The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal, The Power Behind Five English Thrones

by Thomas Asbridge

A renowned scholar brings to life medieval England’s most celebrated knight, William Marshal—providing an unprecedented and intimate view of this age and the legendary warrior class that shaped it.

Caught on the wrong side of an English civil war and condemned by his father to the gallows at age five, William Marshal defied all odds to become one of England’s most celebrated knights. Thomas Asbridge’s rousing narrative chronicles William’s rise, using his life as a prism to view the origins, experiences, and influence of the knight in British history.

In William’s day, the brutish realities of war and politics collided with romanticized myths about an Arthurian “golden age,” giving rise to a new chivalric ideal. Asbridge details the training rituals, weaponry, and battle tactics of knighthood, and explores the codes of chivalry and courtliness that shaped their daily lives. These skills were essential to survive one of the most turbulent periods in English history—an era of striking transformation, as the West emerged from the Dark Ages.

A leading retainer of five English kings, Marshal served the great figures of this age, from Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine to Richard the Lionheart and his infamous brother John, and was involved in some of the most critical phases of medieval history, from the Magna Carta to the survival of the Angevin/Plantagenet dynasty. Asbridge introduces this storied knight to modern readers and places him firmly in the context of the majesty, passion, and bloody intrigue of the Middle Ages.

The Greatest Knight features 16 pages of black-and-white and color illustrations.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Medieval, Medieval History, Historical, British Literature

444 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 2, 2014

About the author

Thomas Asbridge is an internationally renowned expert on the history of the Middle Ages and author of the critically acclaimed books The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land and The First Crusade: A New History. His latest publication is The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal, the Power Behind Five English Thrones.

Thomas studied for a BA in Ancient and Medieval History at Cardiff University, and then gained his PhD in Medieval History at Royal Holloway, University of London. His is now Reader in Medieval History at Queen Mary, University of London and Founding Director of the Centre for the Study of Islam & the West.

Reviews

[Jeffrey Keeten · Rating 5 out of 5]

”In 1152 King Stephen of England decided to execute a five-year-old boy. This child--William Marshal--had committed no crime. He was a hostage, given over to the crown as surety for his father’s word, a pawn in the great game of power and politics then being played out within a realm wracked by civil war. When William’s father promptly broke his pledge to the king, declaring that ‘he did not care about the child, since he still had the anvils and hammers to forge even finer ones,’ Stephen was furious.”


William Marshal

In his fury, Stephen sent the boy Marshal to the gallows. On the way, William asked the soldier leading him to his fate if he could play with his spear. The spell of Stephen’s fury was broken by this display of childish curiosity. He realized in that moment that, though he could place the blame of the boy’s death on John Marshal’s obstinate refusal to comply, the sin of the death of such an innocent would stain him forever, and he, by instigating an English Civil War, already had enough stains for one lifetime. Stephen had little idea that he was saving the man who would one day be regarded as the greatest knight that England has ever produced.

There was an interesting parallel with the 70 year old William Marshal in 1216, and the 5 year old in 1152. He had beaten incredible odds to rise to being the most famed Earl in all of England. When he was asked by a dying King John, a man he couldn’t help but loath, to preserve the crown for his eight year old heir Henry III, Marshal couldn’t refuse. The odds against holding off Louis of France with the remains of the battered Royal army were slim. It would have made more sense, after weighing those odds, that William would have spirited the boy away somewhere safe (Ireland?) and prepared to make terms with the French to better his own advantage. I couldn’t help but think that the defenseless boy of five was still inside him, staring through those aging warrior eyes at this helpless boy of eight.

History was changed the moment William decided to uphold Henry’s right to the crown. One man stood in the way of what many thought was the inevitability of French rule. At 70, he led the charge into the decisive Battle of Lincoln that saved the Angevin dynasty. There wasn’t another man in the kingdom who could have inspired the wavering Royal army and convinced them that victory could still be theirs.


If you saw this shield coming at you on the battlefield, you had best have your affairs in order or turn tail and run to live to fight another day.

Of course, a lot of things happened to Marshal between the ages of 5 and 70. He quickly became one of the most trusted knights in the kingdom, and so it only made sense that Henry II would assign Marshal to his oldest son, Young Henry. I could almost hear the conversation...make a man of him. The 12th century was so fascinating because this dynamic ruling family, full of strong personalities, was constantly jockeying between themselves for power. The sons were impatient to share power with their father, and this anxiousness led to more than just squabbles at the dinner table, but evolved into outright war. Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of the most intelligent and powerful women of any century, also battled with her husband and usually favored her sons over her husband. With many royal dynasties struggling to produce heirs (the later Tudors were particularly unfruitful), Henry had produced four boys, and all of them were chips off the old block, intent on asserting their rights most forcibly to receive more favor from their father. William found himself carefully picking his way through this political minefield. One misstep and all that he had obtained for his family would be lost.

As impressive as William was on the battlefield, I found his political astuteness even more spectacular. Being too supportive of one family member might have spelled doom for him when the inevitable power shift occurred. He unhorsed Richard at one point in protection of Richard’s father, Henry II. The only man to ever do so against Richard the Lionheart. When Richard came to the throne, it could have been the end of William Marshal, but Richard had too much respect for him as a warrior and as a statesman to let an old grudge stand between them. Later when Richard was away on crusade, William Marshal was tasked with keeping the youngest brother, John, in check. He gave John enough rope to let him play at ruling the kingdom, but not enough to allow him to hang himself by outright treason against Richard. William realized that there was a good possibility that John would one day be King, and he did not want to antagonize him, nor did he want to disappoint Richard.

The Plantagents were often referred to as the Bloody Dynasty, and these were early days in their rule. There were many more family disagreements soon to come. The War of the Roses made a bloody ruling family bloodier. A case could be made that the very thing that should have made the Plantagents strong, fruitful loins, might actually have ultimately lead to their downfall.

At 43, William Marshal finally married the 17 year old Isabel de Clare, the daughter and only heir of Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, known as Strongbow. William went from a landless knight to one of the richest men in the kingdom overnight. He had passed on several other opportunities to marry young women of property, which at the time I thought...what are you doing, man? I should have known that he had his eyes on a greater prize...the fertile lands of Ireland. They had ten children together so, though it was an arranged marriage, basically Isabel was the prize sold off to a valued ally, the marriage by all accounts seemed to be one based on mutual respect, and dare I say...love.


William Marshal saved England.

We might not have ever known the story of William Marshal except for the French bibliophile named Paul Meyer who attended a Sotheby’s auction in London in 1861 and saw a rare medieval manuscript of the life of William Marshal. He could not compete in the bidding with the wealthy, rather insane collector Sir Thomas Phillipps, who ended up buying the manuscript. It became buried in his vast collection and could have been lost forever except that twenty years later Meyer, still obsessed with what he had seen of the manuscript, was granted access to the Phillipps library to try and find it.

Thomas Asbridge has given us a very readable version of Marshal’s life, drawing heavily on the medieval manuscript, but also finding some confirmation of some of the assertions from other sources, such as the Anglo Saxon Chronicles. The manuscript was the first written account of a medieval knight, and this important relic inspired Asbridge to do his best to clear away the cobwebs and unravel the myths surrounding William Marshal and those he served.

