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Queens of the Conquest

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In the first volume of an exciting new series, bestselling author Alison Weir brings the dramatic reigns of England’s medieval queens to life.
The lives of England’s medieval queens were packed with incident—love, intrigue, betrayal, adultery, and warfare—but their stories have been largely obscured by centuries of myth and omission. Now esteemed biographer Alison Weir provides a fresh perspective and restores these women to their rightful place in history.
Spanning the years from the Norman conquest in 1066 to the dawn of a new era in 1154, when Henry II succeeded to the throne and Eleanor of Aquitaine, the first Plantagenet queen, was crowned, this epic book brings to vivid life five women, including: Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror, the first Norman king; Matilda of Scotland, revered as “the common mother of all England”; and Empress Maud, England’s first female ruler, whose son King Henry II would go on to found the Plantagenet dynasty. More than those who came before or after them, these Norman consorts were recognized as equal sharers in sovereignty. Without the support of their wives, the Norman kings could not have ruled their disparate dominions as effectively.
Drawing from the most reliable contemporary sources, Weir skillfully strips away centuries of romantic lore to share a balanced and authentic take on the importance of these female monarchs. What emerges is a seamless royal saga, an all-encompassing portrait of English medieval queenship, and a sweeping panorama of British history.
Praise for Queens of the Conquest
“Best-selling author [Alison] Weir pens another readable, well-researched English history, the first in a proposed four-volume series on England’s medieval queens. . . . Weir’s research skills and storytelling ability combine beautifully to tell a fascinating story supported by excellent historical research. Fans of her fiction and nonfiction will enjoy this latest work.”Library Journal (starred review)
 
“Another sound feminist resurrection by a seasoned historian . . . Though Norman queens were largely unknowable, leave it to this prolific historical biographer to bring them to life. . . . As usual, Weir is meticulous in her research.”Kirkus Reviews
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    • Kirkus

      August 15, 2017
      Though Norman queens were largely unknowable, leave it to this prolific historical biographer to bring them to life.Having previously tackled the lives of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Isabella of France, not to mention the Tudors (The Lost Tudor Princess: The Life of Margaret Douglas, 2017, etc.), English author and novelist Weir presents five queens of the post-Norman Invasion era who sometimes wielded power in their own right, and not just as queen consort. While the author asserts that her portraits are based on primary material, there is scant little to go by, or what she calls with charming understatement "tantalizing gaps," because "the deeds of women, unless they were notably pious, politically important, or scandalous, were rarely thought worth recording." However, in England, the Salic code of the Franks, forbidding succession by or through women, did not apply. Consequently, not only did many kings gain their titles through their female ancestors, but some queens got a shot at ruling, such as Empress Maud (1102-1167), widowed queen of the Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich V and designated successor of her father, Henry I of England. The first queen Weir portrays is William the Conqueror's headstrong wife, Matilda of Flanders (1032?-1083), who initially scorned marrying a "bastard." However, after he roughed her up, she agreed to marry him, saying, "for he must be a man of great courage and high daring who could venture to come and beat me in my own father's palace." After their three-decade marriage and long reigns, their son Henry, acceding to the throne after the suspicious death of his older brother, married the controversial Edith of Scotland (renamed Matilda) in order to unite the Norman-Saxon kingdoms in the slow process of integration. Their daughter, Empress Maud, proved a shrewd, and not always well-loved, elder stateswoman. As usual, Weir is meticulous in her research, though the barrage of royal ancestry may deter some American readers. Another sound feminist resurrection by a seasoned historian.

      COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Library Journal

      Starred review from September 15, 2017

      Best-selling author Weir (The Lost Tudor Princess) pens another readable, well-researched English history, the first in a proposed four-volume series on England's medieval queens. Starting with Matilda of Flanders (1031-83), Weir also focuses on the lives of Matilda of Scotland (1080-1118), the wife of Henry I of England, and Matilda of Boulogne (1113?-52), who married King Stephen of England and fought a civil war on his behalf. The narrative ends with the death of the Empress Maud, commonly called Matilda, in 1167. Besides examining the political life of these monarchs, Weir provides a detailed picture of the period by describing clothing, food, religious worship, and other aspects of daily life. Along with several primary source documents, the work includes a comprehensive royal family tree, maps, a glossary, and an annotated bibliography. Note that this new series will not include Eleanor of Aquitaine or Isabella of France owing to the author's previous biographies of both women. VERDICT Weir's research skills and storytelling ability combine beautifully to tell a fascinating story supported by excellent historical research. Fans of her fiction and nonfiction will enjoy this latest work.--Hanna Clutterbuck-Cook, Harvard Univ. Lib., Cambridge, MA

      Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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