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alexisdpatt's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.0
“Queens of the Age of Chivalry: England’s Medieval Queens Book Three” by Alison Weir ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Queens of the Age of Chivalry” continues the story of England’s Queens during the age of chivalry from 1290-1400, following the lives of Marguerite of France (second wife of Edward I), Isabella of France (wife of Edward II), Philippa of Hainault (wife of Edward III), Anne of Bohemia (first wife of Richard II) and Isabella of Valois (second wife of Richard II).
Much like “Queens of the Crusades,” I have a couple qualms with Weir:
- WHAT KIND OF PHILIPPA GREGORY SHIT ARE YOU ON?????? Weir, you’re seriously going to look me in the eye (from the pages) and tell me that Edward II DIDN’T die at Berkeley Castle and that he actually escaped via a servant saving him. Am I in the animated film of Anastasia (1997)?? What is happening???
- You gave me a play by play of everything that happened during the reign of Edward II, but then you go and brush over why all the people were mad at Richard II?? To this day, outside of the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381 (which isn’t covered in this book because Richard wasn’t married yet), I do not understand why Richard II needed to be overthrown. I guess it’s time for me to read Dan Jones’s book on the Plantagenets to get a better understanding of why everybody was mad.
Overall, this one was a wild ride. I have so many questions. Until I can find the answers I seek, I will be patiently waiting for the final installment of this series, and honestly, I cannot wait.
angelofthetardis's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
2.5
The third in the series of Alison Weir's examinations of the Queens Consort of England from 1066, this volume focuses on the Queens of Edwards I, II and III, and the two Queens of Richard II.
I need to preface this by saying I think Alison Weir is an amazing historian and author; she is authoritative, knowledgeable and yet her works are easily digestible by a lay person. While this book absolutely does fit with that, unfortunately it fails to actually focus on the subject at hand; the women. I found that, throughout, it read like more of a general history of the period; the women are definitely there, and probably do appear more than in a traditional narrative of the period, but nevertheless it didn't tell their story so much as just slotted them into their place in history. I don't feel I learned very much about the women at all, and on numerous occasions found myself 'zoning out' as the book did not live up to what I was expecting from its pages. It almost feels like the author has had a loss of confidence in her own abilities to bring women's history to life.
When I reviewed the first book in this series, I commented that this issue was there too, but in that case I could sort of understand it given that primary source material from the 11th and 12th centuries is exceptionally rare. But, even in that book with little source material to rely upon, the author quoted such sources and pinpointed where a Queen was, and perhaps why she was there. In this book, it is clear that there is more primary source material to draw from, but it is the more mundane kind; accounts. As such, she is able to tell us what the Queen ate or wore wherever she might have been, but there is a complete lack of depth given to them as people. I appreciate that a historian deals in facts, but usually there are at least inferences made as to what the subject's motivations and thoughts may have been and this felt totally missing in this case.
The amount of time dedicated to each Queen also felt uneven to me. I vaguely recall the author making a comment at the outset of this series that, because she had already published standalone books on Eleanor of Aquitaine and Isabella of France, she would not be dedicating that much space to them in these pages. However, Isabella's entry is roughly a third to a half of the length of this book. Her daugher-in-law, Philippa of Hainault, is vastly overshadowed, with much of her life being shoehorned into Isabella's entry due to their overlapping lives. Given the vast amount that has been written about Isabella, I would have preferred that the author stuck with her original plan and tell us more about the 'lesser known' Queens.
There is a small part of me that wonders whether the author has found that she enjoys writing fictionalised history more than the real thing. Although I certainly applaud the effort and the sheer amount of work that she must be putting into this much needed series to bring these women's stories to the masses, at the same time I cannot help but think this is far from her best work. I will definitely still keep buying and keep reading the series as new ones are released, particularly as we are due to enter the era for which the author is better known in the next book, but for now this one will simply sit in my bookshelf as a nice reference guide, but nothing more.