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[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I confess that before I read Thomas Asbridge’s THE GREATEST KNIGHT” I was already curious about this new biography of William Marshal. The lives of John FitzGilbert the Marshal and his son William are a lifelong study subject for me outside my novel writing career. Since this work shared the title of my 2004 novel The Greatest Knight the life of William Marshal and even the same font and cloudy background as my UK cover, my interest was naturally piqued even more!
William Marshal, circa 1246-1219 has been called the Greatest Knight who ever lived and we know about him through a rhyming biographical poem of over 20,000 lines commissioned by his family and written by a poet simply known as John.
Despite the often highly positive spin the biography puts on the Marshal’s life, much of the “Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal” still rings true in its basics and the reader receives a strong flavour of the vigour of the Marshal’s character. It’s a vivid glimpse into the world of the 12th and 13th century aristocracy – their cares and concerns, their pleasures and politics. It’s the first secular biography of an Englishman and a work of incalculable value, not least because of its survival, which is a story in itself.
That survival is the starting point of Thomas Asbridge’s work - how it was rediscovered at auction by historian Paul Meyer in the 19th century and how he lost the bid, but doggedly followed the manuscript’s trail, found it again, and translated it into the modern French of his own era along with a commentary. It’s a fascinating story that draws the reader in and is one of the book’s most positive and interesting aspects.
Thomas Asbridge tells his tale in a strong, linear style that is entertaining and very readable which gives it wide appeal. You don’t have to be an academic to enjoy the writing. He mostly relies on the “Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal” as his source material and puts his own interpretations on the story, sometimes with results that might raise the eyebrows of those who know William Marshal well, but probably won’t be noticed by those who don’t. I have to say that general readers may be misled at times about the Marshal’s character because the interpretation, and indeed some of the stated 'facts' do not always stand up to scrutiny.
Asbridge never seems to quite grasp the nuances. For example, John FitzGilbert, William’s father is portrayed as a brutal weathercock. But he was no more brutal than any other baron at the time, and it could be argued much less of a weathercock than a good number of his compatriots. Once he swore for the Empress he stuck to his word even though it meant the loss of an eye at Wherwell, and the potential loss of his son at Newbury, when John was the last man standing between King Stephen and the castle at Wallingford. The reader isn’t told this. Asbridge tells us instead that King Stephen was ‘determined to punish John’s presumption’ and so in the fading days of his power, came to seize John’s castle at Newbury. But it was more than just royal displeasure and vindictiveness that brought Stephen to Newbury. The point of the Newbury incident is that Stephen needed to get to Wallingford before the future Henry II returned from Normandy, but he knew if he marched directly to Wallingford from his current base at Reading that John FitzGilbert would come from Newbury, attack him from behind and he’d end up sandwiched between the defending garrison at Wallingford and the Marshal forces in the rear. So in order to have a good chance of success at Wallingford, he had to take out John Marshal first. John Marshal knew there was no one else; he was the last man standing between Stephen and the destruction of Wallingford. That puts the whole situation in a very different light.
There’s the moment when John attacks his rival neighbour, Patrick of Salisbury. Asbridge tells us that this shows John’s capacity for ‘ruthless brutality’ – to attack a troop of more lightly armed men. What he doesn’t tell the reader is that these lightly armed men were actually on their way to slaughter John and were carrying their heavy armour with them ready to put on just before they attacked him. But John got wind of their intent and hit them first. Again, the reader is only told half the story and thus the nuances are changed.
When it comes to William Marshal himself, I began to wonder how much notice Thomas Asbridge had actually paid to the Histoire although it seemed to be his main source of information. For example, he tells us that “The Marshal himself seems to have shown only limited interest in the likes of dancing (and) music.” In direct contradiction of this the Histoire tells us that William’s singing voice had a ‘pure, sweet tone’ and that he willingly sang for his comrades at a dance at a tourney and that it gave them ‘much pleasure and delight.’ (Lines 3471-3483) Many years later on his deathbed, William said one day that he felt like singing, as he had not in three years. This suggests that he had enjoyed song for most of his life. He also specifically called his daughters to sing for him and instructed them how to do so to the best of their ability and then joined in with them.’ (lines 18532-18580). This is a man with only days to live. It’s very, very obvious that he loved music, understood its technicalities, and it would have been one of the few joys left to him.
Asbridge alters one scene in the Histoire itself by not reading the text in primary source and by misunderstanding the English translation, hence the matter of the pike. At a tourney at Pleurs, William Marshal got his head stuck inside his helmet and went to the smithy to have it prised off. In the meantime he had been judged ‘man of the match’ which means he had won the main tourney prize, of a fish – a large pike. The Histoire tells us this in the original Old French word for the creature “luz” It’s in prime condition and more than two and a half feet long. Pikes and swans were common tourney prizes at this time, as were other animals. One particular tourney even had a bear as the prize. Asbridge tells his readers that William has won a two and a half foot long spear! Common sense would surely tell one that a spear of two and a half feet in length isn’t actually a spear and not a useful thing to win, especially not for the champion of the show!
Asbridge dresses William in an odd way too. He tells us he would have worn a shirt with detachable sleeves, a ‘fact’ that appears to be picked up almost verbatim from the Danziger and Gillingham book “1215”. Asbridge says that William would have worn “a shirt, often with detachable sleeves.” Danziger and Gillingham’s line (p22) says “a shirt with long sleeves that were often detachable.” Now then, neither Danziger nor Gillingham are clothing historians but I happen to know a few, and I challenge anyone to find any time in the 12th or 13th century when shirts with detachable sleeves were worn; tunics perhaps, later on under Renaissance influence, but never, never shirts.
The description of the Young King, eldest son of Henry II is almost identical to the one on Wikipedia and the problem here is that the reader can’t know if this information is reliable because Asbridge doesn’t give proper sources or footnotes. There is no bibliography section, rather the books consulted are mentioned in the end notes which are far from reader friendly. They are arranged in a chapter by chapter format, but are quotes from pages without reference numbers, leaving the reader utterly baffled and having to hunt through the entire chapter for the lines in question.
I was somewhat surprised at some of the dates Asbridge uses. Eleanor of Aquitaine receives the older research birthdate of 1122 instead of the now more usually accepted 1124. King John’s birth year is cited as 1167 when it looks more likely to be 1166. (See “Eleanor of Aquitaine Lord and Lady,” edited by John Parsons and Bonnie Wheeler, the chapter by Andrew Lewis on revising the birth date of King John. This also gives the revised birth date of 1124 for Eleanor of Aquitaine. Gerald of Wales also indicates the birth date of 1166 for John). William Longespee’s birth date is erroneously given as 1167 when we now know it was somewhere between 1175-80, shortly before his mother, Ida de Tosney married Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk.
The reader is told that Eleanor of Aquitaine was at the coronation of her son the Young King in 1170. However she was in Normandy at the time, trying to prevent various agents of Thomas Becket making the crossing and preventing the coronation. (William FitzStephen Life of Becket).
Asbridge has William setting off for the Holy Land in September 1183 and suggests that he just possibly may have arrived there in that same month in time to fight Saladin – which is patently impossible given even a jet propelled horse.
Asbridge suggests in one of the many ‘may have’ moments occupying the narrative that Richard the Lionheart was determined to build a glorious reputation for himself in liberating Jerusalem and didn’t want William along on crusade with him in case the Marshal stole his limelight – he was jealous of him! That begs the question then, why did he promote William and his affinity to such prominent positions in his government? Why not just dump William if he was worried about the threat to his own glory? Asbridge also speculates as to whether William would be considered a coward for staying at home, but since someone had to rule the country and since William had already made the pilgrimage, it’s an argument that skates on thin ice – in my opinion.
Asbridge accuses the Marshal of ‘grumping, wheedling and whining’ to Henry II for promotion and makes him sound like a child having a whinge in a supermarket. While the Marshal might have been pro-active in seeking promotion, and we know he complained to Henry II, “grumping, wheedling and whining” does not convey the resonances of the period and the way in which the reciprocation of patronage played out. Would Henry II, famous for his impatience, have listened to and sought the advice of a man who grumped, wheedled and whined? Absolutely not.
Positives? The aforementioned story of the discovery and rescue of the manuscript is well written and fascinating. Dr. Asbridge also gives a fine reassessment of the Young King which is long overdue and puts him in his full political context. Rather than a foolish, spendthrift ‘Hooray Henry,’ this eldest surviving son of Henry II comes over as a politically astute young man frustrated by his father’s controlling, micro-managing policies. That aspect of the biography is excellent and recommended as food for thought. It’s a great balancer to the more usual negative assessments of the Young King.
Ultimately, Asbridge’s “Greatest Knight” is an uneven work that doesn’t really get under the surface of the Marshal’s personality and there are some rather bizarre interpretations of the motivations behind some historical events without credible evidence to back them up.
If it is taken too seriously or seeps into the public mindset, it has the potential to set back the progress made by more scholarly works of our understanding of the Marshal. If you do read this one, make sure you also read David Crouch on the Marshal to get a fully rounded picture.

