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The History of William Marshal
The History of William Marshal is the earliest surviving biography of a medieval knight - indeed it is the first biography of a layman in the vernacular in European history. Composed in verse in the 1220s just a few years after his death, it is a major primary source not simply for its subject's life but for the exceptionally stormy period he had had to navigate. It could hardly be other than major, given that its subject was regarded as the greatest knight who ever lived and that he rose in the course of his long life to be a central figure in the reigns of no fewer than four kings: Henry II, Richard Lionheart, John and Henry III. This remarkable biography was brought to light in the late nineteenth century thanks to a determined hunt for the manuscript by its first editor, the eminent French scholar Paul Meyer. It gives a vigorous account of events, full of vivid detail and passionate comment and frequent flashes of humour. And it gives revelatory insights into the attitudes and perceptions of the time, especially into the experience and nature of warfare in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. But while its quality and value have been long acknowledged, the poem has sometimes been deemed less than impartial and objective. Commissioned as it was by Marshal's own son, and intended not least for his family's fond enjoyment, it is little surprise that the poem's adulation of its subject is rarely qualified by regrets for failings or what are nowadays referred to as 'errors of judgement'. Marshal is presented as - to all intents and purposes - flawless: not simply a magnificent warrior, supreme in tournaments and battles alike, but a paragon of the key chivalric virtues of prowess, largesse and unfailing loyalty. But this is not surprising: the idea of the fallible hero is a modern invention, and the writer of this work - like Marshal himself - was steeped in the old ideals of the chansons de geste as well as the more recent ideology of chivalry. In any case, there can be no denying that Marshal's achievements - and sometimes his behaviour - were by any standards extraordinary and seen as such by his contemporaries, and the poem corresponds with what we know of his life from other sources. Few other medieval biographies have the immediacy of this celebration of Marshal's career, based not least on stories told by Marshal himself and those close to him, and it is made available here for the first time in a modern prose translation.
259 pages, Hardcover
Published August 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 31, 2022
First 25 pages are the Author's description of the themes of the works and his own thoughts about Marshal (which I am not sure I agree with but interesting)
I have no idea how to rate a translation: The original author was funny and clever, which shows through in this work. Well documented with brief footnotes explaining how we know something is true or when it doesn't make sense. Desperately sad to read over and over again the footnote "Died on the 3rd crusade."
I very much enjoyed this translation and recommend it to anyone interested in William Marshal (and medieval tournaments)
I have no idea how to rate a translation: The original author was funny and clever, which shows through in this work. Well documented with brief footnotes explaining how we know something is true or when it doesn't make sense. Desperately sad to read over and over again the footnote "Died on the 3rd crusade."
I very much enjoyed this translation and recommend it to anyone interested in William Marshal (and medieval tournaments)
September 9, 2019
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This medieval chronicle, written in the 1220s in verse, depicts the life of William Marshal, The Greatest Knight. The author is unknown, but he was likely a close friend or a member of Marshal’s household. He wrote events as he knew them, both from firsthand knowledge or by asking those closest to Marshal. It certainly exaggerates Marshal’s life and abilities and glosses cheerfully over the times he blew it, but it is overall a valuable document of medieval noble life.
As a medievalist, I’ve read my share of chronicles and documents of the time. This one was a delightful change from the texts that are often dry accounts. It was easy to read and surprisingly funny. In part, this is due to Bryant’s skillful translation, but he can’t translate what wasn’t already there to begin with. The chronicler had a witty and sometimes playful tone to his writing.
The whole document gives a fascinating glimpse into medieval noble life and the ways in which a knight can make a name for himself. The medieval mindset and things that the chronicler focused on are so intriguing. The politics and balancing acts these people had to perform must have been exhausting. It is also clear that women may have been respected (Eleanor of Aquitaine is mentioned in glowing terms) but they are still very much second-class citizens. One of Marshal’s horses is given a name, Blancart, and yet none of his sisters were named. Even queens are often referred to as ‘the queen’ or so and so’s wife.
I wonder how much of the Stoics the author knew. Some passages were very Stoic in their reader: ‘But I tell you truly, no heart should grieve or rejoice excessively’ (p 28). Almost certainly he was influenced by Boethius as well; The Consolation of Philosophy had a lot of influence on medieval thought, and throughout Marshal’s history, numerous references exist to Fortune and her wheel. It feels like there may be some influences of the Beowulf poet on the chronicler as well. I’ll have to look into that more, because I’m a nerd. But the intro reminded me very much of the intro to Beowulf: þæt wæs god cyning! Yes, þæt wæs god knight!