I need to preface this by saying I think Alison Weir is an amazing historian and author; she is authoritative, knowledgeable and yet her works are easily digestible by a lay person. While this book absolutely does fit with that, unfortunately it fails to actually focus on the subject at hand; the women. I found that, throughout, it read like more of a general history of the period; the women are definitely there, and probably do appear more than in a traditional narrative of the period, but nevertheless it didn't tell their story so much as just slotted them into their place in history. I don't feel I learned very much about the women at all, and on numerous occasions found myself 'zoning out' as the book did not live up to what I was expecting from its pages. It almost feels like the author has had a loss of confidence in her own abilities to bring women's history to life.
When I reviewed the first book in this series, I commented that this issue was there too, but in that case I could sort of understand it given that primary source material from the 11th and 12th centuries is exceptionally rare. But, even in that book with little source material to rely upon, the author quoted such sources and pinpointed where a Queen was, and perhaps why she was there. In this book, it is clear that there is more primary source material to draw from, but it is the more mundane kind; accounts. As such, she is able to tell us what the Queen ate or wore wherever she might have been, but there is a complete lack of depth given to them as people. I appreciate that a historian deals in facts, but usually there are at least inferences made as to what the subject's motivations and thoughts may have been and this felt totally missing in this case.
The amount of time dedicated to each Queen also felt uneven to me. I vaguely recall the author making a comment at the outset of this series that, because she had already published standalone books on Eleanor of Aquitaine and Isabella of France, she would not be dedicating that much space to them in these pages. However, Isabella's entry is roughly a third to a half of the length of this book. Her daugher-in-law, Philippa of Hainault, is vastly overshadowed, with much of her life being shoehorned into Isabella's entry due to their overlapping lives. Given the vast amount that has been written about Isabella, I would have preferred that the author stuck with her original plan and tell us more about the 'lesser known' Queens.
There is a small part of me that wonders whether the author has found that she enjoys writing fictionalised history more than the real thing. Although I certainly applaud the effort and the sheer amount of work that she must be putting into this much needed series to bring these women's stories to the masses, at the same time I cannot help but think this is far from her best work. I will definitely still keep buying and keep reading the series as new ones are released, particularly as we are due to enter the era for which the author is better known in the next book, but for now this one will simply sit in my bookshelf as a nice reference guide, but nothing more.
andrea_author's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this audiobook. It contains more detail than the previous books in the series, presumably because more evidence exists for later queens. I especially appreciated the thorough exploration of the rift between Edward II and Queen Isabella. If you're interested in the medieval history of England, this book is a must-read.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
bookswritingandmore's review against another edition
5.0
There is not a book that I don't love by Allison Weir. I just love the way that she narrates and the way that the characters come alive, regardless of what she's speaking about. All of her books make me love history even more than I already do. This title is no exception.
Queens of the Age of Chivalry speaks about the lives of five Queens who lived through England’s Age of Chivalry. Covering the years 1299-1409, we meet five remarkable women, whose stories have never been told in such great detail and with such passion.
Reading this book makes me want to read more of England's Age of Chivalry.
Queens of the Age of Chivalry speaks about the lives of five Queens who lived through England’s Age of Chivalry. Covering the years 1299-1409, we meet five remarkable women, whose stories have never been told in such great detail and with such passion.
Reading this book makes me want to read more of England's Age of Chivalry.
hmalagisi's review against another edition
4.0
When we think of the title “medieval queen,” a few things come to mind. They were seen as mere trophy wives who were only suitable for making alliances and giving birth to children. It may be a cruel assessment for a modern audience, but that was the reality of the medieval world. However, the late Plantagenet queens decided to step outside the socially acceptable path for their lives and forged a new one. In Alison Weir’s latest nonfiction book, “Queens of the Age of Chivalry: England’s Medieval Queens,” she explores the lives of five Plantagenet queens who had to adapt quickly to the ever-changing world of late medieval England.
