The White Ship
Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream
Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream
THE #2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ‘As gripping as any thriller. History doesn't get any better than this’ BILL BRYSON ’A brilliant read ... Game of Thrones but in the real world’ ANTHONY HOROWITZ
Reviews with the most likes.
Excitingly written and thoroughly enjoyable history writing. This tells the story of the island of Britain and of Normandy between the Norman conquest and the start of the Plantagenet dynasty and does so with style and panache. If you're reading on the Kindle, the “X-ray” function can be useful in sorting out all the Matildas, Henrys, Williams, and Richards (there are lots!) and working out who blinded or mutilated who, but the author does a good job of this himself in fairness.
That history outdoes “Game of Thrones” is clear but, like GoT, anyone below the rank of knight or bishop doesn't really get a look-in here despite the horrors that were inflicted on whole populations who were ultimately paying for the “games”.
That said, the book is a great achievement, making the complex and shifting politics and fighting into a real page-turner.
