The Last Duel: Now a major film starring Matt Damon, Adam Driver and Jodie Comer

by Eric Jager

The gripping, atmospheric true story of the "duel to end all duels" in medieval France: a trial by combat pitting a knight against a squire accused of violating the knight's beautiful young wife.

In 1386, a few days after Christmas, a massive crowd gathered at a Paris monastery to watch the two men fight a duel to the death - a trial by combat meant to 'prove' which man's cause was right in God's sight. The dramatic true story of the knight, the squire, and the lady unfolds during the tumultuous fourteenth century, a time of war, plague, and anarchy, as well as of honour, chivalry, and courtly love. The notorious quarrel appears in many histories of France, but no writer has recounted it in full, until now.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Historical, France, True Crime, Medieval History

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2004

About the author

Eric Jager is Professor of English at UCLA, where he teaches medieval literature courses on Beowulf, Chaucer, the epic, and the romance. His other interests include classics, Saint Augustine, the history of the book, and literary theory.

Jager previously taught at Columbia University. He received his B.A. from Calvin College in 1979, and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1987. He received a research fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies (1996-1997) and the Weiss/Brown Award from The Newberry Library (2000).

His most recent book, The Last Duel, was adapted for radio and TV by the BBC, and shortlisted by the Crime Writers’ Association (U.K.) for the Nonfiction “Gold Dagger.” He is currently writing a book about crime in medieval Paris.

Reviews

[Marquise · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this book didn't have historical documentation and records to back up its story's truthfulness, I'd have thought Eric Jager was fanfictioning the living daylights out of Game of Thrones. This seriously reads like George R. R. Martin wrote it!

The book tells the true story of the last authorised trial by combat that took place in France in the late 14th century, when a knight by the name of Jean de Carrouges faced in a duel a squire by the name of Jacques Le Gris for the crime of raping his wife, beautiful Marguerite. Both men were vassals of a royal count, Pierre d'Alençon, in whose court they had served as young men. Initially, they had been close friends, but a mix of envy, rivalry, the count's partiality, legal disputes over land ownership, and a long list of perceived slights, real or imagined, caused Carrouges and Le Gris to become mortal enemies.

The enmity peaked when Le Gris raped Marguerite de Carrouges to get revenge on her husband, and was initially protected by Count Pierre, who declared Le Gris innocent without hearing the aggrieved party's side. At the time, punishment for rape was worse than nowadays: the death penalty. But rape wasn't always judged or condemned, it depended on the woman's status and connections to go to trial, and she couldn't even make an accusation without her husband, father, or male guardian's permission. Sometimes, rape was punished by compensating the man, not the woman. And if it went to trial by combat, a system that was already going out of fashion and was so very rare by that time, then getting justice depended on your champion's martial skills even though it was thought it would be God's judgment to decide the outcome.

And I thought our modern justice system was crap!

Marguerite had everything against her if she dared accuse her rapist: he was a royal's protégé, a noble himself, she had no witnesses as the rape happened when she was alone at home, her rapist was also in a minor Catholic Church order so could've used Church privilege to avoid being trialled (clergy couldn't be judged by civil courts in the Middle Ages), and to boot she came from a family of Norman noblemen that had the taint of high treason on their name because they'd turned coat twice against France and for England during their interminable war. To add insult to injury, she was pregnant and it's not clear the child wasn't product of the rape.

And you know what's the worst of the worst? If she did get a trial by combat and her champion lost, she would be executed for perjury and false accusations.

By all rights, her case should've been hopeless. But she was married to the right bastard: Jean de Carrouges was known for being a difficult vassal, stubborn, fearless in the face of his overlord's wrath, and persistent as a migraine. He believed her and took the case to the very King of France over the wrathful tantrum of Count Pierre, who was opposed to such a last resource. Fortunately for Carrouges, the king was a young Charles VI that hadn't gone insane yet and took personal interest in the case. With royal patronage and a lot of powerful noblemen taking sides in the matter, the case was authorised by the highest court of the time to go to trial by combat in which both men would fight to the death.

And so Carrouges and Le Gris faced each other in the real life version of the Prince Oberyn vs The Mountain duel in A Song of Ice and Fire.


It was a bloody, hard-fought, and nerve-wracking duel! Carrouges was more experienced but was sick that day and thus weakened whilst Le Gris was a bigger man, healthy, and had better-quality weaponry. At first, it was an even fight, but as time passed, one side or the other started gaining the upper hand. It's really like in a film! I couldn't guess who was going to win, and I was unironically waiting for Oberyn's "You raped her. You murdered her. You killed her children" to appear in this book, and my goodness, did it have its own version here. And, in the end, because nobody ever learnt from Oberyn Martell's mistake, one side had to win.

Was the fight fair? Was the accusation true? I have a firm conviction of my own on these questions, but I prefer to let readers decide by themselves. Jager says this trial by combat has been polemic since and controversy has raged throughout the centuries, as recently as in the 1970s there were still people taking sides over the veracity or lack thereof of the accusation. The author does address the niggling points, thankfully, so I think readers will get to know both sides and make their mind up in an informed fashion.

Me? I closed the book feeling so much compassion for the many thousands of women throughout history who didn't get justice because they had no resources, no connections, and no Jean de Carrouges to champion them till the bitter end.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

IMHO, this book is in a minority group. That group being part of the few that are most under rated non-fiction books on Goodreads. 1000's and 1000's of books and so many are over starred. Especially for the focus scope of their non-fiction titles to the core of the book's meat. This one is spot on. The title- it's what you get.