Thank you, Ballantine Books and Net Galley, for sending me a copy of this book. I have read and enjoyed the previous books in England’s Medieval Queens series, and I wanted to see which queens would be included in this book.
The years covered in this book are 1299-1399, a time of turmoil, change, and the plague. During that time, five queens forever left their marks on England: Marguerite of France, Isabella of France, Philippa of Hainault, Anne of Bohemia, and Isabella of Valois. Their royal husbands were Edward I, Edward II, Edward III, and Richard II. Since these queens were foreign brides, it was a balancing act between what their home country expected of them and what England expected their new queen to do, which was, in most cases, to give birth to heirs and to stay out of politics.
We begin with Marguerite of France, who was the second wife of Edward I and the step mother of Edward II; her most extraordinary claim to fame was to try and prevent her son from ever seeing Piers Gaveston, which sadly did not last long. Isabella of France had to deal with Edward II’s favoritism to not only Piers Gaveston but to Hugh Despenser the Younger. This led her to join Roger Mortimer and rebel against her husband. This decision would create a black cloud around her reputation for centuries.
As part of the rebellion, Edward III married Philippa of Hainault, who was the closest of these five queens to be the ideal medieval queen. She gave Edward III many heirs that would help define future generations. Richard II’s first wife, Anne of Bohemia, was the essence of sophistication, but her death sent him reeling, forcing him to take a child bride named Isabella of Valois.
Being a queen in the late medieval period was not easy, especially with the Black Death, the Hundred Years’ War, the Peasants’ Revolt, and internal struggles were constantly in play, but the five queens mentioned in this book were able to navigate this tumultuous time to create their legacies. Weir once again weaves fun facts and compelling tales of each queen to give her readers her perspective on their true legacies. If you have enjoyed the previous books in “England’s Medieval Queens” series, I would highly recommend you read “Queens of the Age of Chivalry: England’s Medieval Queens” by Alison Weir.
Thank you, Ballantine Books and Net Galley, for sending me a copy of this book. I have read and enjoyed the previous books in England’s Medieval Queens series, and I wanted to see which queens would be included in this book.
The years covered in this book are 1299-1399, a time of turmoil, change, and the plague. During that time, five queens forever left their marks on England: Marguerite of France, Isabella of France, Philippa of Hainault, Anne of Bohemia, and Isabella of Valois. Their royal husbands were Edward I, Edward II, Edward III, and Richard II. Since these queens were foreign brides, it was a balancing act between what their home country expected of them and what England expected their new queen to do, which was, in most cases, to give birth to heirs and to stay out of politics.
We begin with Marguerite of France, who was the second wife of Edward I and the step mother of Edward II; her most extraordinary claim to fame was to try and prevent her son from ever seeing Piers Gaveston, which sadly did not last long. Isabella of France had to deal with Edward II’s favoritism to not only Piers Gaveston but to Hugh Despenser the Younger. This led her to join Roger Mortimer and rebel against her husband. This decision would create a black cloud around her reputation for centuries.
As part of the rebellion, Edward III married Philippa of Hainault, who was the closest of these five queens to be the ideal medieval queen. She gave Edward III many heirs that would help define future generations. Richard II’s first wife, Anne of Bohemia, was the essence of sophistication, but her death sent him reeling, forcing him to take a child bride named Isabella of Valois.
Being a queen in the late medieval period was not easy, especially with the Black Death, the Hundred Years’ War, the Peasants’ Revolt, and internal struggles were constantly in play, but the five queens mentioned in this book were able to navigate this tumultuous time to create their legacies. Weir once again weaves fun facts and compelling tales of each queen to give her readers her perspective on their true legacies. If you have enjoyed the previous books in “England’s Medieval Queens” series, I would highly recommend you read “Queens of the Age of Chivalry: England’s Medieval Queens” by Alison Weir.