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This week we travel back in time to the late 12th century for Thomas Asbridge's The Greatest Knight, a biography of an Anglo-Norman knight, Guillaume le Maréchal, or in English simply William Marshal.
Asbridge first tells the tale of how a 13th century manuscript of a biography of Marshal, written in French verse, was discovered in the 1800s providing an unprecedented look back into the life of a person who was neither a king, queen nor prince. It's an interesting story in itself of a scholar by chance noticing an intriguing manuscript about to be auctioned, before it disappeared uncatalogued into a vast private collection of manuscripts. Only decades later after the collector died was the specific book tracked down by searching through thousands of volumes one by one. Only after the manuscript was rediscovered was its subject matter fully understood, perhaps being read for the first time in centuries.
Marshal was by far the most successful knight of his age. Born the second son of a minor noble, he seemingly was destined to a roller-coaster life of temporary service to whatever noble wealthy enough to employ him for a few years before he'd have to find other work. Through skill and wits he managed to rise through the dangerous minefield of quickly shifting loyalties of the reigns of Henry II, Richard I and John to become a great lord and easily the most respected man in England late in his life.
The Greatest Knight follows the history of England from before Marshal's birth till his death. It tells how the tournaments of the 12th century were much different from what we imagine, virtually an organized sport version of open warfare in which a knight could win or lose a small fortune in a few days, not to mention risking the possibility of accidental permanent injury or death. It tells of how rebellions were almost predictable, and how dangerous it was to be loyal to the wrong party in any serious fight. While it would be easy enough to overstate the influence of a single person, certainly Marshal and his noble peers did much to shape the Magna Carta and keep it fresh in English minds, as well as to keep the throne of England in the possession of the Anjou (Plantagenet) family when it could have easily gone over to the French Capetians.
I'd recommend The Greatest Knight to anyone interested in medieval English or French history, and to anyone looking for a change of pace in their reading. It's very readable and full of twists and turns.
Asbridge first tells the tale of how a 13th century manuscript of a biography of Marshal, written in French verse, was discovered in the 1800s providing an unprecedented look back into the life of a person who was neither a king, queen nor prince. It's an interesting story in itself of a scholar by chance noticing an intriguing manuscript about to be auctioned, before it disappeared uncatalogued into a vast private collection of manuscripts. Only decades later after the collector died was the specific book tracked down by searching through thousands of volumes one by one. Only after the manuscript was rediscovered was its subject matter fully understood, perhaps being read for the first time in centuries.
Marshal was by far the most successful knight of his age. Born the second son of a minor noble, he seemingly was destined to a roller-coaster life of temporary service to whatever noble wealthy enough to employ him for a few years before he'd have to find other work. Through skill and wits he managed to rise through the dangerous minefield of quickly shifting loyalties of the reigns of Henry II, Richard I and John to become a great lord and easily the most respected man in England late in his life.
The Greatest Knight follows the history of England from before Marshal's birth till his death. It tells how the tournaments of the 12th century were much different from what we imagine, virtually an organized sport version of open warfare in which a knight could win or lose a small fortune in a few days, not to mention risking the possibility of accidental permanent injury or death. It tells of how rebellions were almost predictable, and how dangerous it was to be loyal to the wrong party in any serious fight. While it would be easy enough to overstate the influence of a single person, certainly Marshal and his noble peers did much to shape the Magna Carta and keep it fresh in English minds, as well as to keep the throne of England in the possession of the Anjou (Plantagenet) family when it could have easily gone over to the French Capetians.
I'd recommend The Greatest Knight to anyone interested in medieval English or French history, and to anyone looking for a change of pace in their reading. It's very readable and full of twists and turns.
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From:
no subject
Interesting. I have a copy of the autoish bio that's based on. (The things they sell at SCA collegium), I'll have check out what this as well.
From:
no subject
(I think I remember glancing at your interests on your LJ info page once and seeing William Marshal listed... My interest in him? If my facts are correct, I'm a descendant of his through at least three of his five daughters.)
From: (Anonymous)
no subject
I've just always found William the Marshall a fascinating person.