This embedded me into the French noble world of the late 14th century- immediately. And kept me there for the entire. The documentation and description both! Outstanding to give you the "eyes" for that world and its exact minutia hierarchies context. And the author didn't make value judgments and continual asides of opinion and 21st century interpretations. PHENOMENAL! This is how history used to be taught and not agenda revised to "fit" or omitting huge slabs of it that don't.

I read only one GR friend's review of this book before I started it. And had no pre-concepts or spoiler clues. And then read some number of reviews afterwards. I completely disagree that you knew who was going to win. I didn't.

Every time I read about the complete "consensus" belief that a rape could never result in a pregnancy because of the trauma and violence of the act, which reigned as truth until barely a century ago- I'm always reminded how "truth" in science and facts have endlessly revealed around human hubris and "know better".

Excellent also in that the author did not ignore the other criteria of legend or hearsay about this case and also listed duels of later dates occurring outside France/ Europe. And why those "lawful" dynamics changed.

I can't imagine the depth of emotional strength that Marguerite needed. Not just in speaking up immediately but facing this entire ordeal in ritual as it occurred. While facing the reality of dress for being burned at the stake. Plus all the travel and hardship and worry during this period. And all just a month after childbirth at its climax.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading a book about the Middle Ages, author Eric Jager came across an account of a legendary clash which happened in France in 1386 between a knight named Jean de Carrouges and a squire named Jacques Le Gris. The two men had been good friends but then became mortal enemies.

Jager was fascinated by what he read and began to investigate the Carrouges-Le Gris affair. Using chronicles, legal records, and surviving documents as well as traveling to France to view additional information, Eric Jager’s meticulous research resulted in this book.

The Last Duel was enthralling! It begins slowly and builds to a nail biting conclusion. I could not put it down! In addition to the personal story of the two men, Mr. Jager provides a wealth of information about the Middle Ages and the complex society in which they lived.

When Jean de Carrouges returned home after combat in Scotland, his beautiful young wife was disconsolate. She told him that while he had been gone she had been attacked and raped by Jacques Le Gris. An accusation like that was so serious that it was taken to the highest judge in France - King Charles VI. An investigation ensued and the Parlement of Paris was unable to reach a decision in the matter. Instead they decreed that the matter would be judged by God through a trial by combat. A date was set for the duel. The duel would be a fight to the death. If Jean Carrouges lost, then his wife would also be put to death.

The Carrouges - Le Gris duel was so violent and brutal that it was the last duel ever decreed by Parlement. To this day, scholars have debated the facts of the entire affair. This true story may not appeal to all readers, as it includes violence and brutality that was part of life in Medieval France.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the last legal duel in France!

Once upon a time, one could seek justice by duel before the king of France. It was assumed that God would help the righteous man get justice and smite down the liar/offender.
In this particular case, the charge is rape. Yes, even back then it was a crime. However, not a sexual one against the victim (usually a woman), but a property theft against the rape victim's male guardian (father, husband or similar). Most women never complained about rape because if they lost and were accused of bearing false witness, they were killed (and in a very gruesome way). Moreover, rich males often got off with a fine whereas female minor offenders (thieves for example) were killed. Even when the crime was equal, females usually received a more severe punishment than the male offenders. Nevertheless, IF a rape victim of noble birth could secure her male guardian's support, she could charge her rapist through him.
This is exactly what happened in this case. Knight Jean de Carrouges - in the name of his wife Marguerite - accused squire Jacques Le Gris of rape and asked the parliament and king for permission to settle the matter in a duel.

How did they get to that point?
Well, we're in France during the 100-year-war when Charles VI was (boy-)king. Jean and Jacques used to be friends, but while the latter rose despite no money and no noble ancestry, the other struggled despite being a formidable fighter of many battles.
Land disputes, money problems, humiliation before other noble families ... there were many quarrels that seem to have culminated in the duel on December 29, 1386.

However, before the matter was settled with lances, swords and daggers, there was the official inquiry that was especially terrible for Marguerite. Not only had she to recount the terrible crime, she was numerously accused of having dreamt it, trying to hide an affair (she was pregnant for the first time after 5 childless years in marriage so it was assumed her child was Le Gris'), and was intimidated by being told exactly what the law was gonna do to her if she didn't change her testimony.

Nevertheless, she persisted.

This book has been a treat! The author is very good at bringing to life this historical setting as well as showing what we know from historical sources (letters, court papers etc) and what is speculation (and on what basis). We not only get to know the noble families involved but also the time period in which this trial took place - which is important for history lovers in general, but also to understand certain people's motivation behind their actions.
From battlefields in Scotland to plague-ravaged towns and early child deaths, it wasn't a pretty time to live in. But a fascinating one that the reader gets sucked into from the first page. To say nothing of the "scientific knowledge" used in court (such as that a woman cannot become pregnant from rape as one only conceives after enjoyment and a "successful little death" aka orgasm). Infuriating, certainly, but it also is evidence of just how far we’ve come (thankfully).

My first historical true crime book and what a hit!

Also, I should mention that I watched the movie last night and loved it! No, there are no wild explosions or alien invasions which might prompt some to say it was "boring". This is history, though, and history is never boring! :D Moreover, the movie closely follows the actual account of what happened (with a few minor deviations such as the age of certain actors vs the actual people) and is historically accurate (which is not a matter of course because too many movie studios and producers are indeed concerned about "not being boring"). So watch it, it's worth it. But definitely read the book, too.

