and only really beginning to coalesce.

Recommended reading for those with an interest in French history and royal dynasties.

Review: Peter of Savoy by John Marshall

Synopsis: 

Where did the story that ended with the great Edwardian castles of north Wales begin? How was it that hundreds of men from Savoy built castles in north Wales? Whose stylised statue sits outside the Savoy Hotel in London on the site of his former palace? Whose castle of Pevensey endured successfully the longest English siege? Why does much of Switzerland speak French to this day? Why do we find elements of the Magna Carta in the Statutes of Savoy? Who was one of the greatest figures of the thirteenth century? Peter of Savoy, known to chroniclers of his homeland as The Little Charlemagne.

Peter of Savoy came to England as the uncle of Queen Alianor de Provence, the consort of King Henry III. He quickly found favour as one of Henry’s closest advisers and noblemen. Peter was in effect Queen Alianor’s right-hand man in England, her protector, and subsequently the protector of Lord Edward, the future King Edward I. He played a key role in Henry’s military and diplomatic efforts to recover his ancestral lands in France which culminated in the 1259 Treaty of Paris. This rapprochement between the Capetians and Plantagenets might have warded off the Hundred Years War, but it was not to be.

Nonetheless, the nineteenth-century monks of Savoy thought it his greatest accomplishment. Peter played a key role in the Second Baronial War which engulfed Henry’s reign, at first siding with Simon de Montfort but then changing sides as the reform movement veered toward xenophobia. Returning to Savoy he laid the foundations for the County of Savoy to become a powerful Duchy which in turn almost became a country before it was dismembered by Switzerland, Italy and France. His historical reputation suffered at the hands of English chroniclers keen to eulogise the Montfortian regime. This work is an attempt to discover the real Peter of Savoy.

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It get five stars as it ticked all the boxes for me - it achieves what it sets out - to discover the real Peter of Savoy.

And why five starts - it is a biography about a man who was at the forefront of European politics in the 13th century; it is a biography that provided additional information from what I had already read; it is a biography that provided a more balanced view of an historical figure; and it is a biography that I would be more than happy to have on the shelves of my own library (and will be - adding it to my own library, that is). Definitely one for those with an understanding of period and the major players, but also one for those looking for that little bit more.

Marshall does extraordinarily well to bring to life the character and person that was Peter of Savoy. Marshall notes that in reference to the Savoyards and their attachment to the royal family, that "... in assessing 13th century international affairs, we must think of them as family first and foremost ...". For that was how monarchs ruled - they tended to surround themselves not only with capable military and political minds, but with family, whose loyalty to them and them alone, was rarely doubted. And in Peter of Savoy and his family, Henry III, King of England, found a staunch ally who guarded the monarchy through the later tumultuous years of his reign. Peter was a pragmatist, who led a life with one foot in England and the other in Savoy; who was driven by the protection of his family and its interests in the Plantagenet dynasty. His niece was - afterall - Queen of England - but he was more than that - though depending on the political camp you were in, he was both praised and vilified.

Marshall begins with Savoy - and Peter's (or Pierre) antecedents, the foundation of the County, and its early links to England. In Savoy, Marshall advises, succession is never so simple and there was constant inter-family strife over inheritance from both sides of Peter's family - those in Savoy and those in Geneva.

Then the focus then turns to four sisters, the daughters of Raymond Berenguer V, Count of Provence. Briefly, these are: Margaret (m. King Louis IX of France); Eleanor (m. King Henry III of England); Sancha (m. Richard, King of the Romans, and brother of Henry III); and finally, Beatrice (m. Charles I, King of Sicily). And mentioned above - family was key in the world of international politics (he was uncle to all four women) - and these marriages, as with others, would play their part.

Peter found himself at the English court, where his appointments were viewed with some suspicion - nepotism was alive and well in 13th century England. However, Peter was a very capable administrator who was well rewarded - how else was he able to manage the affairs of both England and Savoy! But his main aim was to build a familial network around both Henry III, but more importantly, around his niece Eleanor and her son, Edward (later King Edward I of England). 

Henry's reign was far from popular: there were failed military forays (designed to reclaim lost Continental lands); there were the attempts to place his brother on the Imperial throne and his second son on the throne of Sicily; there were rebellions in Gascony; and there were efforts to remove the influence at court of "foreigners".  This period in English history would also be known for the Barons' Wars, and the rise and fall of the King's brother-in-law, Simon de Montfort.

The latter part of Peter's life would see him back in Savoy, consolidating his European lands, taking on the Habsburgs, settling disputes and ensuring the family succession. He was a key player on the international political scene; he was a reformer, a visionary, a statesman and diplomat, and a peacemaker.

I could literally wax lyrical about this book till the cows come home - but for those with an interest in 13th century European politics, this is a must have biography.

I would recommend reading this in conjunction with Marshall's book: Welsh Castle Builders

Review: Mary Queen of Scots Secretary by Robert Stedall

Synopsis: Maitland was the most able politician and diplomat during the lifetime of Mary Queen of Scots. It was he who masterminded the Scottish Reformation by breaking the 'Auld Alliance' with France, which presaged Scotland's lasting union with England.

Although he gained English support to defeat French troops defending Mary's Scottish throne, he backed her return to Scotland, as the widowed Queen of France. His attempts to gain recognition for her as heir to the English crown were thwarted by her determined adherence to Catholicism.

After her remarriage, he spearheaded the plotting to bring down her objectionable husband, Lord Darnley, leading to his murder, after concluding that English and Scottish interests were best served by creating a Protestant regency for their son, Prince James. With encouragement from Cecil in England and the Protestant Lords in Scotland, he concocted evidence to implicate her in her husband's murder, resulting in her imprisonment and deposition from the Scottish throne.

Despite her escape to England, he remained personally loyal to her and attempted to conjure Scottish support for her restoration by backing her allies holding Edinburgh Castle on her behalf. When it fell in 1573, he resorted to suicide.

Maitland - who was he? what was his role in the government of Mary Queen of Scots? what was his role in Darnely's murder? did he bring about the downfall of Mary?

Maitland is a shadowy character, and I found myself often comparing him to Cecil, Elizabeth's right hand man - a man, I think, Maitland admired and wanted to emulate. However, he never did manage to maintain the consistency that Cecil did, and Scottish politics would not allow him to do so.

Those looking for a standard biography of this man may be slightly disappointed. He is more to be found in the shadows, working behind the scenes, often out of Scotland on diplomatic missions, so it difficult to assess just how influential he actually was.

I was interested in Stedall's take on Maitland is one of the instigators in Darnley's murder, one of those behind the infamous "casket letters" (of which I am no expert), and as a rather inconsistent supporter of Mary.

The reign of Mary is the focus - Maitalnd was - as the title suggests - a politician, a religious reform, and ultimately, a conspirator, before coming full circle as ardent supporter. With very little to go on, it becomes evident that Maitland would be seen in relation to the events of Mary's life and reign - a bit much like many women who lived off the pages that their more historically dominant husbands occupied.

Even with the benefit of hindsight, it is every difficult to judge and assess a person' motivations at that point in time; and even hindsight is often clouded by an author's bias, whether they be a contemporary or modern source. And as we have seen, it is also very easy to make facts support just about any theory.

But Stedall's book does give pause for thought - and I enjoy reading another author's perspective on events, especially when they diverge from mainstream consensus - I mean, who wants to read the same thing over and over again - you would only ever need to buy one book!

Yes, I would love to have had Maitland feature more prominently - but sometimes there is just not enough factual documentation for this to occur. It does however, shed light on the political and religious struggles within Scotland at the time of Mary's reign, which is often overlooked as her cousin, Elizabeth, takes the limelight nine times out of ten. But in the end he did achieve one thing - the succession of a Scottish monarch upon the English throne.

read more 

> The Memoirs of Secretary Maitland as contained in George Chalmer' second volume of the Life of Mary Queen of Scots (page 450)

> Maitland of Lethington by Sir John Skelton

> The Life & Times of John Maitland, Duke of Lauderdale by William Cook Mackenzie

Simon V of Montfort and Baronial Government, 1195-1218 by G.E.M. Lippiatt

Dissenter from the Fourth Crusade, disseised Earl of Leicester, leader of the Albigensian Crusade, prince of southern France: Simon of Montfort led a remarkable career of ascent from mid-level French baron to semi-independent count before his violent death before the walls of Toulouse in 1218. Through the vehicle of the crusade, Simon cultivated autonomous power in the liminal space between competing royal lordships in southern France in order to build his own principality. This first English biographical study of his life examines the ways in which Simon succeeded and failed in developing this independence in France, England, the Midi, and on campaign to Jerusalem. Simon's familial, social, and intellectual connexions shaped his conceptions of political order, which he then implemented in his conquests. 

By analysing contemporary narrative, scholastic, and documentary evidence-including a wealth of archival material-this volume argues that Simon's career demonstrates the vitality of baronial independence in the High Middle Ages, despite the emergence of centralised royal bureaucracies. More importantly, Simon's experience shows that barons themselves adopted methods of government that reflected a concern for accountability, public order, and contemporary reform ideals. This study therefore marks an important entry in the debate about baronial responsibility in medieval political development, as well as providing the most complete modern account of the life of this important but oft-overlooked crusader.

Governing by Virtue by Norman Jones

Managing early modern England was difficult because the state was weak. Although Queen Elizabeth was the supreme ruler, she had little bureaucracy, no standing army, and no police force. This meant that her chief manager, Lord Burghley, had to work with the gentlemen of the magisterial classes in order to keep the peace and defend the realm. He did this successfully by employing the shared value systems of the ruling classes, an improved information system, and gentle coercion.

Using Burghley's archive, Governing by Virtue explores how he ran a state whose employees were venal, who owned their jobs for life, or whose power derived from birth and possession, not allegiance, even during national crises like that of the Spanish Armada.

Bishops in the Political Community of England, 1213-1272 by Sophie Therese Ambler

Thirteenth-century England was a special place and time to be a bishop. Like their predecessors, these bishops were key members of the regnal community: anointers of kings, tenants-in-chief, pastors, counsellors, scholars, diplomats, the brothers and friends of kings and barons, and the protectors of the weak. But now circumstance and personality converged to produce an uncommonly dedicated episcopate-dedicated not only to its pastoral mission but also to the defence of the kingdom and the oversight of royal government. This cohort was bound by corporate solidarity and a vigorous culture, and possessed an authority to reform the king, and so influence political events, unknown by the episcopates of other kingdoms.

These bishops were, then, to place themselves at the heart of the dramatic events of this era. Under King John and Henry III-throughout rebellion, civil war, and invasion from France, and the turbulent years of Minority government and Henry's early personal rule-the bishops acted as peacemakers: they supported royal power when it was threatened, for the sake of regnal peace, but also used their unique authority to reform the king when his illegal actions threatened to provoke his barons to rebellion. This changed, however, between 1258 and 1265, when around half of England's bishops set aside their loyalty to the king and joined a group of magnates, led by Simon de Montfort, in England's first revolution, appropriating royal powers in order to establish conciliar rule.

Bishops in the Political Community of England, 1213-1272 examines the interaction between the bishops' actions on the ground and their culture, identity, and political thought. In so doing it reveals how the Montfortian bishops were forced to construct a new philosophy of power in the crucible of political crisis, and thus presents a new ideal-type in the study of politics and political thought: spontaneous ideology.

read more @ OUP Blog - What To Do With A Simple-Minded Ruler

John Morton by Stuart Bradley

John Morton (c. 1420–1500) was one of the most important men in the land from the Wars of the Roses to the start of the Tudor dynasty. Yet he has been largely ignored in recent times.

He was a man of great character and influence over politics and the Church. He lived into his eighties, having served three kings as a councillor, Master of the Rolls, Lord Chancellor, bishop, Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinal. He was a key figure in the early Tudor state. He had escaped from the Tower of London, lived in exile twice, and was a major adversary of Richard III. He funded the building of Hatfield Palace, the first drainage of the fens, and the central tower of Canterbury Cathedral. The Morton Missal contained the first printed music in England.

As S. B. Chrimes observed, ‘There can be little doubt that Morton was the key figure in Henry VII’s government, nothing approaching an adequate study of his life and role has yet been published.’ In fact, no detailed biography of Morton has been produced since Victorian times.

This book follows John Morton’s career through the reigns of Henry VI and Edward IV, and his central role in opposition to Richard III, before his fifteen years as Lord Chancellor to Henry VII, which were crucial to the establishment of the Tudor dynasty.

The Politics of Counsel in England and Scotland, 1286-1707 by Jacqueline Rose

Counsel was a fundamental element of the theoretical framework and practical workings of medieval and early modern government. Good rule was to be ensured by governors hearing wise advisers. This process of counsel assumed particular importance in England and Scotland between the 14th and 17th centuries because of the close adherence to ideas of the common good, commonwealth, and community in this period.

Yet this era saw major changes in who gave counsel and how it operated. This volume identifies both patterns and moments of change while also recognising continuities. It examines counsel in the context of Anglo-Scottish warfare and unions, the Reformations, and early colonising ventures, as well as in the contingent circumstances of individual reigns and long-term evolutions in the nature of government.

Depicting counsel as ubiquitous yet archivally elusive, this volume uses government records, pamphlets, plays, poetry, histories, and oaths to establish a new framework for understanding advice. As it shows, a widespread belief in good counsel masked fundamental tensions between accountability and secrecy, inclusive representation and political cohesiveness, and between upholding and restraining sovereign authority.