The Rise and Fall of a Medieval Family: The Despensers

The family that everyone loved to hate...

The Despenser family was one that wielded quite a bit of power during medieval times, but the fortunes wheel does forever turn. What goes up, must come down. The Despenser family learned that with their rise, they could also fall. Hugh the Elder and Hugh the Younger were both in high positions of power, and through their greed came their fall. It was only after their fall that it was realized how much they actually held - and some of that took many years to discover.

The Despenser family did not end with Hugh the Younger - in fact, many did survive - albeit with some initial punishments, and then the family just continued to blend into the fabric of England.

I really enjoyed reading through this book and finding many things that I was not aware of. I knew of the overreach of Hugh the Elder, but I was not aware of the extent, nor was I aware of the different members of the family who managed to rise from the ashes, to bring honor back to the Despenser name. A great read - with lots of information!