We will never know what truly happened. I, for one, believe the supposed victim. Not because I believe every woman without having actually "checked the facts" (hard, here, anyway). But let's not forget that this woman stood nothing to gain but everything to lose and yet persevered through all trials and tribulations in order to get justice. She had small to no hope of even getting to the king's court after having to confess to her husband that another man had her, to say nothing of the fact that nobody could know which fighter would win IF parliament and the king signed off on the duel.
In short: there was no incentive to make the rape public knowledge and press charges. She did it anyway, knowing full well the shunning that was to follow by friends and family members (her own mother-in-law called her a liar and she lost all her social contacts). She also did it not only at great risk to her own life but, eventually, that of her by then newly born child (in case her husband was to lose, the child would be orphaned and shunned, diminshing its chances of survival greatly). All of which leads me to believe that she was telling the truth. There are other factors, but that would go into too much detail - find them by reading the book for yourself. ;)

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since the new movie adaptation of the real history, with all-star actors and actresses, is all the buzz, I decided to read the book that it was based on. And no, I have not seen the movie (yet).

But either way, I'm glad to have read it. It's the account of the last lawful use of duels in the French court during the Hundred Year's War, and because it was a pretty horrific way to perform law from any way you look at it, it also ended the practice.

Rivalry, rape, rapine, perhaps even a bit of revenge. Of course, the topic is evergreen. How should the law be settled in case of rape accusations? Why, with multiple perjury, likely malfeasance, with women treated as chattel and burned, pregnant, at the stake for simply accusing her rapist, of course. And if that isn't enough, resort to systemized knightly duels because, as we know, might always makes right.

The history is written well and the book is very readable, full of basic explanations and personages and cultural baggage, but the history of this, itself, is aggravating as hell.

Good book, however. And good riddance to the practice.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a true story based on the last government sanctioned trial by combat in 1386 between two Knights. It was well recorded at the time of the decision.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is not a long read, but Eric Jager did a good job bringing the brutality of life during this period in history forward.

Basically, it is a he said she said true story of a Knights wife who claims she was assaulted by a person who was once the good friend of her husband.

This outrage occurs while she is left alone in her husbands stronghold.

The Knights wife claims she was raped by this man. He claims it was with her approval, and she participated willingly.

Women at this time were looked upon more as a husband's property rather than their own sovereign self.

Unlike a crime judged in a modern court, this affront to the Knights' personal dignity escalates to a challenge by duel of deadly weapons. It would be fought publicly on a field. The two combatants are of equal rank. Both are knights.


It will be fought in full armor while on armored horseback. Multiple weapons are allowed.
This form of battle is especially deadly. Heavy horse would be the modern-day equivalent of an armored tank confrontation of today.

These battle horses are huge animals. They are trained to gallop towards each other without flinching off. Combatants can come crashing close to each other with a lance tipped with a heavy lethal blade or various battle axes. A lance can weigh 15 or more pounds. A battle axe may weigh between 7 or 9 pounds. It takes an incredibly strong man to hold a lance or swing an axe wearing full armor on a galloping horse.

These duels of honor were becoming a practice that was antiquated even by medieval standards. The theory is that God will sort out the truth.

Stakes are high. If the knight placing the challenge loses, his wife will be slowly burned, or if mercy granted, hung. Her husband, of course, would have been mortally wounded.

Since this practice has become semi outlawed, the French King, who is already becoming cognitively challenged, approves this duel.

Quite a battle between two equally seasoned killers ensued.

It is a very lively read based on information that, of course, may have been stretched a bit over the centuries.

[Sud666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"No one really knows the truth"
-Le Coq, Attorney for Jacques Les Gris

"The Last Duel", which is also a quite good movie, is superb. Eric jager's writing style makes it read like an exciting historical fiction, rather than an in-depth look at one of the odd cases from Late Middle Ages France.

Jean de Carrouges is a brave, but troublesome, knight. His impolitic demeanor leads to eventual conflict with the squire, Jacques Les Gris. This poisoning of what was, once, a close relationship will lead to a series of unfortunate events that will lead to Les Gris possibly raping Marguerite, the wife of Jean.

Jean demands a duel to show who is telling the truth. The idea is that God would help the innocent one gain victory. As interesting as the case is, it is historically important as this duel, held in 1386, was the last "honor" duel legally supported by law (in France).

Jager's retelling of the events and the known facts, as well as the parts that are based on the veracity of the one doing the telling- allows the reader to make their own decision as to who did what. For my money? I think Le Gris was guilty.

Superb book and highly recommended.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

MINI-REVIEW: 1386 . . . shortly after Christmas . . . this engaging historical study focuses upon the last legal duel in Medieval France in which one noble accused another noble of raping his wife. Because the legalities were not conclusive enough on either side it was eventually decided to be resolved violently between two heated parties. Those two parties, by the way, were Squire Jacques LeGris and a knight and his lady, respectively Jean de Carrouges and Marguerite Carrouges.

Note in those days the losing side suffered heavily as said side was typically put to death (so either the accused rapist if he lost the duel but still survived it or the husband and wife).

The tale is told as a combination of a thriller and the view of a Historian who has done painstaking research on the topic for roughly ten years. What's interesting to me is that the actual rape has enough counter pieces in which there is enough doubt as to whether it happened in that fashion. Some accounts claim the wife was open to the advanced of this other noble yet she could not admit it to her husband. What is even more interesting is that the matter went on for generations yet the Historian admits we will probably never get a satisfactory answer (though this happened in the late 1300s there were vigorous arguments in the 1800s).

Focuses upon the complex legal system, the realities of 14th century marriages (women were property at best so it was the husband who had been wronged) and the brutalities of medieval duels. This would be the last duel endorsed by the Parlement of Paris though others did try but were denied.

After doing this review I'm realizing I should re-read this book and perhaps give it a longer review. Of course, I have twenty billion other books of interest so we shall see.