[``Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wanting to read this book and learn more about William Marshal for a long time now and author Thomas Asbridge didn't disappoint. This reads more like a work of historical fiction than history as there was never a dull moment in this fast paced book relating this unlikely tale of rags to riches.

I first ran across William Marshal back in the early 1980's when I read Thomas Costain's book:
The Conquering Family and The Magnificent Century.
Costain was clearly in awe of William Marshal and his many amazing deeds.
If your read this biography of Marshal's you will understand why.

William's life did not start out very promising as the youngest son of a Norman Count, during the civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda. Somehow the elder Marshal, through many nefarious deeds came out ahead in this war which ruined many others.

The Civil war began upon the death of King Henry I, son of William the Conqueror. His only living heir was his daughter Matilda, young widow of the Emperor of Germany. Matilda returned home upon his death fully expecting to reign as the Queen of England and the rightful heir to King Henry.

Her cousin Stephen's mother, was a younger sister of King Henry I and her son Stephen felt he was the rightful king of England not Matilda. He gained many supporters and was quickly crowned king before the return of Matilda.

Thus began the Civil War that would continue for the next 20 years; almost bringing England to ruin. Matilda turned out to be a bit of a virago which didn't help her cause at all.

Before her father's death he had arranged for her to marry Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, Touraine and Maine. He was only 19 at the time of their marriage and several years younger than Matilda. The dashing Geoffrey was quite the lady's man as well as a sharp dressed man who wore a sprig of the broom plant (Planta Genesta) in his hat thus earning his surname Plantagenet.

Unfortunately Geoffrey couldn't stand Matilda either but did his duty and sired the future King of England, Henry II Plantagenet.

Henry II was somewhat of a child prodigy upon returning to England to win back his mother's crown while at the young age of 15.
King Stephen was near death when he named the 19 year old Henry II his heir, finally ending the civil war.

His father, Geoffrey, had recently conquered Normandy, leaving Henry a not so little empire in France with the titles of Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou, Touraine and Maine.

Before returning to England after Stephen's death, Geoffrey and Henry stopped at the court of King Louis of France, who was married to the ravishing Eleanor of Aquitaine. Apparently some sort of agreement was reached between Henry and Eleanor, who was 11 yrs Henry's senior; like father, like son I suppose.

Eleanor had been demanding a divorce from King Louis, refusing to give him a male heir in her desperation to be quit of him. Eleanor had apparently been caught in an adulterous romance with her Uncle Raymond, when she accompanied King Louis on Crusade in the Middle East. Shortly after she met Henry at court she obtained her divorce and returned home to begin her rule as the heir to the kingdom of Aquitaine.

Whether Henry abducted Eleanor or whether she was a willing participant in her abduction, she wed Henry a few weeks later and returned with him as England's Queen. She promptly gave birth to several sons and daughters while Henry was busy ruling his Angevin kingdom, Aquitaine and England. He stayed on the road most of the time and rarely had time to visit his family, which would come back to haunt him in later years.

Meanwhile, back to the English Civil War and William Marshal. His scheming father was in deep trouble with King Stephen, who had demanded one of his sons as a hostage to secure the Count's loyalty. 6 year old William, his youngest son, was handed over and then the Count promptly returned to his nefarious ways.

The outraged King threatened to kill young Marshal who was loved by his soldiers by this time. Stephan had also become fond of Marshal saying that anyone who could kill this child would have to be a monster indeed.

At the age of 14 William left home to begin a new life in the household of a distant Norman relative and began training to be a knight. The author described the arduous training that William would have endured to become a knight.

At the age of 18 William had proven his worthiness and was dubbed a knight. His Uncle had no further need of his services and William was released from duty with only a horse and saddle to his name. By this time his parents had died and his older brother had inherited all of his father's lands. William began fighting in numerous tournaments to pay his way in the world.

It wasn't long before William had mastered the art of tournament fighting and with his many wins soon became well known and respected in the European tournament arena.

With his improved financial situation William decided to return home to England to learn the art of real warfare. The duchy of Aquitaine had revolted against Angevin rule and the King gathered his army and sailed to France to wage war on the rebellious nobles.

William joined the household of another uncle, the Earl of Salisbury's retinue during the Aquitaine campaign.
Eleanor, the duchess of Aquitaine, had followed her husband to war and in 1168 William was guarding her royal cortege along with his uncle Salisbury's troops when they were attacked from the rear by a large company of rebels.

William fought so bravely during this action that the duchess paid his ransom and he became part of her household.

From that point on William would serve the Plantagenets until his death at the age of 71.

William was noticed by king Henry who wanted William to join the household retinue of his eldest son. William was a few years older than the young Henry and they quickly became life long friends with William serving him loyally.

William would go on to serve King Henry II, King Richard I, King John I and John's son Henry III.
His life was so closely entwined with the Plantagenets that his life relates their history as well as his own.

Upon King John's death his kingdom was left in turmoil with a small child as his heir. William was feeling his age at 70 having retired several years earlier, but at this moment William was the only man that could save the crumbling Angevin empire.

It's hard to believe that William was still capable of riding off on his horse many miles to rescue the hostage young King and then returning him to London at the age of 70. It must have been exhausting but William had always had the strength of Samson, which attributed to his success in tournaments and warfare.