This is definitely a must-read for any medievalist. Who doesn’t like learning about knights anyway, especially the one who was known as the greatest knight even in his own lifetime?
Favorite part/ lines (potential spoilers!):
- On helping Empress Mathilda escape but she slowed them down by riding sidesaddle: ‘By Christ, lady, you can’t spur when you’re seated so! You’ll have to part your legs and swing over the saddle!’ (29)
- And the fact is, sirs, the prowess of a single valiant knight can embolden a whole army… (37)
- ...joy and happiness are the due reward and stimulus for aptitude and prowess. (43)
- Let’s be honest: being sedentary is shameful to the young. (52)
- He won something of far more value, for the man who wins honour has made a rich profit indeed. (59)
- I loved the part where the Marshal was at a tourney and he got smacked on the helmet so hard that it got stuck and he had to go lay on the smith’s anvil so the smith could pry it off. LOL.
- A man reveals himself by his actions! (70)
- People often get what they deserve, and those who covet all lose all. (72)
This medieval chronicle, written in the 1220s in verse, depicts the life of William Marshal, The Greatest Knight. The author is unknown, but he was likely a close friend or a member of Marshal’s household. He wrote events as he knew them, both from firsthand knowledge or by asking those closest to Marshal. It certainly exaggerates Marshal’s life and abilities and glosses cheerfully over the times he blew it, but it is overall a valuable document of medieval noble life.
As a medievalist, I’ve read my share of chronicles and documents of the time. This one was a delightful change from the texts that are often dry accounts. It was easy to read and surprisingly funny. In part, this is due to Bryant’s skillful translation, but he can’t translate what wasn’t already there to begin with. The chronicler had a witty and sometimes playful tone to his writing.
The whole document gives a fascinating glimpse into medieval noble life and the ways in which a knight can make a name for himself. The medieval mindset and things that the chronicler focused on are so intriguing. The politics and balancing acts these people had to perform must have been exhausting. It is also clear that women may have been respected (Eleanor of Aquitaine is mentioned in glowing terms) but they are still very much second-class citizens. One of Marshal’s horses is given a name, Blancart, and yet none of his sisters were named. Even queens are often referred to as ‘the queen’ or so and so’s wife.
I wonder how much of the Stoics the author knew. Some passages were very Stoic in their reader: ‘But I tell you truly, no heart should grieve or rejoice excessively’ (p 28). Almost certainly he was influenced by Boethius as well; The Consolation of Philosophy had a lot of influence on medieval thought, and throughout Marshal’s history, numerous references exist to Fortune and her wheel. It feels like there may be some influences of the Beowulf poet on the chronicler as well. I’ll have to look into that more, because I’m a nerd. But the intro reminded me very much of the intro to Beowulf: þæt wæs god cyning! Yes, þæt wæs god knight!
This is definitely a must-read for any medievalist. Who doesn’t like learning about knights anyway, especially the one who was known as the greatest knight even in his own lifetime?
Favorite part/ lines (potential spoilers!):
- On helping Empress Mathilda escape but she slowed them down by riding sidesaddle: ‘By Christ, lady, you can’t spur when you’re seated so! You’ll have to part your legs and swing over the saddle!’ (29)
- And the fact is, sirs, the prowess of a single valiant knight can embolden a whole army… (37)
- ...joy and happiness are the due reward and stimulus for aptitude and prowess. (43)
- Let’s be honest: being sedentary is shameful to the young. (52)
- He won something of far more value, for the man who wins honour has made a rich profit indeed. (59)
- I loved the part where the Marshal was at a tourney and he got smacked on the helmet so hard that it got stuck and he had to go lay on the smith’s anvil so the smith could pry it off. LOL.
- A man reveals himself by his actions! (70)
- People often get what they deserve, and those who covet all lose all. (72)
March 19, 2023
All the clichés are true. Not only the Hollywood movie ones about splintering lances, sword fights on castle battlements and spiteful king John, but (almost, with a twist) the Arthurian legend ones about knights encountering beautiful mysterious ladies in forests.
This translation isn't a literary masterpiece in its own right. It reads as if done a bit too much line by line. Having said that, the first part works well, where it’s all tournaments and the narrator sounds like a clipped Victorian colonel, “Chased him all over the field! Didn’t stand a chance!” and so on.
The translator drops obsolete metaphors for current ones (lots of footnotes explain his thoughts on this sort of thing), but the ones he uses are a bit bland. I'd rather he'd kept the flavour of the originals. It's not that he updates all obsolete words: armour, old kinds of fabric, old musical forms etc.
