A review by chris_davies
The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal, The Power Behind Five English Thrones by Thomas Asbridge
5.0
Some years ago, I listened to the brilliant Radio 4 documentary 'This Scepter'd Isle' and was struck by repeated references to 'The Marshal' in the section on the early Plantagenets (or, as I should now call them, the Angevins). I had never heard of him, despite him clearly being a major figure, and resolved to find out more. Well, far too many years later I have now done so, thanks to this thrilling biography.
Despite containing a massive amount of information, this is one of the most readable non-fiction books I've read. Marshal's story is told in a lucid, fast paced style that never lets up. The large cast is clearly characterised, and descriptions of the many battles and military campaigns are very clear (experience reading other histories indicates that this is not easy to do.) The wider context of Marshal's life is very skilfully described. I also appreciated the effort made to separate known fact from speculation.
I see that some reviewers have spotted some inaccuracies in the text. To my mind these seem pretty trivial, and if they are the worst that can be found then I guess this is a pretty accurate telling of Marshal's life. In any case, I challenge anyone to show me any work of history - especially on a distant period like the 12th century - that is demonstrably 100% accurate.
It's a cliché to say that a work of non-fiction reads like a thriller, but this one really does! Even the story of how Marshal's life was rediscovered is fascinating. I haven't read any of the other books on Marshal, and to be honest after reading this tour de force I don't really feel that I need to. Strongly recommended.
Despite containing a massive amount of information, this is one of the most readable non-fiction books I've read. Marshal's story is told in a lucid, fast paced style that never lets up. The large cast is clearly characterised, and descriptions of the many battles and military campaigns are very clear (experience reading other histories indicates that this is not easy to do.) The wider context of Marshal's life is very skilfully described. I also appreciated the effort made to separate known fact from speculation.
I see that some reviewers have spotted some inaccuracies in the text. To my mind these seem pretty trivial, and if they are the worst that can be found then I guess this is a pretty accurate telling of Marshal's life. In any case, I challenge anyone to show me any work of history - especially on a distant period like the 12th century - that is demonstrably 100% accurate.
It's a cliché to say that a work of non-fiction reads like a thriller, but this one really does! Even the story of how Marshal's life was rediscovered is fascinating. I haven't read any of the other books on Marshal, and to be honest after reading this tour de force I don't really feel that I need to. Strongly recommended.