William had ascended from the depths of being a child hostage, to the highest position in the land as the ruler of England during the minority of King Henry III.
He had lived through the Angevin empire as well as its demise. William died at the age of 71 after bringing order back to England after the disastrous reign of King John.

William Marshal is regarded as the greatest knight of the Middle Ages and after reading his story I have to agree.

[Nicole~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A knight there was, and he a worthy man,
Who, from the moment that he first began
To ride about the world, loved chivalry,
Truth, honour, freedom and all courtesy.
Full worthy was he in his liege-lord's war,
And therein had he ridden (none more far)
As well in Christendom as heathenesse,
And honoured everywhere for worthiness.
(The Canterbury Tales - Chaucer)

Relying on L'Histoire de Guillaume le Maréchal, the first and only biography known to describe the life of a medieval knight, written by John of Earley and commissioned by William's eldest son after his father's death in 1219 , historian Thomas Asbridge, like many others before him, takes us on a journey of The Greatest Knight from his impoverished childhood years when, at the age of five years old, he was held hostage and nearly executed by King Stephen.

Asbridge illuminates a medieval world of complex and conflicting royal duties, of perilous battles and boundless responsibilities. By the age of thirteen, William had arrived at Tancarville, to acquire skills in arms, to learn the business of war and ultimately to join the ranks of Europe’s new military elite by becoming a knight. L'Histoire describes him as tall and handsomely built, fitting well then to this career. Years later, William would show outstanding skill at tournament circuits - international games considered valuable for social networking. Such gatherings also served as means of improving a knight's wealth, honing and showcasing a warrior's prowess. It is at one of these tournaments that the funniest 'William' anecdotes of the book occurs where he is pummeled by sword and mace, crushing his helmet down to his scalp. He won the fight but when the prize was awarded, he was nowhere to be found.

Two knights and a squire eventually tracked him down to a local forge. There they found Marshal on his knees, his head lain upon an anvil, as a blacksmith struggled to pry his ‘smashed and battered’ helmet off with an assortment of ‘hammers, wrenches and pincers’. It all made for a laughable scene – one that William evidently remembered with great affection.

Marshal was politically flexible, possessing a natural ability for governmental diplomacy. Moving in earnest like a highly treasured inheritance from one king's dominion to another, Marshal served as royal household attendant and fought alongside Henry the Young King when the latter rebelled against his formidable father, yet immediately upon Henry's death, easily secured a worthy place as a champion warrior during the old King's battle with the French King Philip and his own son, Richard - a battle in which William could have killed the Plantagenet heir.

[William] spurred straight on to meet the advancing [Duke] Richard. When the [duke] saw him coming he shouted at the top of his voice: ‘God’s legs, Marshal! Don’t kill me. That would be a wicked thing to do, since you find me here completely unarmed.’

In that instant, Marshal could have slain Richard, skewering his body with the same lethal force that dispatched Patrick of Salisbury in 1168. Had there been more than a split second to ponder the choice, William might perhaps have reacted differently. As it was, instinct took over. Marshal simply could not bring himself to kill an un- armoured opponent, let alone the heir- apparent to the Angevin realm, King Henry II’s eldest surviving son. Instead, he was said to have shouted in reply: ‘Indeed I won’t. Let the Devil kill you! I shall not be the one to do it’, and at the last moment, lowering his lance fractionally, he drove it into Richard’s mount.

William went on to serve Richard I after the old King's death and assisted in regaining power over strongholds in England, Normandy and Flanders, recapturing them from the French King. When Richard was on Crusade and captured, William defended the king's realm with Queen Eleanor, ensuring the Angevin succession.

The author acknowledges that in these times, knights of Marshal's caliber would acquire wealth and lasting fortunes as payment for their services and allegiances through solicitous means, and this was not beneath even the most chivalric William Marshal. During the reign of King John, the king history has dubbed the most treacherous monstrous monarch, "it is likely that Marshal applied the same wheedling pressure for reward, remarked upon by Henry II in 1188, to the new heir- apparent John – currying favour and bidding for preferment."

William's loyalty to King John never wavered despite the latter's growing rancor toward him and back-stabbing attempts to deprive him of power and lands, particularly those in Ireland. Even so, his most important roles were realized because of John: in 1215, participating in the creation of and signing Magna Carta - the first Bill of Rights - and, when King John died leaving a child as heir to the throne, Marshal became guardian to the 9 year old King Henry III, and Regent of England. At the remarkable age of 70 years old, he fought the most important battle of his career, a battle that saved England from baronial rebellion and French invasion, thereby securing the English royal line and ensuring an independent identity for England. By the end of his adventurous life, Marshal was known as one of the most powerful men of his generation, and was eulogized by Stephen Langton as "the best knight who ever lived."

Asbridge extracts an extraordinary life from the shadows of Plantagenet history with some effort but there is quite enough substance to buff up a resplendent shine on William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, The Greatest Knight, and enough to entertain the most eager of Marshal fans.

Read Jan 8th, 2015

[K.J. Charles]

Cracking bio of William Marshal, who went from being a five-year-old hostage of King Stephen to the bestie of Henry the Young King, trusted retainer of Henry II, just-about-only-person-who-spoke-to John, one of the architects of Magna Carta, and managed to save the throne for Henry III. Hell of a life. He was also the best tournament champion of his time, was still fighting in battle over 60, became one of the country's most powerful magnates, and managed to father ten children in his spare time. And he was said to have the largest 'crotch' in England, at which I am still laughing.

He was obviously pretty impressive. At this distance of time it's fairly hard to get a sense of his personality though the author gives it a good shot. Much is in the absence: eg can we really conclude he was temperate and didn't take mistresses just because no writing about them has survived, especially given he was all but forgotten for centuries? (And remembered because, incredibly, his son commissioned a bio of him which survived and was rediscovered in the 19th century--very cool story told in the preface.)

A great overview of the Plantagenet/Angevin period from the war and politics perspective as much as a bio, and highly readable.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

What was it like to be a knight in the age of chivalry? What was it like to be up close and personal to Henry II, his Queen Eleanor and their sons? Thomas Abridge brings it all to life in this engagingly written biography of William Marshall.

While born a noble, William Marshall was not a first son. His father supported King Stephen's cousin's claim to the throne and was willing to make William a hostage in the 14 year civil war. William survived execution orders and the general poor and uncertain conditions of being a hostage. Perhaps he survived because he was adorable child or maybe because King Stephen was as a sympathetic monarch.

Freed upon King Steven's death, the young William was sent to a relative in Normandy where he began his training as a knight. Here the reader learns of the life of "mesnie" and the roles and responsibilities of knights and their lords. The reader learns how knights were trained and how the expenses of getting and keeping a horse, mail, shields, swords and daily living were met. While there is a lot on the pomp and pageantry, Marshall's own dubbing was a make shift affair since a battle was expected.

Asbridge illustrates the "career paths" and options for knights through the Marshall's setbacks. When Marshall loses his horse and patron he trades his cloak for another (not a war horse, these cost in today's terms as much as a house) and enters tournaments. After building a reputation, some wealth (from prizes) he was ready for war when it came. Through the war he came into the service of Henry II and eventually a trainer for the crown prince, Henry, who is also, technically, a king. He serves each crowned member of this dysfunctional family as they make war, sometimes on each other.

Behind each of the five administrations, Henry II, the shadow King Henry, King Richard I, King John and Henry III there is William Marshall, attempting to uphold the ideals of chivalry when right and wrong are hardly clear. You see William time and again, choosing loyalty.

If you don't know the story of Henry II and his sons it will be a page turner with each battle and episode of intrigue. If you know the story you will learn a lot on the role of the knights in this period and gain perspective on how Henry II's poor parenting begat Richard I and eventually John and the Magna Charta.

This is a wonderfully written book. It is easily accessible for those who don't know about this period and can add perspective for those who do. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in this period.

[Juliew. · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off I won this in the First Reads here at Goodreads but this in no way effected this review.From a military and political stand point this was like having a front row seat to the reigns of five english kings.William Marshall served these kings with honor,dignity and bravery as this book shows throughout.Despite that I received an uncorrected copy with the occasional left out word or out of order sentence it was filled with detail on most every aspect of his long career.I especially enjoyed the historical background on knights,the military campaigns and the glimpes of the many monarchs in action.It is a fascinating account and if you like knights,the medieval era or english history please do not hesitate to take a look at it.

[Orsolya · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a devotee of Medieval English history; more than likely you have a crush on William Marshal (if you are interested in men). This man is everything that the stereotype of a knight-in-shining-armor entails (even though shiny armor plates didn’t exist yet): loyalty, bravery, and chivalry. The question is whether William Marshal truly encompassed these traits or if that is an exaggerated portrayal in hindsight. Acclaimed author and medieval studies lecturer Thomas Asbridge highlights the life of this much-loved warrior in, “The Greatest Knight”: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal. The Power Behind Five English Thrones”.

Let’s make one thing clear before even diving into details regarding the content of Asbridge’s work. One would expect “The Greatest Knight” to be a full-blown biography or manifesto highlighting the life of William Marshal. Sadly, “The Greatest Knight” is not that. The content of Asbridge’s pages mostly discuss the surrounding political and social spheres during the life and times of William Marshal (such as the reign of King Henry II) with Marshal feeling a bit pushed to the back burner. Pages meander by without even a mention of this famous knight which means that readers do not get a true sense of who Marshal was and don’t get to look into his life. Yes, facts are learned but it is hardly what is expected from the heady title of the book.

That being said, in general, when history books claim to portrait a singular figure and hardly do so; the overall text takes a hit and isn’t strong with a negative feedback as a result. “The Greatest Knight” somehow manages to avoid this. Even though Asbridge doesn’t fully reveal Marshal, the pages are well-written, enjoyable, informative, and have an entertaining pace. This allows for some forgiveness in the absence of a true Marshall biography.

“The Greatest Knight” also contains some speculative “could have” and “must have” – statements which aren’t welcome when the pages already don’t feature William Marshal enough. On the other hand, Asbridge does occasionally attempt to debunk some myths involving Marshal and uncover some lesser-known facts; thus, slightly offsetting the disappointment of former speculation.

There is evidence of repetition throughout “The Greatest Knight” leaving the reader to think, “Okay, we get it. We have covered this”. Perhaps this is due to not enough material available covering Marshal but it also could merely be poor editing.

Towards the latter half of “The Greatest Knight”, Asbridge shifts the focus more onto a detailed view of Marshal (which may be reflective of more source material for this period). Although this section reveals the career and political machinations of Marhsal and also opens up his personal life a bit more; there is still a missing element of matching the bright star to Marshal. Basically, Asbridge aims to prove the greatness of this figure but this falls short and is never properly credited or demonstrated.

Asbridge’s conclusion to “The Greatest Knight” is particularly emotive with a strong portrayal of Marshal’s involvement with the Magna Carta and the Battle of Lincoln greatly capturing his personality. This flows into an ‘Epilogue’ exploring the Marshal’s death, the impact on his family members, his legacy, etc. Without a doubt, this epilogue is an epitaph and is the ‘best’ part of “The Greatest Knight” where Marshal is revived, vindicated, and brought to life. In this way, Asbridge finally meets his thesis. If only, the entire book was like this…

Asbridge includes a timeline, genealogical charts, light notes, two sections of color photo plates, and sporadic illustrations throughout “The Greatest Knight” to graphically delight readers.

William Marshal is the stuff of legend and the epitome of a chivalrous knight. Sadly, “The Greatest Knight” doesn’t reveal the extent of Marshal’s worth or capture him enough for readers being that much of the text doesn’t even discuss him. Yet, Asbrigde has a lovely writing style with an academic edge which does introduce Marshal and the time period, wonderfully. Usually a book claiming to portrait a figure but mostly speaking of the surrounding environment has a negative feel and weak impact but Asbridge manages to excel. Thus, “The Greatest Knight”, despite his flaws, is suggested for William Marshal –lovers and readers interested in medieval England.

[Rio (Lynne) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Chadwick's books on William Marshal a few years ago, I enjoyed reading and revisiting this non-fiction book on his amazing life. Some who have read Chadwick made comments....that there is no way this happened and the author just had a love affair with William. Well, at first read I thought the same, so I investigated. Well, it's there written in a medieval biography that was almost lost to history. We are lucky that a French scholar came across this "rubbish aka hidden jewel" at an auction. William survived 4 Kings, championed Eleonor of Aquitane and became regent to Henry III. His remarkable story has almost been forgotten. I'm happy his story has been resurrected. Thomas Asbridge simply wrote the facts. He didn't lay claim his opinions were the truth and that's how non-fiction books should be.

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know very little about Knights and was interested to give the books a go because I was curious to learn more. However I'm not quite sure if either the subject don't intressed me enough or that the book wasn't written in a compelling way for me. It was well written and reacherd. It just didn't blow my mind and make me more curious about the subject in question.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having seen William Marshal's effigy in the Temple Church in London last year, when I saw this book I had to get it.

Like most people, all I really knew about Marshall is how he appeared in historical fiction (I first came across him in Jean Plaidy's works).

And interesting rags to riches story in many ways. From minor nobility to being the most powerful man in England is a hell of a journey.

Interesting and absorbing read.

Highly recommended.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confession time. One of my regrets in life is making the ridiculous decision at 15 not to continue with studies in history because I didn't like the teacher for the upcoming year. I blame my parents for not over-ruling me. (Smugly sidesteps all responsibility and crosses fingers that own children won't try something so silly.) Consequently, I have rather embarrassing gaps in my knowledge of British history. "The Greatest Knight" did an excellent job of filling in some rather crucial details involving Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Crusades, the Magna Carta and just how a ceremony involving tapping someone on the shoulders with a sword and announcing in a regal voice "I dub thee Sir xxxx" came about.

I'd never heard of William Marshal before this book and you can see why he makes such an interesting subject for a book. First of all, the man all but disappeared for around 600 years apart from some brief historical mentions. "The Greatest Knight" opens with the tale of how a rare medieval manuscript about William Marshal was discovered, then lost again for twenty years before being tracked down by a dogged scholar of early manuscripts (no less than Paul Meyer, a key witness (for the defense) in the notorious Dreyfus Affair).