OVERALL GRADE: A minus.


SPOILERS: for those who already read this piece the Historian believes that if the accusation was false then the most likely reason for the lie was for Marguerite to cover up an adultery or it was forced upon her to avenge what was done to her husband by her rival (Le Gris). However, as he goes over it in more detail Jager seems to be leaning that rape by Le Gris was real.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was absolutely riveted during the duel to the death chapter I may have bitten my nails a tad I'm not saying

Thank you, your 60 pounds of armor and padded leather and linen are lovely, but that is not for me. I’m claustrophobic

5/30 about 40% through the book and at least two, but it may be three, more Jean’s have been introduced. I’m curious how this will go down in the movie


Oh good lord
So this is the French contribution to a book I read a couple of stacks ago. That time it was about the Plantangents. This time I've gotten about 4 guys named Jean and 1 woman named Jeanne; I think 2 Charles.
So a sentence to enjoy:when jean's wife Jeanne gave birth to their son , Jean, they asked Jacques to stand as godfather. Yeah that happened

[Victorian Spirit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se trata del primer libro de microhistoria que leo y he quedado encantado. La Edad Media es una ambientación que me atrae mucho y con este libro disfruté y aprendí, porque las partes más didácticas están muy bien hilvanadas con la trama que nos ocupa, que ya de por sí engancha mucho.
Esta historia nos sitúa en París en 1386, donde seremos testigos del último juicio por combate que tuvo lugar en la Francia medieval. ¿Los contendientes? Jean de Carrouges y Jacques Le Gris, antiguos aliados, ahora enemigos acérrimos. ¿El motivo del juicio? Defender la verdad de una mujer. ¿En juego? Todo. La vida de los tres.
A pesar de ser un ensayo histórico basado en fuentes primarias, el libro está narrado con el pulso de una novela y está muy enriquecido con elementos de tensión dramática y de thriller legal. Hasta las últimas páginas no se desvela el resultado final del duelo. Es un libro entretenido y que hace justicia a un acontecimiento real que ocurrió en el siglo XIV y que nos permite reflexionar sobre cuestiones de plena actualidad hoy, como son el consentimiento o la dificultad para probar los delitos de índole sexual.

RESEÑA COMPLETA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMu7g...

[Cait · Rating 5 out of 5]

maybe u like me have seen the fucking last duel trailers and thought to yourself now THERE'S a movie I never fucking want to see! I just do not fucking want to see a 'oooOOoohhh is it a false rape accusation???' movie in the year of our lord 2021 set in the year of our lord 1386!!!! no thank you!

but my friend picked the book for this month's book club pick and I was EXTREMELY reluctant but turns out this book was EXTREMELY good and like zero percent triggering (for me personally, ymmv obvi). it is mostly just this dude being like hahhaha fuck the legal system in medieval europe was BONKERS, here are all my fun facts I've collected please enjoy them. strong 'merman hellville' vibes.

highly recommend this book, had an incredible time with it. I read one review from somebody who seemed like they know shit about history who was like hey the way this is written is like playing too fast and loose with the facts, which sounds like it's probably true!! but I, a historical dummy, was just like fuckkcek yeah babey, bring on the STUPID DUEL FACTS.

absolute disorganized grab bag of things I liked in this book:
- carrouges's and le gris's flags were fucking reverse color coded lmao
- sheriff comes from 'shire reeve'! love my etymology
- le gris was carrouges's son's godfather and "swore to guard him from the devil and protect him for seven years from water, fire, horse's foot, and hound's tooth"
- marguerite doesn't get a whole lot of speaking time per se on account of being a woman in 14th-century france but every time she did I loved her
- one time a dog and a human man dueled so the dog could avenge his master's death at the hand of the other man and the dog WON (yes this story is apocryphal no I will not be disbelieving it thanks)
- a sadder story involving an animal is that one time this dude murdered another dude, but then the murderer died so they hanged his horse as an accomplice :(
- when you dueled you had to like hold each other's hands like you were getting married but you had to hold left hands to show that your bond was one of ENMITY. hate-bonded. normal (please do not think I am like...woobifying these men when one of them was very much a rapist I just think that the rituals of all this are FASCINATING)
- judicial torture was seen as more progressive and evolved than judicial duels (for another fascinating account of a historical rape trial and judicial torture, see "the trials of artemisia: a rape as history" by elizabeth s. cohen)
- just like everything about judicial duels is hilariously batshit! if you as a spectator coughed during a duel they put you to death! and if you blocked anyone's view they would chop your hand off! the combatants had to bring their own bread and wine in case it went longer than a day and they got hungry! they were no-holds-barred no-rules-no-gods-no-masters and one duel ended with one dude tearing off the other guy's testicle! and you had to swear cross my heart/ this is not a lie/ I pinky promise that my soul will be damned to hell if I die
- carrouges was able to charge le gris with incest because of that part where le gris was carrouges's son's godfather
- jager keeps his writing pretty regular but does indulge himself with the line "a rose of romance sprang from the stony ground of realpolitik"
- heralds were called 'persons of loud voice' and let me tell you I have a lot of heralds in my classes
- you weren't allowed to bring magically imbued weapons to the duel. and they were like buddy don't even THINK about it. or ELSE. if you do...we'll.....we'll.....we'll take your magic weapons away and leave you weaponless!!!!! (not a joke, none of this review is a joke, they were very seriously concerned about people using magic weapons. which is fair!!!!!)

what a phenomenal mess of a review eh. I just truly enjoyed this book SO much but I can't keep putting off writing this review because I will never have time to do it the justice it deserves!!! but honestly this is how I want all the nonfiction I read to be. much less of the upsetting 'is this rape accusation false' sensationalism I feared and much more of a vibe of 'yeah no this woman was telling the truth, that's not even in question here. now let's explore the contextual factors of the medieval legal system'

[Sanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

A popular non-fiction book on a fascinating subject: judicial duels or trials by combat. Jager follows one famous case: the fabled last judicial duel to ever take place in France. Two men fight to the death over the accusation that one has raped the wife of the other. The subject has all the good ingredients for a juicy historical story: the Hundred Years War, a noblewoman seeking justice, the world of the lower nobility, medieval legal and military antics....

Good popular historical non-fiction can permit itself some more liberties compared to academic non-fiction in interpreting the lacunas in the sources, and the style of writing is not necessarily argumentative, but narrative. Jager has chosen to write his book as a narrative with heavy literary influences, which makes this particular book a bit of an odd beast. The author at times permits himself a fictionalized interpretation of key scenes, such as the blow-by-blow action scenes of the judicial duel itself, which not only helps the reader transport themselves to that place and time, it allows for a pleasant change of pace in the overall narrative.

Inside the cultural-historic framework, Jager tries to tease out the personalities of the key figures. This does not always work as well. The figures emerge as types instead of human beings of flesh and blood: there's the rugid and honest man-at-arms Carrouges, there's the sly courtier Le Gris, there's the silent "good wife" Margerite. There's little room for nuance in these characterizations, but this typification allows for a solid good vs. bad storyline and isn't at all unpleasant to read.

The author has a clear love for this story and his own interpretation of what kind of characters the key figures in the story must have been. As a reader, I wanted to give in and follow Jager's narrative and interpretation of events. However, the style of the book makes it impossible to distinguish which parts are based on medieval sources and which are Jager's own interpretation or imagination. Furthermore, I felt that there were a lot of minor errors and argumentation flaws in his story.

The problem with a lot of little things is that then add up into one big ball. There are several instances where you can doubt the historical validity of the claims, or the explanations just feel off-key. Possibly, this the result of wanting to simplify things for a wider audience and the fact that the writer is specialized in medieval literature and not medieval history. The result is imprecisions or off-the-mark typifications. Examples include typifying the disputes between Le Gris and Carrouges prior to the rape as a "feud" (no blood flowed, no armed clashes took place - you can hardly speak of a feud when Carrouges has badmouthed Le Gris for a bit. One could possibly speak of a fued starting once Margerite is raped) and the author's confusion as to why the mother of Carrouges wasn't living with her grown son after her husband's death (this is really common for the late medieval nobility - all examples of widows I know of lived on their own land and not together with their adult son).

Then there are spots in the argumentation and explanation of events which are wholely unsupported. It went to the point that I became suspicious of any statement which started with "it is likely that...". One glaringly obvious example early on in the book is the claim that Margerite did not like staying with her mother-in-law. It is never explained why the author thinks this is the case, except for the "mother-in-laws, ammi rite" vibe. Hardly a sound argument.

What certainly doesn't help the author's credibility is the fact that the notes are a mess. There are plenty of phrases throughout the book which are placed in quotation marks without any reference to whose words they are. Then there are the notes which are provided at the end of the book. They do not have a clear reference to the text as there are no footnotes to indicate in the text what part of the text the footnote refers to exactly. Though upon checking, I learned that they certainly do not refer to the mystery quotes. Very sloppy and an eternal shame as the author clearly did do a lot of research and digging into the original sources.

Furthermore, I found that two things were lacking in this book. One was that we never learned what happened to Adam Louvel. Was he executed after the duel for his complicity? Did he die from his injuries sustained under torture? Second was that I really missed an exploration of the misogyny that informed so much of this process - from the fact that Margerite herself can't pursue justice, to the dismissal and and disbelief in her story by so many men, both contemporaries of her as well as historians later on. The disbelief in her statement is harrowingly mirrored by the treatment of many survivors today - a comparison that could easily have been made, but sadly isn't.

All in all a book about a fascinating subject, though I feel the author hasn't been able to write the best book he could make of it.

[Tatiana Shorokhova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Очень лаконичная книга, в которой автор всеми силами пытается восстановить события, имевшие место в конце XIV века. Благородный французский рыцарь вызывает выскочку-оруженосца на дуэль, защищая честь своей жены. Но что произошло на самом деле?

Если вы смотрели фильм Ридли Скотта, то книга Ягера станет очень классным дополнением, придав веса фильму. Сама же история действительно во многом интересна — от мотивов Карружа мстить Ле Гри до мотивов Ле Гри опозорить Карружа. Токсичная маскулинность как она есть. И то, что женщина заявила об изнасиловании, дав ход судебному делу, очень зря приписывают современности: во Франции того времени жены приравнивалась к вещам, и «оскорбив лошадь, вы оскорбили всадника». Ничего особо прогрессивного, просто жизнь.

Читается взахлёб, оторваться не могла.

[Dave Carden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those rare medieval history books that actually transports you into the time. Far from a stuffy academic text, The Last Duel is a page-turner, all leading up to the climactic fight!

[Pia G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

en kısa zamanda filmini de izleyeceğim.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ordered on the back of Blood Royal

Description: The gripping, atmospheric true story of the “duel to end all duels” in medieval France: a trial by combat pitting a knight against a squire accused of violating the knight’s beautiful young wife

In 1386, a few days after Christmas, a huge crowd gathers at a Paris monastery to watch the two men fight a duel to the death meant to “prove” which man’s cause is right in God’s sight. The dramatic true story of the knight, the squire, and the lady unfolds during the devastating Hundred Years War between France and England, as enemy troops pillage the land, madness haunts the French court, the Great Schism splits the Church, Muslim armies threaten Christendom, and rebellion, treachery, and plague turn the lives of all into toys of Fortune.
At the heart of the tale is Jean de Carrouges, a Norman knight who returns from combat in Scotland to find his wife, Marguerite, accusing Jacques LeGris, her husband’s old friend and fellow courtier, of brutally raping her. The knight takes his cause before the teenage King Charles VI, the highest judge in France. Amid LeGris’s vociferous claims of innocence and doubts about the now pregnant Marguerite’s charges (and about the paternity of her child), the deadlocked court decrees a “trial by combat” that leaves her fate, too, in the balance. For if her husband and champion loses the duel, she will be put to death as a false accuser.
Carrouges and LeGris, in full armor, eventually meet on a walled field in Paris before a massive crowd that includes the king and many nobles of the realm. A fierce fight on horseback and then on foot ensues during which both combatants suffer wounds—but only one fatal. The violent and tragic episode was notorious in its own time because of the nature of the alleged crime, the legal impasse it provoked, and the resulting trial by combat, an ancient but increasingly suspect institution that was thereafter abolished.
Based on extensive research in Normandy and Paris, The Last Duel brings to life a colorful, turbulent age and three unforgettable characters caught in a fatal triangle of crime, scandal, and revenge. It is at once a moving human drama, a captivating detective story, and an engrossing work of historical intrigue.

Dedication:

FOR PEG
sine qua non

Opening: On a cold morning a few days after 1386, thousands of people packed a large open space behind a monastery in Paris to watch two knights fight a duel to the death.

Jager spared us nothing in stage setting the circumstances for the duel and for this reason Part I seemed important and exhausting in equal measure. It was interesting that the Scots did not appreciate French troops arrival to help against the English.

Part II kicks of with a chapter called The Judgement of God and some of those there late mediaeval laws are hilarious to the modern-day eye:

A horse that killed a man and then scaped with its master's help was convicted of murder in absentia and hanged in effigy.
p. 132

The duel itself was written in an eye-scorching way, no two ways about that. Did you think justice was served?

Having dipped into this for over a year, it feels good to finally get it off the onhold shelf!

4* Royal Blood
3.5* The Last Duel

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es la primera vez que leo algo del crítico literario y experto en literatura medieval Eric Jager. Y he de decir que no será la última porque me ha parecido apasionante su retrato de un hecho verídico durante una época convulsa -seguía muy presente la Guerra de los Cien años contra Inglaterra- en la Francia del S.XIV. 


     El famoso duelo entre Jean de Carrouges y Jacques Le Gris que tan bien descrito está en este libro, así como la causa y consecuencias que tuvieron lugar antes y después del mismo, me fueron reveladas por la pericia de Eric Jager, que investigó durante una década partiendo del manuscrito de Froissart, consultas a las bibliotecas en famosas Universidades de USA (UCLA, Yale, etc.), visitando los lugares de Normandía y París donde se desarrolla la historia, entre otras fuentes. 


     Aunque me atrevo a decir que quizá la mayoría conozcan sobre este duelo de haber visto la adaptación que el famoso director Ridley Scott estrenó en 2021, tan solo un poco antes que su más exitoso estreno de ese mismo año, "La casa Gucci" con Lady Gaga y Adam Driver de co-protagonista que, curiosamente, este último interpretaba a Le Gris en "El último duelo". ¿Será su nuevo actor fetiche?


    En conclusión, y sin destripar nada de relevancia de la obra de Eric Jager, pues de la película mencionada no puedo hablar porque no la he visto, aconsejo su lectura si sois amantes de las lizas y justas medievales, entre otros acontecimientos típicos de la belicosa y oscura época medieval, como son las batallas y cruzadas, los saqueos y otras "lindezas" (suerte Jager no entra mucho en detallar las más horrorosas torturas medievales, y solo nombra algunas de ellas, como la picota, la hoguera, el potro, las amputaciones y la horca). Valoración final: 4 de 5⭐caballerescas.

[Özgür · Rating 3 out of 5]

Düelloya götüren olay çok özgün değil (Yeşilçam filmleriyle büyüyen nesil için en azından :) ama arkaplanda yaşananlar çekiciydi benim için. Fransızlar ve İngilizler (ve yer yer İskoçlar) arasındaki savaşlar, Fransız asilzadelerinin güç ilişkileri, düello adabı vs.

spoiler: Kaynananın oğlunun seyahate çıkarken ona emanet ettiği gelinini haydutların ortalıkta cirit attığı bir ortamda evdeki tüm hizmetçileri yanına alarak evde tek başına bırakıp gitmiş olması garip geldi.

[Stephen Richter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the history of the last official "Trial By Combat" in France. Using primary sources Eric Jager paints a picture of two knight whose long simmering feud ended in this event. Jager paints a picture of life in Medieval France , a biography of the individuals and places involved in this event. A very interesting tale.

[Amanda Hupe · Rating 5 out of 5]

France in the year 1380. The King has died. There is a political shift as a new king takes the throne. This political backdrop for the story. We get introduced to Jean de Carrouges, a squire, looking to better his position and obtain more land. At every turn he gets denied. Causing him to make enemies. One in particular, another squire, Jacques Legris. They were once friends but Legris has been granted the land Carrouges wanted and now is a favorite to their lord. Carrouges who will not go down without a fight, will do anything in his power to get this land. He marries the beautiful and young Marguerite Thibouville. This marriage is both good and bad. Her family is wealthy but her father was a known traitor which causes Carrouges to become more segregated from the court.

