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Biography & Autobiography. History. Nonfiction. In The Greatest Knight, renowned historian Thomas Asbridge draws upon the thirteenth-century biography and an array of other contemporary evidence to present a compelling account of William Marshal's life and times. Asbridge charts the unparalleled rise to prominence of a man bound to a code of honor yet driven by unquenchable ambition. Marshal was the true Lancelot of his era-a peerless warrior and paragon of chivalry. As a five-year-old boy, William was sentenced to execution and led to the gallows, yet this landless younger son survived his brush with death, and went on to train as a medieval knight. Against all odds, Marshal rose through the ranks-serving at the right hand of five English monarchs-to become a celebrated tournament champion, a baron and politician, and, ultimately, regent of the realm. This knight's tale lays bare the brutish realities of medieval warfare and the machinations of royal court, and draws us into the heart of a formative period of our history. It is the story of one remarkable man, the birth of the knightly class to which he belonged, and the forging of the English nation.… (more)
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Marshal was a knight in service to Henry II, Henry The Younger, Richard I (the Lionhearted), King John, and finally to Henry III. He rose from
Toward the end of his life, he played a major part in the negotiation and acceptance of The Great Charter, or Magna Carta.
Thomas Asbridge writes a very readable history of Marshal's life, including a large amount of history of England, Wales, Ireland, and the lands then held in what is now France (Brittany, Normandy, Aquataine, etc). Asbridge draws heavily on the only surviving copy of a contemporary biography of Marshal that was commissioned shortly after his death by his son William The Younger. Using this and many other sources, Asbridge is able to make the period come alive. In the years before full plate armor, when knights wore mainly chain mail and when tournament fighting had not yet developed into the more refined jousting contests of later, we learn these kinds of facts that help visualize what life was like for these men and women, as apart from our current popular ideas of "knights in shining armor" and pretty maidens cheering for their champions.
I don't believe I've read one of Asbridge's book before, but he's on my shopping list now.
While Asbridge is not as guilty as some of his colleagues, he still presents the 1217 conflict as a French vs. English one whereas in reality it was between Capetian French and Norman-Angevin French. The English proper were mere spectators of the fights between French-speaking knights. Prince Louis was already in charge of London. Had he prevailed, his forces would now be described as "the English". Instead, William Marshal turned the table by winning the skirmish/ambush of Lincoln against the unorganized besiegers.
Overall, the biography would have benefited from tighter editing but is quite readable. If you have a chance, read also Duby's great account of Marshal's last days.
Richard Brooks 'The Knight Who Saved England' (2013), had an emphasis on battles and military history. David Crouch's 'Knighhood, War and Chivalry' is a more
Thomas Asbridge's offering is a timely and accesible work, revealing much about Marshall's 'life and times', as well as his famous role in the events surrounding the creation of the Magna Carta, and the aftermath.
I also liked the information about Knighthood and the role of a retainer in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. In some ways, there seemed to be more focus on this than William's later career as a major Magnate, the Earl of Pembroke and Lord of Striguil.
In the course of the narrative, something was revealed of what it meant to try to adhere to the code of Chivalry, which Marshall was hailed as a paragon of, but tends to be disparaged today.
Marshall was perhaps not the most Romantic or Charismatic of heroes- indeed sometimes he comes across as a rather plain and ordinary chap, who life was coloured by his involvement with the major events and figures of the age, and his tendency to ride the tide of politics and intruige, but generally come out on top.
More than once on the wrong side and embroiled in rebellion, sometimes reckless, and not always making good choices, the flawed man comes through- and also the virtues (that he seems to have believed in) such as loyalty to his Lord- even if that Lord's cause seemed to have been hopeless.
Some have drawn attention to a few translation and technical errors (is it more correct to say hearing mass, or going to mass?), but this was still an informative, useful work and a good read. I want more than evern to read some Transcription of the 'The Life of William Marshall' (what a shame the only surviving copy is owned by America).
Some may accuse the author of having fallen into what some regard as the age-old biogaphers trap of growing to love and admire his subject to an undue degree, and so losing objectivity. Yet, perhaps, that admiration is not wholly undeserved.
Marshall may not have been the best warrior, or the most astute politican, but the contemporary adage of 'The Greatest Knight' seems well deserved.
Comparisons with Game of Thrones are inevitable. It's fascinating how similar and different GoT is to many aspects of medieval reality.
Once again, I had to play this at 1.25 speed to keep from being too frustrated with the reading.