Secondly, William Marshal managed to live to the ripe old age of 71. This was in the early 1200s! The man had super genes or something. Even better, the guy managed to put on armor two years before his death and lead an army in a crucial battle. And not only did he live long enough to provide a life story covering the reign of five kings, he actually knew those kings. To kick things off, he's sentenced to death by hanging at the tender age of five. Honestly, if someone had tried writing this story as a movie, people would have laughed and said it wasn't realistic.

Really interesting way to learn about this period of time, understand the beginning of the rules of chivalry, knights and tournaments, and how hard it is to rule a kingdom that stretches from Scotland to the Pyrenees when the fastest mode of transport is horseback. There was a bit too much riding from battle to battle every now and then, and the number of players can get a bit overwhelming, but then the story picks up again or you learn something else new about medieval life and the pages keep turning.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as part of GoodReads First Reads giveaway. And I read an Uncorrected Proof copy.

Edited: I originally quibbled about the lack of references but I only did not see them because I read an uncorrected proof so I have no qualms or reservations about this book. It's a straight up great book, very informative and extremely interesting.

Well that was fascinating. This book is a biography of the life of William Marshall along with a whole lot of other information to give context. It takes us from William Marshall's boyhood as a hostage when his father decided to risk William's life in order to defy the king (you'd think that would cause some issues down the road)to his death as both an earl and regent for King Henry III of England.

Seriously, this guy goes from being a second son set to inherit nothing to being the most powerful man in England by being a canny political operator and by his skill on the battlefield both as a combatant and later as a tactician and strategist. And in the process the man shaped history. By throwing his weight one way or the other he influenced the outcomes of succession crises and civil wars.

And more than just a biography of William Marshall's life, it's a history of England and France (and the rest of the world to an extent). Asbridge goes into the details of the culture, the military tactics, the chivalric ideals, everything. This was a truly informative and interesting read.

So, if you're interested in medieval history or just how knighthood worked, I'd heartily recommend this book.

[A.L. Sowards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this audiobook about William Marshal. When he was five, he was given over as a hostage for his father’s good behavior during the civil war between Matilda and Stephen. His father didn’t keep his word, and didn’t worry too much about losing a son—he could always make more, and William wasn’t the eldest anyway.

William survived (King Stephen wasn't heartless enough to hang a five-year-old) and went on to a long and distinguished career that included disappointment, success, and some tricky situations. He started as a household knight to Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, then served the Young King Henry, then King Henry II, King Richard the Lionheart, and King John. Along the way he was a tournament champion, a warrior, and a crusader. He ended up as perhaps the most important figure in England during King Henry III’s regency. Pretty impressive life!

The author did a great job of balancing what is known of Marshal with what might have happened. The focus was on Marshal, but the author also included information about the big picture and really brought the time period to life.

4.5 stars. Rounding up for Goodreads.

[Steven Poore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this, it's incredible to think that the details of Marshal's life and career were lost to history for so many centuries - his impact on England was as great as, if not greater than, Warwick the Kingmaker. Thomas Asbridge does necessarily have to guess at a fair amount of the details of Marshal's personality, plugging the gaps with social and political commentary, but he paints Marshal as a mostly sympathetic character. Marshal may have had one eye on the prize, gathering wealth to himself in his early career and always nudging his liege lords for more, and that ambition certainly cost him when it came to a straight choice between Normandy and England (he tried to choose both), but he also spent his life in service - unwaveringly - to the crown. A fine read.

[Diana Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Move over Sir Lancelot. He may be the most famous Knight in the literary world but Earl William Marshal takes the top spot in the Medieval period. With all the mercurial Kings in British History he spent over five decades surviving with his head in tact. The author takes you through his life noting his ups and downs or I should say "in's and out's" of favor with these Kings. I thought it was a well researched and well written biography that was full of historic content and one of the best biographies I have read.

[G. Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about a remarkable man, wonderful read

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging, accessible and well-researched biography of Marshal.

The book is comprehensive, and Asbridge ably covers Marshal’s loyal career in service to the Angevin kings. He does a great job describing the life of a medieval knight, particularly how expensive it was. He also clearly lays out the complicated politics of the Angevin court and its relationship with the king of France, who the Angevin kings technically answered to, but who they often went to war with. Marshal himself would be double-crossed by both English and French kings. The coverage of Henry the Young King is good, and more positive than other accounts. The description of medieval tournaments is pretty good.

The writing is colorful, and the narrative flows well and moves along at a brisk pace. Asbridge’s reading of the sources is judicious, and he does a good job supporting his arguments and cautioning the reader regarding his own interpretations.

There aren’t any footnotes, though. Some readers may wish for more maps, while others may wish for more background on medieval Europe, or on life during that era. The timeline also jumps back and forth a bit. Asbridge also uses some slightly annoying modern terminology like “arms race” or the “right stuff,” and even “the medieval Wild West.”

There’s a few quibbles, too. At one point Asbridge describes King Stephen’s seizure of John FitzGilbert’s Newbury castle, but doesn’t really describe his reasoning in light of FitzGilbert and Henry’s own actions. He writes that Richard I didn’t want Marshal to outshine him on his crusade, but if Richard was so jealous, why did he assist Marshal in his career? He also writes of Marshal “whining” to Henry II for higher status. He refers to Marshal’s “limited” interest in music. One of the sources Asbridge uses refers to a pike (the fish), but Asbridge takes it to mean a spear. He writes that Eleanor of Aquitaine was at the coronation of Henry the Young King, even though she was in Normandy at the time. He speculates that Marshal may have fought Saladin in 1183, even though the timeline he uses doesn’t fit.

A lively, thorough, and very readable biography, if a bit uneven.

[Rindis · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an act of hubris to be able to pronounce the 'greatest' anything, much less the 'greatest' knight, a class of people that was fairly large and existed over centuries, but it is certainly fair to say that William Marshal is the best known knight, and actually a good contender for the title on his own merits.

Long-lived and successful, Marshal rose from obscurity as a second son to being the regent of England in all but name. Even so, he'd hardly be known at all today if not for a biography of him written in the early Fourteenth Century, and rediscovered in the Nineteenth. This has been of great use in learning more of the Twelfth Century, but it does present the problems of a biased document (having been commissioned by his son). Asbridge has studied other records from the time, and used them to check some of the biography's claims, which generally stand up to scrutiny. (There are a few things where the records show that something couldn't have happened as described; but it's generally a case of being off by a year or two, which is pretty good considering the author seemed to be going off of other people's reminiscences.)

Ashbridge's biography also serves as an introduction to the Twelfth Century as a whole. There are two layers of subchapters in the book (subchapters and sub-subchapters), and while some of them serve other purposes, many of the sub-subchapters are taking time out to take a look at an aspect of the time. He gives a description of how the system of household knights worked at the time, describes the general form of early tournaments (which was vastly different from the more familiar late- or really post-Medieval version). This points up that the book is meant for a fairly general audience, and some of these asides will be familiar to people who only have a moderate appreciation of the Middle Ages. But it makes for a much more well-rounded book than just a focused examination of Marshal himself, and is structured in such a way that it does not detract from the main focus.

However, the general-audience target of the book means that the only footnotes are basically long parenthetical asides or clarifications. There are no detailed notes of where information came from, and many cases of unsupported assertions interleaved with others that are taken apart and examined in some detail. For all of that, Marshal himself only dimly comes across as a person, as Asbridge seems to have trouble coming to any solid conclusions as to what he was like. Part of this seems to be an inability to believe that Marshal could really have been motivated by a deep-seated loyalty to a person, or perhaps, the crown of England itself (which is something that would likely have evolved over time). This shows up early, when he doesn't even consider such a concept as an explanation as to why his father was apparently willing to blithely toss his younger son away when he was held as a hostage.

Keeping in mind the real audience though, this is a well-constructed book, and does a good job with many of secondary characters as well, for instance giving a more nuanced view of King John than he habitually gets.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I have to say this first because it bugged me from the get-go, and every time I picked up the book to read : there needs to be a one word change in the title. It should either be "The Power Behind Five English KINGS", or "The Power Behind FOUR English Thrones". Young Henry may have been crowned in his lifetime, but he never sat the big chair. I don't understand why the author felt inflation was necessary...to be the power behind four thrones is impressive enough on its own right without needing to pump it up.

Whew, I'm glad I got that off my chest! Because that aside, this was mostly a pretty good book. Very readable, and broken into small, discrete chunks that made it very easy to pick up and put down according to the time I had available. It's a fascinating look at the evolution of chivalry, and William Marshal's key influence in developing that code and what it meant.

I didn't much care for the section on his service to the Young King, mainly because the author started it by making a direct attack on WL Warren's biography of Henry II. Warren's biography came out ... hmm ... 60 years ago, and I can *still* pick up a copy at my local bookstore (if I didn't already have one). It's the gold standard for a reason and it felt like the author had a bit of a revisionist axe to grind here. Revisionism isn't always bad -- I think John's been smeared into the ground and it's good that lately there's been a little bit of an attempt to recover that -- but you have to have good reasons, and the ones posited here didn't really wash with me. Young Henry was actually a good king because actually showing tournament prowess demonstrated commitment to kingly martial values, or something? Not buying it; the track record of what he actually did doesn't mesh with that assessment.

That aside, it's a very good book, and it shows a general depth of scholarship that's impressive -- when he teases out between the lines of the historical record to explain Marshal's relationship with Count/King John, it's novel information that really helps an understanding of that time period.

Recommended.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book! I am so thankful that the record of his life was found and studied by Paul Meyer. This is such a golden look into a time in English and European histories from 1066- 1219, that is really quite remarkable. It takes us through the life of William Marshal a boy given for ransom to King Stephen. It then goes on to explain the world William grew up in, as the world of knights grew from its infancy. This is a very detailed account of his life and times that could read horribly dry, but you don’t get that feel at all reading/listening to it. It is fascinating the way Christianity had such a bearing in the life of a knight and all things chivalrous. I learned a great deal, as I do not know a lot of real life of this time beyond the great tales of Arthur and his Knights. It would be a great adult companion book to read while your children are reading of this time. As it adds a depth to the time that is almost all encompassing. The twists and turns one had to make to be held in high regard, by the ever changing throne is almost Machiavellian. Yet, somehow despite his often perceived gain for self-glory there was a wisdom in warfare and court warfare that William seemed to perfect. Those trained and that had served William greatly respected him. Even his enemies.

He was a help or aid to five Kings of England: Henry II, Henry the Young, Richard I (the Lionheart), King John and then Regent to the throne for Henry III.

P.S. Disney did very well inaccurately portraying both King Richard the Lionhearted and then his brother King John.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thoughtful and easy to read historical biography of a key figure in England’s painfully slow transformation from feudalism to parliamentary democracy.

First, this book provides good insight into what it meant to be a “knight” in England/Normandy at that time. It almost sounds like fun. Go to tournaments, “capture” other knights by grabbing the reins of their horse, or knocking them off their mounts. It was all fun and games and glory, and only an occasional death from trampling or other injury.

Then, when the sons of King Henry start getting uppity, the real drama begins. Good old William Marshall manages to be exemplary in loyalty, skill and daring, and for that is constantly promoted by the Plantagenet family.

Finally, in his later years, we see that William Marshall’s greatest accomplishment for posterity is his role in getting King Henry II of England to agree to the Magna Carta (although slippery Henry later got the pope to support his repudiation of consent), and, simultaneously, maintaining the concept of a king for England, which seems to have worked pretty well for England’s stability in the (very) long run.

P.s., that subtitle is misleading. Although he supported a number of kings, one could not say that he was “the power behind” them, as that implies he was the real holder of power. That was certainly not the case. He was a retainer.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic biography of an amazing life.

[Erik B.K.K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flawed, but overall a solid, interesting read. Starts off promising, with a good flow, but sags in the middle. Picks up again after the death of Richard Coeur de Lion - and stays steady until the end. I'm not sure if it's wholly the fault of William Marshal having a somewhat blank persona (which is of course, inevitable, considering the time gap and the only solid source of him was written with the objective to eulogize him, after his death), and his life not being constantly exciting, or if it has to do with Thomas Asbridge's writing. Asbridge sometimes has a hard way of elevating a text from its sources. His skill lies in painting broad strokes of battles and events, like the Crusades. In the part where I found myself skimming through the pages, only the recollection of the fall of Jerusalem and Richard Coeur de Lion's taking up the cross made me regain interest. Luckily, soon after that the book got good again, and I genuinely found it suspenseful. In the end redeemed, the book earns a solid 4 stars instead of 3.

[David Dinaburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragedy inspires ownership. It is not one of humankind’s prettier reactions. To stake a claim—this was what I was doing when JFK was shot, when the towers fell—seems natural; an attempt to subsume inexplicable circumstances within a comprehensible narrative. Yet, there’s something rankling about those on the periphery of a widely disruptive event claiming proximity or personal discomfiture; an inherent and seemingly inevitable competitive response replaces sympathy or commiseration, radiating outward from those most impacted to those that might have heard of someone involved at one point.

Such is not the case with William Marshal, who always seemed to be embroiled in the thick of things:

[William] spurred straight on to meet the advancing [Duke] Richard [the Lionheart]. When the [duke] saw him coming he shouted at the top of his voice: ‘God’s legs, Marshal! Don’t kill me. That would be a wicked thing to do, since you find me here completely unarmed.’

In that instant, Marshal could have slain Richard, skewering his body with the same lethal force that dispatched Patrick of Salisbury in 1168. Had there been more than a split second to ponder the choice, William might perhaps have acted different. As it was, instinct took over. Marshal simply could not bring himself to kill and un-armoured opponent, let alone the heir-apparent to the Angevin realm, King Henry’s eldest son. Instead, he was said to have shouted in reply: ‘Indeed I won’t. Let the Devil kill you! I shall not by the one to do it’, and at the last moment, lowering his lance fractionally, he drove it into Richard’s mount. With that ‘the horse died instantly; it never took another step forward’ and as it fell, the Lionheart was thrown to the ground and his pursuit of the king brought to an end.

I was reading The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal, The Power Behind Five English Thrones when a building about thirty feet away from me exploded. During the ensuing chaos, it was the tearful urgings of my girlfriend that prodded me from my stupor and out of what would soon become a seven-alarm fire. The flames would devour three building in Manhattan’s East Village and leave another building—the one that shared a wall with me—with enough structural damage to likely be torn down. Two people died.