Carrouges goes to war. He comes back knighted for his services and once again attempts to regain the land he feels entitled to and also causing more tension between him and Legris. While he is gone, Legris pays a visit to Carrouges home, corners Marguerite, ties her up and brutally rapes her. He threatens her to keep quiet. Marguerite has a choice, most would keep quiet but she chooses to tell her husband despite that it could be the downfall for both of them. Carrouges is obviously enraged of what his wife tells him and vows justice. The case is brought before the king. Duels are becoming more rare. However, due to the circumstances, a knight vs a squire, both well-known at court, a lady who is the chief witness, the king defers to Parliament who orders the duel.

If Carrouges is succesful, justice is served. However, if not and Legris is the winner, Marguerite would be burned at the stake for making a false accusation of rape. So this trial is to determine if she get justice or dies. After a grueling duel, to the death, Carrouges is declared the winner and justice is served. It is also the duel to end all legal duels in France.

This is by far one of the best historical nonfiction that I have ever read. It is a true story about a brutal crime and scandal. The fact that innocence is proved based on who lives or dies in the duel shows how far we come. But is also shows how we still view victims of sexual assault. Marguerite had to risk being burnt at the stake in order to see justice. Today, victims are shamed, bullied and not believed. She was the hero in this story. This true story. I think Jager did a fantastic job presenting the history, presenting the story and presenting the culture in Medieval France. 5/5. Definitely recommend.

[Annabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second reading: June 2020
This book best exemplifies the need to document my thoughts and sentiments on every book I've read. My first reading of The Last Duel by Eric Jager made quite an impression, and spurred me to read more books on the middle ages, generally zeroing in on the Tudors' story, which was the most readily available, eventually branching out to books on the Black Plague and the Crusades (Saladin's story). The storytelling struck me as very visual, but my only recollection of The Last Duel is that it involved two protagonists/antagonists and a lady of noble birth. I can't even recall whether she was raped or ran off with her lover, and whether this happened in France or England. Worse, I could no longer remember who even won the duel--the husband or the lover/rapist!

Unsurprisingly, this rediscovery of a favorite almost felt like a first reading. Jager is a very visually detailed writer, and his descriptions of the featured locales, especially Normandy, almost sound like a travelogue; he also supplies details on distances and scale, estimated travel time, weather conditions, royal timelines, social protocols, beliefs, and customs of that bygone era. If all this sounds as bland as a textbook (hello, one-starred Life in a Medieval Village), thankfully Jager has seamlessly weaved the results of his extensive research with a masterful narrative that does justice to an already compelling plot. All combined, it gives the reader a window to what life would be like if one were magically transplanted to the 1380s.

And magical storytelling is exactly why this book appeals to me. Mediocre writers of non-fiction usually rely on facts and details to present situations of historical significance. The better ones are fictionists at heart, and give us what every reader really wants: a great story. Five stars!

First reading: anytime between 2011 and 2013
Very factual (educational, actually--you learn a lot about those bloody Crusades), visual and exceedingly entertaining. The build-up of suspense starts midway through, and the chronological storytelling works to the advantage of the reader, who is left to draw his own conclusions (I know I have, but I suppose like most readers, I cannot be certain). Suffice to say that at the last few chapters I was short of breath, my heart palpitating. Frankly, it's so good, it must be fiction! Five stars.

[Seher Andaç · Rating 5 out of 5]

“ Heyecanlı kalabalık, görüş alanına giren, adı kötüye çıkmış Leydi Carrouges’u görebilmek için canhıraş bir gayret gösterdi. Marguerite’in gençliği ve güzelliği, sade siyah kıyafetleri ve bu namlı hadisedeki ihbarcı rolü, şimdi onu herkesin ilgi odağı haline getirmişti. İnsanlar bir an için kralı, onun muhteşem giyimli amcalarını ve hatta savaşçı şövalyeyi unuttular, hepsi de düellonun dillere düşmüş müsebbibinin sahaya gelişini izlemek için döndüler.
Marguerite henüz yasal olarak mahkum edilmemiş olsa da düelloya, kocası öldürülürse hemen infaz edilecek ölüm cezasının gölgesinde tanıklık edecekti. Yas ve ölümün geleneksel rengi olan, genellikle cellatlar ve yakılmaya mahkum edilen cadı ve sapkın kurbanları tarafından giyilirdi. Marguerite’in kıyafetleri o gün onun, kaderi bıçak sırtında olan bir kadın olduğunu gösteriyordu. “

29 Aralık 1386’da Paris’te bir manastırda, tecavüze uğradığını gizlemeyen bir kadın için düello yapıldı. Üstelik yaşadığı tecavüzün erkek vasisine karşı işlenen bir mülkiyet suçu olarak kabul edildiğini bile bile vazgeçmeyen bir kadın. Kocası ölürse öleceğini bile bile vazgeçmeyen bir kadın.
….
Paris parlementosu tarafından onaylanan son düello olarak kayıtlara geçmiş, hikayeyi okuduktan sonra yazar bu kayıtların peşine düşmüş ve kitap haline getirmiş. Belgelere boğulmuş bir anlatı mı okuyacağım kaygısını çok başarılı bir çeviri tamamen gidermiş ki su gibi bir okuma oldu. Çekilen filmini de oldukça etkileyici ve vurucu buldum.
Hikayenin üstelik yaşanmış bir hikayenin hem kitap hem de film olarak dönüşümüne çok imrendiğimi belirtmek isterim:)

[iva° · Rating 5 out of 5]

da nisam nedavno pogledala film "the last duel", ne bi mi ovaj biser pao u ruke. volim kad se stručnjak primi stvarnog povijesnog događaja, napravi opsežno i temeljito istraživanje pa onda, kao produkt svog interesa, napiše knjigu u kojoj se drži činjenica i tek neznatno intervenira da bi obojao priču, bez da joj narušava vjerodostojnost.
e to je napravio eric jager.

obavezno štivo za ljubitelje povijesti, osobito srednjovjekovne francuske (konac XIV. st.) i za one koje zanimaju stvarne ličnosti (vitez, štitonoša i jedna gospa) i sasvim nevjerojatne životne priče.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTdr1...

[Tymciolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skuszona filmem Ridleya Scotta sięgnęłam po "Ostatni Pojedynek. I nie zawiodłam się. To zgrabnie napisana opowieść zachowująca idealny balans między przyjemnym, a pożytecznym. Autor porusza się w gąszczu historycznych detali z wyczuciem, nie nużąc czytelnika zbytnią szczegółowością. W rezultacie pozycję popularnonaukową czyta się jak rasową powieść.

Gwoli kronikarskiej ścisłości, w przeciwieństwie do filmu nie jest to historia z serii me too, bo nie na ten aspekt sprawy został położony główny nacisk. Autor skupił sie na mentalności i bolączkach przedstawicieli wyższych sfer średniowiecznej Francji na przykładzie trzech osób, których losy niefortunnie splątaly się przed wiekami.

Zupełnie nie dziwię się, że "Ostatni Pojedynek" został zekranizowany. Obraz epoki, który odmalował autor i postacie, które ożywił aż się o to prosiły.

[Elentarri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the true story of the last judicial duel fought in medieval France (1386) and sanctioned by the Parliament of Paris (overseen by the teenage King Charles VI). This trial-by-combat was a last resort for Norman knight Jean de Carrouges to obtain justice for his wife Marguerite (daughter of a traitor), raped by the knight's former friend, godson of his dead son and now rival at court, the squire Jacques Le Gris (which he denied). The stakes were high. Whoever got killed or yielded first was guilty and got hung (if not dead already) and publicly displayed. If de Carrouges loses, his wife will be burned at the stake for perjury and swearing false oaths about the rape charge. The entire affair was famous in its time and also aroused controversy for centuries.

The writing style is plain and straight-forward, with many b/w photographs of remaining buildings, illustrations and maps. Jager provides a strong sense of place and a nice summary of the cultural context, all whilst setting up the events that lead to the nail-biting duel. The story is a bit lacking in making the reader understand just how important religion was in this particular time period, especially considering that this court-ordered duel to the death was to allow God to judge the innocent and guilty. But, otherwise this was a competently written, and sometimes downright exciting, history of a particular medieval event.

[Maćkowy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tak powinno się pisać książki historyczne. "Ostatni pojedynek" to właściwie panorama feudalnej średniowiecznej Francji, z jej zwyczajami i prawami, a finalny sąd boży nad domniemanym gwałcicielem, to wisienka na torcie. Profesor Jager pisze lekko i jasno, nie stroniąc od anegdot. Książkę mimo wielu szczegółów z zakresu: od zawiłości prawnych, po uzbrojenie średniowiecznego rycerza, czyta się niemal jak powieść lub reportaż. Na minus jedynie zbyt częste odwoływanie do domniemanych uczuć bohaterów książki ("musiał czuć wtedy to, czy tamto").

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A View Into the Past

I’ve seen the poster for the Last Duel at and a number of different places, so I was curious about picking up the book.

It reads like a really good novel but it’s actually a true story. The prejudice against woman is painful to read but true.

I enjoyed it and I am recommend it.

[Melisende · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the Last Duel focuses on the last "legalised" duel to be held in medieval France in which one man seeks justice through trial by combat.

The two protagonists are a knight and a squire. First, these are misleading titles. Both are military men of comparable age; both men were - in the few years prior to the duel - of the rank of squire. One man was knighted on the field of battle - the other on the field of justice - therefore at the time of the duel both men were of equal rank. The title of squire or "escuier" was ascribed to a "battle hardened veteran" rather than the romanticised vision of a youth attending to his master. Though squire did serve their superiors, the context, in this case, as with the title of knight, is purely a military one.

Now to the protagonists themselves. There was a long period of friendship between the two, which slowly dissolved as one received preference over the other; and one felt that he was more deserving of preferment than the other. Tensions finally boil over when one man accuses the other of rape and violence against his wife, culminating in the long drawn-out process of having the case examined and pondered before (to the delight of all), the duel to the death is granted.

Jager goes to great lengths to fill in the background information on those involved and to enlighten the reader on the intracies of medieval French politics and law. In bringing the suit forward, the women herself, if her testimony proves false, faces a most grusesome end - to be burnt alive - and her champion, certain death. There is no half measures - at the end of the day, someone will die.

I have been wanting to read this book for some time since it was recommended to me about four years ago. And I highly recommend it myself.

[Jacqueline J · Rating 5 out of 5]

True story of the last trial by combat in medieval France. It was written very accessibly, not dry and dusty at all. It almost felt like a novel. It was interesting to see how the judicial system worked and very interesting to see how women and rape were perceived at the time. I highly recommend it. In fact I wouldn't mind reading it again, which for a history narrative is rare as duck's teeth.

[Nicholas Nilsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the most vivid historical accounts out there, this book reads as well as a novel. The writer provides the whole narrative in fantastic clarity and detail, as well as psychological insight into the people involved without ever coming across as overly speculative. I especially enjoyed the copious context around the events that very firmly entrench the reader within the setting. I’m thinking “historical true crime” is a genre I need to look more into…

Credit to Marguerite de Thibouville, the original anti-patriarchy whistleblower.