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Devil's Brood: The Angevin Family
From the unholy union of Count Fulke of Anjou and Melusine, daughter of Satan, came four children. Two of the offspring were taken by their mother when she returned to the Devil, and from the remaining two were descended all the later Counts of Anjou -- the Devil’s Brood. In the twelfth century this story was widely known in England, and the descendants of Count Fulke -- who continued the tradition of whoring, cheating, and fighting -- did nothing to dispel the belief that demon blood flowed through their veins. This book provides the history of that fascinating Angevin dynasty -- and how the legend corrupted and destroyed from generation to generation.
- GenresHistory
278 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1957
35 people want to read
About the author
Alfred Duggan
43 books44 followers"There have been few historical imaginations better informed or more gifted than Alfred Duggan’s" (The New Criterion).
Historian, archaeologist and novelist Alfred Leo Duggan wrote historical fiction and non-fiction about a wide range of subjects, in places and times as diverse as Julius Caesar’s Rome and the Medieval Europe of Thomas Becket.
Although he was born in Argentina, Duggan grew up in England, and was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford. After Oxford, he travelled extensively through Greece and Turkey, visiting almost all the sites later mentioned in his books. In 1935 helped excavate Constantine’s palace in Istanbul.
Duggan came to writing fiction quite late in his life: his first novel about the First Crusade, Knight in Armour, was published in 1950, after which he published at least a book every year until his death in 1964. His fictional works were bestselling page-turners, but thoroughly grounded in meticulous research informed by Duggan’s experience as an archaeologist and historian.
Duggan has been favourably compared to Bernard Cornwell as well as being praised in his own right as "an extremely gifted writer who can move into an unknown period and give it life and immediacy" (New York Times).
Historian, archaeologist and novelist Alfred Leo Duggan wrote historical fiction and non-fiction about a wide range of subjects, in places and times as diverse as Julius Caesar’s Rome and the Medieval Europe of Thomas Becket.
Although he was born in Argentina, Duggan grew up in England, and was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford. After Oxford, he travelled extensively through Greece and Turkey, visiting almost all the sites later mentioned in his books. In 1935 helped excavate Constantine’s palace in Istanbul.
Duggan came to writing fiction quite late in his life: his first novel about the First Crusade, Knight in Armour, was published in 1950, after which he published at least a book every year until his death in 1964. His fictional works were bestselling page-turners, but thoroughly grounded in meticulous research informed by Duggan’s experience as an archaeologist and historian.
Duggan has been favourably compared to Bernard Cornwell as well as being praised in his own right as "an extremely gifted writer who can move into an unknown period and give it life and immediacy" (New York Times).
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 23, 2012
Devil’s Brood is a young-adult history of Henry II Plantagenet and his unruly family: Eleanor of Aquitaine, Young King Henry, Richard the Lionhearted, Geoffrey & John. The title comes from a legend that Henry’s ancestor, Count Fulke of Anjou, married the Devil’s daughter and their descendants inherited a diabolic strain that made them the wonders and the terrors of the world.
The style of the book reminds me of Isaac Asimov’s young-adult-oriented histories that I read as a child but that doesn’t mean Duggan writes down to his audience. There are some very insightful discussions that helped me better understand the events of the period. For example, his discussion of the tangled webs of homage that make Medieval politics seem little more than barely contained anarchy, or the development of the tournaments as lucrative sources of revenue for knights (at least the successful ones).
And the account is very even handed, which means my image of Henry, forever colored by the O’Toole/Hepburn version of “The Lion in Winter,” now must include his faults as well as his virtues. By that same token, my appreciation of Richard is greater.
And speaking of Richard – Duggan dances around his sexual orientation and ultimately comes to the conclusion that he wasn’t homosexual. He simply wasn’t very interested in women; his overriding goal was the crusade (a Christian jihadist, as it were).
The writing is crisp and well paced, and Duggan’s flaws as a novelist are strengths as a historian – the ability to clearly explain what’s going on.
If I had a young acquaintance who was developing an interest in history (Medieval history particularly), I’d recommend this book. For the serious-but-amateur historian (like myself), I’m not sure I would recommend it despite its readability but I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it. And it’s certainly good enough for anyone with a passing interest in the period (inspired perhaps after watching “The Lion in Winter”).
The style of the book reminds me of Isaac Asimov’s young-adult-oriented histories that I read as a child but that doesn’t mean Duggan writes down to his audience. There are some very insightful discussions that helped me better understand the events of the period. For example, his discussion of the tangled webs of homage that make Medieval politics seem little more than barely contained anarchy, or the development of the tournaments as lucrative sources of revenue for knights (at least the successful ones).
And the account is very even handed, which means my image of Henry, forever colored by the O’Toole/Hepburn version of “The Lion in Winter,” now must include his faults as well as his virtues. By that same token, my appreciation of Richard is greater.
And speaking of Richard – Duggan dances around his sexual orientation and ultimately comes to the conclusion that he wasn’t homosexual. He simply wasn’t very interested in women; his overriding goal was the crusade (a Christian jihadist, as it were).
The writing is crisp and well paced, and Duggan’s flaws as a novelist are strengths as a historian – the ability to clearly explain what’s going on.
If I had a young acquaintance who was developing an interest in history (Medieval history particularly), I’d recommend this book. For the serious-but-amateur historian (like myself), I’m not sure I would recommend it despite its readability but I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it. And it’s certainly good enough for anyone with a passing interest in the period (inspired perhaps after watching “The Lion in Winter”).
November 29, 2008
copyright 1957
January 4, 2025
One of my favourites. A rollicking good read about some truly appalling people.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews