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rosemaryandrue's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.0
England’s Age of Chivalry was a surprisingly turbulent period marked by coups, civil unrest, and outright war on multiple fronts. We meet five queens in this book, including one of the most reviled and one of the most beloved in all of English history.
This is the third book in Alison Weir’s England’s Medieval Queens, in which she profiles the queens of medieval England from the Conquest to (I believe) the end of the War of the Roses. In this book, we meet the queens of Edward I, II, and III, as well as the two queens of Richard II. Of these queens, I was only familiar with Isabella the so-called She Wolf of France, so I was excited to dig into their stories.
This is a surprisingly sad and strange collection of queens, and I enjoyed getting to know all their stories in turn, seeing how their fortunes were tied to the men they wed and how well they managed to rule. Weir makes a good case for how the queens managed to influence England’s politics, whether it was done visibly or behind the scenes. She does a good job of bringing their personalities and the dynamics of their relationships with their husbands to light.
However, Weir does have a bad habit of falling back on lists and letters to demonstrate her points in some places – did I really have to struggle through so much of Isabella of France’s flowery correspondence to understand what was going on? I also thought that sometimes we spent too much time with the men in time periods where historical references run thin, with the queens only popping up with their clothes or presents documented. I wished we might have gone deeper into an analysis of their actions or the like in such cases.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Violence, War, and Misogyny
Moderate: Religious bigotry
ailurophile_bibliophile89's review against another edition
3.0
Original Review - 01/15/2023: 3.5 Stars
Updated Review - 02/06/2023: 3 Stars
Mostly interesting & informative, yet rushed and somewhat inaccurate
Update 02/06/2023
I just reread Weir's [b:Mistress of the Monarchy: The Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster|3397050|Mistress of the Monarchy The Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster|Alison Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1434716470l/3397050._SY75_.jpg|487826] and I'm kind of glad I did.
I had a slight suspicion that Weir had re-used some of the phrases and sentences from her book [b:Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England|111219|Queen Isabella Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England|Alison Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1333577602l/111219._SX50_.jpg|869535], which I read last summer, in July of 2022. Some of it just seemed very familiar to me but I was too lazy to go back and reread it when I had just finished it several months ago.
Now, however, it appears I was right, as Weir basically copied some of the same sentences she used in Mistress of the Monarchy into Age of Chivalry.
Excerpt from Queens of the Age of Chivalry:
"Their plan is to separate my queen from me and shut her up in some place of confinement," he told them, in great anguish. ... His uncles did their best to calm him... In fact, both dukes "did not wish to become involved." John of Gaunt's overriding concern was for Bolingbroke, who had collaborated with Gloucester, Arundel, and Warwick in 1387-88 and laid himself forever open to accusations of treason; and he was anxious to safeguard the future of the Lancastrian dynasty.... Thus ended Katherine Swynford's close association with Isabella. Both dukes were "bitterly" to regret their decision to leave court at this crucial time, for it deprived them of their last chance to save their brother and avert a disturbing political crisis.
- pg 428, 2022 1st Ballentine Edition, Hardcover
Excerpt from Mistress of the Monarchy:
"Their plan is to separate my queen from me and shut her up in some place of confinement," he told them, looking as if he were suffering great anguish of heart and sounding very convincing. His uncles did their best to calm him down, saying they would never suffer their brother to harm him or the Queen, and as Richard hoped, they consented to the arrests of the plotters.
In fact, both dukes were reluctant to take sides: Quite simply, "they did not wish to be involved." John's overriding concern would have been for his son, who had collaborated with Gloucester, Arundel, and Warwick in 1387-88 and thus laid himself forever open to accusations of treason; and he would naturally have been anxious to safeguard the future of the Lancastrian dynasty. ... Thus ended - for a time, at least - Katherine's close association with Isabella of Valois. ... However, both dukes were "bitterly" to regret their decision to leave court at this crucial time, for it deprived them of their last chance to save their brother and avert a disturbing political crisis.
- pg 261, 2010 Ballentine Books Trade Paperback Edition
I know the former is a compilation book, but I feel like Weir should have at least put in some more effort into paraphrasing the material, especially since the former is a compilation and mentions of Katherine Swynford should be limited (they weren't, not really.)
I'd go back and look for the phrases that stuck out to me regarding Queen Isabella, especially since Isabella is a single biography about (mostly) one woman, whereas Mistress was a biography of both Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, however I lack the motivation to be *that* picky.
In any case, I've downgraded my original review a half star because I'm a bit disappointed that Weir didn't A) provide new material and B) just copied her own work.
Original Review 01/15/2023
I always enjoy Alison Weir’s books, but I will say that this most recent edition to the England’s Medieval Queens series is not as well done as the first two. While the writing is well done and the topic is thoroughly interesting, there’s a couple things I noticed that bothered me.
The first is a major historical inaccuracy written in Part III: Philippa of Hainault where Weir asserts that the children of Edward III and Philippa were placed into separate households:
Although she had charge of them, they appear to have spent much of their early childhood at the castles of Pleshey and Marlborough in the care of Ralph, Lord Monthermer, the King’s uncle, and his second wife, Despenser’s sister Isabella (his first wife had been Edward II’s sister, Joan of Acre.)
While Ralph Monthermer and Isabella, Lady Hastings (the name of her second husband, and the name she preferred to be styled as, apparently) had custody of Edward II’s daughters, Monthermer died before Mortimer and Isabella’s invasion, and Lady Hastings almost certainly lost custody of the princesses when the invasion force landed.
I’m surprised that Weir made this mistake, because she’s normally very thorough and consistent, at least from those books I've read that are hers.