It irked me, later, when I saw people on facebook lamenting the destruction of Pommes Frites, the Belgian fry shop caught in the conflagration. Its collapse served as a firebreak, likely saving my girlfriend’s apartment building. But why should it rankle me? Pommes Frites was their connection to the East Village. They are allowed to feel sad it is gone. Allowing space for others to express their distress is not an admission that yours is somehow lessened—even if theirs is might be silly were you to directly compare the two.

The Marshal has been idealized, if not idolized, by the document that recorded his life. Written a generation removed, the character revealed within its pages doesn’t begrudge others their responses or reactions, nor seem to seek the spotlight. His glory is not tarnished by allowing others to find fame—if anything, it serves to reflect that light back upon him two-fold. William Marshal always seemed to choose the difficult and laudable path:

With his eyes focused solely upon the dogged pursuit of power, the Lionheart had betrayed his family, sided with the Angevins’ avowed foe and waged open war upon his kin. Now all his cherished ambitions had been fulfilled and Henry [II]’s corpse lay cold and lifeless before him...At last, Richard turned from the body and ‘asked for the Marshal to come to him immediately’. With only the Old King’s chancellor, Maurice Craon in tow, the two men rode out into the verdant countryside surrounding Fontevraud.

The History preserves a dramatic record of this tense encounter. After a long pause, Richard finally broke the silence, apparently saying: ‘Marshal, the other day you intended to kill me, and you would have, without a doubt, if I hadn’t deflected your lance with my arm.’ This was a dangerous moment. Should William accept this comment, he would allow the Lionheart to save face, yet at the same time admit to having sought his death. According to the History at least, he chose the harder path, replying: ‘It was never my intention to kill you … I am still strong enough to direct my lance [and] if I had wanted to, I could have driven it straight through your body, just as I did that horse of yours.’ Richard might have taken mortal offence at this blunt contradiction. Instead, he was said to have declared: ‘Marshal, you are forgiven, I shall never be angry with you over that matter.’

Marshal’s act of mercy was not later diminished by the Lionheart’s boastful self-importance, and his iron rebuttal seemed neither whinging nor gleeful. In fact, it was quite daring. Perhaps there is a lesson here, on how to handle the issue of proprietary suffering—to keep in mind that the hardships of others remain hardships, no matter where they fall in relation to your own.

I will not be able to disentangle reading The Greatest Knight from clutching it to my chest as I inhaled the acrid smoke draped across Washington Square Park, heavy with a century’s worth of burning building materials. I can’t explain why I grabbed it alone from amongst my belongings. It’s a really well-written account and an excellent piece of non-fiction; it has the up-close feel and snappy pacing of casual fiction. The Greatest Knight is, apparently, a book I would take with me during an emergency.

[Micaila Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

William Marshal has long been one of my favorite historical figures and while I previously read Elizabeth Chadwick’s historical fiction accounting of William Marshal (and loved it) I thought it would be fun to read a historical nonfiction accounting of him.

This was extraordinarily informative yet interesting.

It covers all 5 kings William served under, his start as a royal captive, crusades, and other medieval historical records.

And while this is a very unbiased accounting (clearly pointing out times when he did questionable deeds) of William Marshal it is clear that it’s hard to find fault with the Greatest Knight who ever lived.

[Athena (OneReadingNurse) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this, will post full thoughts on blog tomorrow and link it over here

Its great that he put everything in historical context

[Alexander Hanwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Medieval English history then this is a book for you. A detailed account of the life of William Marshall, a lowly knight who climbed the ranks to regent of England. The book uses the first known biography of a knight from the 13th century commissioned by his son. A biased account, the author gives further context bringing in other chronicles of the time to understand the reason behind certain omissions or phrasings in the biography. A grand story of chivalry and insight to life as a knight to nobleman is refreshing rather than focusing on the kings of England.

[Alexander Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into a lesser known historical figure. Marshal's ambition and martial skill saw him rise from obscurity to becoming an earl and confidant of kings. Great read.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently finished the whole Angevin history series of historical fiction by Sharon Kay Penman. Anyone familiar with her work knows that the historical research she puts into her books is enormous and meticulous, and that the vast majority of her characters and events are factual, or based on facts. One minor character who is woven through all five books is named William Marshal, and he was very real. In fact, he has been called the paragon of chivalry, the epitome of the medieval warrior, and the greatest knight of all time.

Yet his life was almost cut short from the start. He was a child when the civil war between King Stephen and his cousin Queen Matilda wracked England. His father, the original Marshal (hence the family name), sided with Matilda but lost a battle to Stephen, and had to surrender young William to Stephen as a hostage to guarantee he would stop fighting. However, the elder Marshal immediately resumed hostilities, and when King Stephen threatened to execute young William, his father coldly told him to go ahead, that he had "the hammer and anvils to forge more and better" sons. Luckily for William, Stephen--despite his other shortcomings--was too compassionate to put an innocent child to death, and he spared William Marshal's life.

In his early teens, Marshal was fostered to a minor noble in Normandy, where as a young knight-in-training with a single palfrey he soon got his first taste of combat and, more importantly, his first chance to compete in a tournament. (Tourneys were banned in England at the time, but were increasingly popular on the Continent.) He quickly proved himself a capable soldier and formidable opponent in the lists, and he gradually built a reputation for himself as well as amassing the beginning of his fortune. His big break came when, thanks to influence from Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, he was assigned to the mesnie (group of household knights) of Young Henry, son of Eleanor and King Henry II and heir apparent to the Angevin Empire. The two young men spent many years together and became the closest of friends and comrades-in-arms as William taught Henry how to be a warrior and tournament champion. When Young Henry died suddenly before he could assume the throne, William was devastated but pledged himself to the household of his friend's father, King Henry himself. In the ensuing years he proved himself an invaluable captain and advisor to both Henry and his next son, Richard I (the Lionheart).

Sadly, after Richard's passing in 1199, his brother John's mismanagement caused the loss of all Angevin lands on the continent and chaos in England. Despite severe tensions and disputes with John, William remained loyal and even took up the cause of John's son, Henry III, when John himself died. In fact, since Henry III was a boy at the time of his coronation, the venerable William Marshal was appointed regent of England and was de facto king for a number of years.

To be sure, Marshal did have some contemporaries who could have laid equal claim to the title "greatest knight." Both William des Barres and William des Roches accomplished equally valorous feats in equally distinguished careers, but no other knights of the age rose from such humble origins to such dizzying heights--regent of an entire kingdom. William's burial place in the Round Church of the Templars in the heart of London was earned, and well deserved.

It will surprise no one at this point that the author, Thomas Asbridge, is an acclaimed Medieval historian who has written extensively on the Crusades. As such he has done an amazing amount of research, teasing out the details of Marshal's life from the few documents available and putting those details into context of medieval life, when the tenets of chivalry were in the middle of their evolution into what we know today. The result is a vibrant depiction of a flesh and blood knight who did, indeed, embody the ideals of knighthood as they were defined in his day, but who always kept his attention focused on his own advancement and the preservation of the legacy he had struggled so hard to build.

And the maps are entirely sufficient to support the narrative, for once. I wish I had drawn them.