The White Ship by Charles Spencer

Publication Date: October 19, 2021

Length:  352 pages

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'd been eager to start this book, not only because it is about a period of time I love to learn about, but because it is a non-fiction history book. I made a goal this year to read a bit more history like I used to years ago before I made the switch to a lot of historical fiction and historical mysteries. Sometimes you just want the facts without a story line and so I thought this looked like a good book to begin with in January.

The book takes you through the reign of William the Conqueror to the rise of Henry II. It gives a good synopsis of each ruler and their influence on history, all of it linking back to the premise that the White Ship disaster of 1120 was the driving factor behind the ruin of Henry I's ambitions for England. The prologue, A Cry in the Dark, is short but riveting, describing the terror and horror of that night and in an interesting twist, leaves one hanging, thinking the young Prince William, shining star son of Henry I, has gotten away to safety. The story then switches to the rise of William the Conqueror and doesn't return to the sinking of the ship in detail until later. 

The story is then divided into three main sections: the rise of Henry I, the shipwreck disaster and failure of Henry I to produce another male heir, and finally, the period of anarchy that saw the battle between his daughter, the Empress Matilda, and her cousin Stephen, to take the throne. Throughout we are given many personal stories including Henry's rocky relationship with his wild brothers, his rivalry with King Louis "The Fat" of France, and his tireless efforts to control Normandy. 

The second part of the book reads like a novel in its recreation of the tragedy and the people aboard the ship. We are given some background on the frivolity of the atmosphere, the entitled nobility all vying for a place in the world of the celebrated prince, and the obvious effect of free flowing wine on the passengers and crew. As the story moves into the moment of shipwreck, Spencer does a superb job of making one feel as if they were there, describing the people on board, the weather, and the terror of the helpless victims. He details what it must have been like as they landed in the water, freezing and drowning in panic. Later, the description of the heartbroken Henry upon hearing the news of his son's death, "Henry fell to the floor, screaming in agonized disbelief at the realization he had lost his son and beloved heir," resonates with any parent today thinking of the same fate befalling their child. 

Part three takes a very complicated period known as The Anarchy and gives a factual, solid account without getting too bogged down in minute details. The story of Stephen and Empress Matilda attempting to slug out who will rule after Henry's death has had volumes written about it. Keeping things brief and to the point is no easy task but Spencer handles it well.

I thought this book was an excellent introduction to the time period it covers and will allow the reader to walk away being able to recount the events and get a feel for the middle ages at this time. It reads smoothly and quickly in chronological order and I never felt lost or bored by irrelevant facts. It wouldn't be my first choice for really getting an in-depth understanding of The Anarchy, but would be a good place to start just to get the main players and key points down. 

Another huge bonus with this book for me was the picture gallery at the end. Some I'd seen before, some were new, and some I'd seen but not up close and in color. From the portrait of William the Conqueror, to the tomb of Robert Curthose, to the painting of the White Ship disaster by Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Louise, I was enthralled and spent quite a while studying each one. This addition alone makes the book worth purchasing. An entertaining history story, along with paintings and maps, makes me really feel as if I am transported through time. 

When I went to do a little research on the author, I wondered how on earth I managed to buy this book, read it, and only then discover that Charles Spencer is....THE....Charles Spencer. I did not put it together that the brother of the late Princess Diana was an author until I went searching for more books of his. Imagine my surprise! I had no idea he'd written anything at all and was excited to find more books covering subjects that interest me. Because of his simple yet informative, narrative style, I will definitely be reading more of his books. 

 

Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Conscience of a King by David Field (Medieval Saga Book 7)

This week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at WishfulEndings, is the seventh book in David Field's Medieval Saga Series. I haven't read any of his works yet so I can't recommend them but when I saw this story has Simon de Montfort as the main character, I was intrigued. You don't see much of him in literature aside from Penman's Falls the Shadow. I'm interested enough to put it in my TBR pile. 

I also really enjoy series that take historical facts and real people and make them the basis of the story rather than fictional characters. It's such a great way to learn and retain historical facts in an interesting way. This series takes you from the Norman Conquest through the end of Henry III's reign. 

March 17, 2023

Historical Fiction

Book description courtesy of Amazon 

England, 1229

After fighting in the Albigensian Crusade in France, Simon de Montfort – a landless nobleman – arrives at the court of Henry III, hoping to re-establish his family’s claim to the Earldom of Leicester. 

In pursuit of his goal, Simon soon proves his value to Henry as a military leader and political advisor, becoming one of the king’s most trusted men. 

But discontent is building within the English court. Frustrated by the king’s preference for foreign nobles and his extortionate taxes to fund wars abroad, the leading barons are constantly on the edge of rebellion.

As a man with a strong sense of justice, Simon is dismayed by Henry’s treatment of the common people and the corruptibility of the English legal system. And as the barons’ anger seems set to boil over into armed conflict, Simon must search his conscience and decide how far he is willing to go to bring about reform…

Can Simon restore his family’s fortunes? Can he help lead England into a new golden age while retaining the king’s favour?

Or will his principles cost him his life…?

The Conscience of a King is the seventh historical novel in The Medieval Saga Series – thrilling action-packed adventures set during and after the Norman Conquest.

Execution Dock by Anne Perry

Publication Date:  March 24, 2009

Length: 320 pages

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Looking back through my blog posts I was astounded to realize I hadn't read and reviewed a William Monk book at all yet. And even though one of my goals this year is to try to read new authors, I couldn't resist checking in with William and Hester to see what they are doing next. Execution Dock is book 16 in Perry's popular Monk series. I have been steadily reading them for years now and like to go in order because even though her books can stand alone as far as the mystery narrative, you get more out of the books if you understand the background of the leading characters. 

The book opens with our hero Monk, now Commander of London’s River Police, attempting to catch Jericho Phillips, a shady underworld figure who traffics in child exploitation. When he and his men succeed in bringing him in, they are elated and look forward to seeing justice served. But when Phillips is set free for a crime Monk is sure he's guilty of, everyone involved in his capture is outraged. It soon becomes apparent that high society is participating in the charade and that behind the scenes there are powerful people that don't want Phillips talking, mostly because they themselves seem to be benefiting from the abuse of the children.

Monk's wife Hester runs a clinic for the poor women who prostitute themselves and live desperate lives. She and Monk have taken a street orphan, Scuff, under their wing, who is about the same age as Phillips' murdered victim. Drawing on information obtained from local boys Scuff knows and carefully putting together clues gleamed from those who will talk, Hester and her friend Claudine attempt to find evidence of either Phillips's guilt or those who buy his wares. During their investigation it comes to light that a relative of one of Monk and Hester's friends might be part of the clientele and they must decide how to handle the explosive information. 

Meanwhile, Oliver Rathbone, prominent barrister and friend of the Monks is wrestling with doubts of his own. Originally tasked with prosecuting Phillips, Rathbone is on the outs with his former friends due to his questioning of Monk on the stand and his apparent insinuations that Monk's motives were not the purest in his attempt at arresting Phillips. Fears that their friendship is irreparably damaged leads to a frosty stalemate between the Monks and Oliver and his wife, Margaret. But they will all have to come together in the end if they are to find a way to finally apprehend Phillips for his heinous crimes.

I read some reviews on this book that said it really bothered them and that they had to recover from the seediness of the story. While there is no doubt that it is heavy, depressing material at times, I didn't think it was much different from other Anne Perry stories that have similar content. She is known for really creating an authentic, detailed setting of Victorian England, warts and all and here she shines in her vivid descriptions of the worst criminal elements of society. I think her books involving the abuse of children hit hardest for most people and so I'm sure that is what they are reacting to. That is totally understandable. But because her books always contain the good versus evil element with evil getting its just reward in the end, I don't feel so down at the conclusion of most of her books. I have felt this way much more so in her Christmas stories because those are supposed to take place during a happy, upbeat time of year and often include sad storylines as well.

This was one of the better Monk stories for me in that I enjoyed the dynamic between Rathbone and his wife's family as well as the conflict between the Rathbones and Monks. Over time the men have forged a shaky friendship (each had their sights set on Hester at one point) and it added to the suspense to see how they would handle their disagreement. The courtroom scenes were well written as always and the down to the wire ending was captivating. Perry does have a habit of repeating herself and doing a bit too much pondering inside the characters heads sometimes but I guess I've kind of grown used to her style. A solid continuation of this series and I will continue with the next one for sure.