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A review by fantasyfunk
The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal, The Power Behind Five English Thrones by Thomas Asbridge
3.0
It took a bit to get going into this book. I actually set it down a few times for books I had a higher interest in reading. Eventually I decided to really give it a go and found myself enjoying it.
I will say I wish the author had made his deductions stand out clearer as his own opinion on what Marshal was thinking with some "maybe" and "probably." I just felt that a lot of subjective thought was stated in this book in this book as truth which could be misleading. It's not that I didn't appreciate the opinions to help form a character of William Marshal and explain his actions, I just would have like a more explicit recognition of them.
I would have also liked clearer footnotes. While there is a bibliography at the end, I found it not very user-friendly. This is more of a personal preference that I typically like to explore more about interesting bits I find in the book.
Overall though, I thought this book was enjoyable and an easy read. For me, it definitely picked up as Marshal began to really make himself and interact with the kings of England. I appreciated the flow of the story which sometimes can get lost in nonfiction books.
I will say I wish the author had made his deductions stand out clearer as his own opinion on what Marshal was thinking with some "maybe" and "probably." I just felt that a lot of subjective thought was stated in this book in this book as truth which could be misleading. It's not that I didn't appreciate the opinions to help form a character of William Marshal and explain his actions, I just would have like a more explicit recognition of them.
I would have also liked clearer footnotes. While there is a bibliography at the end, I found it not very user-friendly. This is more of a personal preference that I typically like to explore more about interesting bits I find in the book.
Overall though, I thought this book was enjoyable and an easy read. For me, it definitely picked up as Marshal began to really make himself and interact with the kings of England. I appreciated the flow of the story which sometimes can get lost in nonfiction books.