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A review by lisa_setepenre
The Greatest Traitor: The Life of Sir Roger Mortimer, Ruler of England 1327-1330 by Ian Mortimer
5.0
Roger Mortimer often features as something of the boogie man in the narratives about Edward II and Isabella of France. With Isabella, Roger led the rebellion that resulted in Edward II’s deposition and shockingly vile murder (at least, that’s how the story goes), and though he may be characterised as a dashing romantic hero who rescued Isabella from her unhappy marriage, he is frequently is blamed for the ills and tyranny that characterised their rule of England during Edward III’s minority.
Yet while “boogie man” may be an easy label to give Roger, it is not perhaps fair to the man, and so historian Ian Mortimer’s The Greatest Traitor sets out to find the man behind the villainous role.
The Greatest Traitor was a sheer joy to read. Mortimer’s writing was engaging and clear, it was so easy to get swept along and want to read another chapter. There are times where I felt that Mortimer was too dramatic, perhaps showing more of a novelist’s flair than a historian’s objective stance, but these were often few enough that it didn’t seriously detract from the experience of reading.
The scholarship, I felt, was top-notch. It was first published in 2003 and shows its age in some ways (for instance, Mortimer now thinks he needs to rewrite this book to firstly deal with Edward II's death and because he no longer believes Roger and Isabella were lovers), but Mortimer’s arguments are logical and easy to follow. I never felt lost or confused about his conclusions. I don’t know if I believe Edward II lived past his traditional date of death (perhaps because “this historical person secretly survived” narratives always seem too good to be true at first and then seem terribly depressing if real), but Mortimer’s arguments are convincing.
Finally, I appreciated Mortimer’s approach. I wasn’t someone who thought a lot about Roger Mortimer but was inclined to think poorly of him. Having read this, I feel that he is a lot more complicated than I initially thought and again, shows that historical figures are complex people who cannot simply be divided into the categories of good or bad, victim or villain.
5 stars.
Yet while “boogie man” may be an easy label to give Roger, it is not perhaps fair to the man, and so historian Ian Mortimer’s The Greatest Traitor sets out to find the man behind the villainous role.
The Greatest Traitor was a sheer joy to read. Mortimer’s writing was engaging and clear, it was so easy to get swept along and want to read another chapter. There are times where I felt that Mortimer was too dramatic, perhaps showing more of a novelist’s flair than a historian’s objective stance, but these were often few enough that it didn’t seriously detract from the experience of reading.
The scholarship, I felt, was top-notch. It was first published in 2003 and shows its age in some ways (for instance, Mortimer now thinks he needs to rewrite this book to firstly deal with Edward II's death and because he no longer believes Roger and Isabella were lovers), but Mortimer’s arguments are logical and easy to follow. I never felt lost or confused about his conclusions. I don’t know if I believe Edward II lived past his traditional date of death (perhaps because “this historical person secretly survived” narratives always seem too good to be true at first and then seem terribly depressing if real), but Mortimer’s arguments are convincing.
Finally, I appreciated Mortimer’s approach. I wasn’t someone who thought a lot about Roger Mortimer but was inclined to think poorly of him. Having read this, I feel that he is a lot more complicated than I initially thought and again, shows that historical figures are complex people who cannot simply be divided into the categories of good or bad, victim or villain.
5 stars.