Secondly, Weir spent a lot of time on Marguerite of France and her niece, Isabella of France, along with Phillipa of Hainault, but the information detailing Anne of Bohemia and Isabella of Valois is very limited. I understand the historical record was never interested in the women of the world (given that the contemporary chronicles of the time didn’t think women had brains of their own), however the last two sections seem incredibly rushed.
Understandably, Isabella of Valois died at a young age, and information on her, and Anne of Bohemia, not to mention the countless other women in history, will most likely be limited for time eternal, yet very little was given on the feud between Richard II and Henry Bolingbroke. It's true that this is a book about women, yet I would have liked to have had more background information detailing the policies and politics that made Richard II so hated by his people.
Aside from these inconstancies, I still enjoyed this novel and would recommend it for anyone who is a novice and looking to learn more about these very fascinating queens.
Updated Review - 02/06/2023: 3 Stars
Mostly interesting & informative, yet rushed and somewhat inaccurate
Update 02/06/2023
I just reread Weir's [b:Mistress of the Monarchy: The Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster|3397050|Mistress of the Monarchy The Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster|Alison Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1434716470l/3397050._SY75_.jpg|487826] and I'm kind of glad I did.
I had a slight suspicion that Weir had re-used some of the phrases and sentences from her book [b:Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England|111219|Queen Isabella Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England|Alison Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1333577602l/111219._SX50_.jpg|869535], which I read last summer, in July of 2022. Some of it just seemed very familiar to me but I was too lazy to go back and reread it when I had just finished it several months ago.
Now, however, it appears I was right, as Weir basically copied some of the same sentences she used in Mistress of the Monarchy into Age of Chivalry.
Excerpt from Queens of the Age of Chivalry:
"Their plan is to separate my queen from me and shut her up in some place of confinement," he told them, in great anguish. ... His uncles did their best to calm him... In fact, both dukes "did not wish to become involved." John of Gaunt's overriding concern was for Bolingbroke, who had collaborated with Gloucester, Arundel, and Warwick in 1387-88 and laid himself forever open to accusations of treason; and he was anxious to safeguard the future of the Lancastrian dynasty.... Thus ended Katherine Swynford's close association with Isabella. Both dukes were "bitterly" to regret their decision to leave court at this crucial time, for it deprived them of their last chance to save their brother and avert a disturbing political crisis.
- pg 428, 2022 1st Ballentine Edition, Hardcover
Excerpt from Mistress of the Monarchy:
"Their plan is to separate my queen from me and shut her up in some place of confinement," he told them, looking as if he were suffering great anguish of heart and sounding very convincing. His uncles did their best to calm him down, saying they would never suffer their brother to harm him or the Queen, and as Richard hoped, they consented to the arrests of the plotters.
In fact, both dukes were reluctant to take sides: Quite simply, "they did not wish to be involved." John's overriding concern would have been for his son, who had collaborated with Gloucester, Arundel, and Warwick in 1387-88 and thus laid himself forever open to accusations of treason; and he would naturally have been anxious to safeguard the future of the Lancastrian dynasty. ... Thus ended - for a time, at least - Katherine's close association with Isabella of Valois. ... However, both dukes were "bitterly" to regret their decision to leave court at this crucial time, for it deprived them of their last chance to save their brother and avert a disturbing political crisis.
- pg 261, 2010 Ballentine Books Trade Paperback Edition
I know the former is a compilation book, but I feel like Weir should have at least put in some more effort into paraphrasing the material, especially since the former is a compilation and mentions of Katherine Swynford should be limited (they weren't, not really.)
I'd go back and look for the phrases that stuck out to me regarding Queen Isabella, especially since Isabella is a single biography about (mostly) one woman, whereas Mistress was a biography of both Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, however I lack the motivation to be *that* picky.
In any case, I've downgraded my original review a half star because I'm a bit disappointed that Weir didn't A) provide new material and B) just copied her own work.
Original Review 01/15/2023
I always enjoy Alison Weir’s books, but I will say that this most recent edition to the England’s Medieval Queens series is not as well done as the first two. While the writing is well done and the topic is thoroughly interesting, there’s a couple things I noticed that bothered me.
The first is a major historical inaccuracy written in Part III: Philippa of Hainault where Weir asserts that the children of Edward III and Philippa were placed into separate households:
Although she had charge of them, they appear to have spent much of their early childhood at the castles of Pleshey and Marlborough in the care of Ralph, Lord Monthermer, the King’s uncle, and his second wife, Despenser’s sister Isabella (his first wife had been Edward II’s sister, Joan of Acre.)
While Ralph Monthermer and Isabella, Lady Hastings (the name of her second husband, and the name she preferred to be styled as, apparently) had custody of Edward II’s daughters, Monthermer died before Mortimer and Isabella’s invasion, and Lady Hastings almost certainly lost custody of the princesses when the invasion force landed.
I’m surprised that Weir made this mistake, because she’s normally very thorough and consistent, at least from those books I've read that are hers.
Secondly, Weir spent a lot of time on Marguerite of France and her niece, Isabella of France, along with Phillipa of Hainault, but the information detailing Anne of Bohemia and Isabella of Valois is very limited. I understand the historical record was never interested in the women of the world (given that the contemporary chronicles of the time didn’t think women had brains of their own), however the last two sections seem incredibly rushed.
Understandably, Isabella of Valois died at a young age, and information on her, and Anne of Bohemia, not to mention the countless other women in history, will most likely be limited for time eternal, yet very little was given on the feud between Richard II and Henry Bolingbroke. It's true that this is a book about women, yet I would have liked to have had more background information detailing the policies and politics that made Richard II so hated by his people.
Aside from these inconstancies, I still enjoyed this novel and would recommend it for anyone who is a novice and looking to learn more about these very fascinating queens.