You get a powerful look at medieval warfare. It seems, kinda, a healthier way to live with there being no delegation of the fighting or the ethics to other people. A man was the symbol and destiny of his estates. He took his life and his estate into battle. He was married to secure it; his children were live diplomatic devices, as much on the line as himself. So it makes sense when Marshal demands trial by combat to prove his innocence, and why there are clerics on the battlefield. There's no separation. On the other hand, these people aren't maniacs: they think it a disaster to kill an opposing knight rather than grabbing his horse’s bridle and dragging him away for ransom or fealty. And Marshal’s death scene is powerful.
The introduction's good, but I would like to have seen a page of the original verse.
This translation isn't a literary masterpiece in its own right. It reads as if done a bit too much line by line. Having said that, the first part works well, where it’s all tournaments and the narrator sounds like a clipped Victorian colonel, “Chased him all over the field! Didn’t stand a chance!” and so on.
The translator drops obsolete metaphors for current ones (lots of footnotes explain his thoughts on this sort of thing), but the ones he uses are a bit bland. I'd rather he'd kept the flavour of the originals. It's not that he updates all obsolete words: armour, old kinds of fabric, old musical forms etc.
You get a powerful look at medieval warfare. It seems, kinda, a healthier way to live with there being no delegation of the fighting or the ethics to other people. A man was the symbol and destiny of his estates. He took his life and his estate into battle. He was married to secure it; his children were live diplomatic devices, as much on the line as himself. So it makes sense when Marshal demands trial by combat to prove his innocence, and why there are clerics on the battlefield. There's no separation. On the other hand, these people aren't maniacs: they think it a disaster to kill an opposing knight rather than grabbing his horse’s bridle and dragging him away for ransom or fealty. And Marshal’s death scene is powerful.
The introduction's good, but I would like to have seen a page of the original verse.
July 12, 2025
#thehistoryofwilliammarshall translated by #nigelbryant the biography of England’s greatest knight #williammarshal. A little one sided perhaps and maybe a touch of propaganda but still a wonderful glimpse into the medieval period. Odd that the author quotes conversations in which he seems unlikely to have been present. Skips over Magna Carta. An interesting read about a fascinating character. Starting as a hostage, becoming a renowned knight in jousting, serving under 4 and a half kings and ultimately becoming regent and defending England from invasion. What an incredible life.
July 27, 2019
It deserves more than five stars. It's the most enjoyable medieval text I've read in a while.
'The earliest surviving biography of a Knight' is worth reading for many reasons.
It tells the life story of William Marshall, who was a legend in his own lifetime. He was 'The Marshall'. About the age of five, he was handed over as a hostage by his father, who promptly broke the terms of the truce. The Marshall survived that experience though luck, and then, essentially poor in Knightly terms, won himself a reputation on the tournament circuit as the greatest knight of the age.
He went on to serve four kings. There is something almost surreal about his unshakeable loyalty to these men, and his insistance that he would stand by his word no matter what. The fact that when accused of treason he could claim his right to trial by combat and no one was willing to take him on may have given him the confidence to do so.
He ends his life as the protector of the young King Henry III, the most powerful man in England, and wins an improbable victory at Lincoln, still fighting when he must have been in his seventies.
At times the History reads like an episode in Malory, but it is history. And the Life is one of the primary sources for the period.
It was a different world, and the story brings it alive, a reminder that the kings and princes and knights were real people. They are angry and envious, untrustworthy, cruel, and some are loyal. It's not a biography in modern terms. The Marshall remains ghostly, but then I suspect his contemporaries found him hard to fathom. From the anarchy of Stephen's reign, through the family wars of Henry II, through the misery of John's, the Marshall's steadfast insistence on dignity and honour whatever the cost, and his belief that truth would triumph must have sometimes baffled those around him and can seem naive to a modern reader.
There's a telling moment when John orders him, essentially, to hand over everything he's got, castles, lands, sons, retainers, as hostages for his good behaviour. It's obvious he's being victimised. And John's ill treatment of his hostages was notorious. But the Marshall accepts. 'A man may do this with confidence when he's no intention of committing any wrong'.
Bryant's translation rocks along. He is scrupulous to annotate places where he has been forced to guess, explains where the meaning is not clear, and he tracks the historical accuracy of his source. His introduction is a good natured defence of his source whose bias and occasional lapses he points out while defending the value of the majority of the text.
If the story is a good one, the story teller is excellent. The annonymous 13th century narrator emerges as a character in his own right; partisan (he's anti-French and pro the Marshall family); admiring the Marshall to the point of Idolatory, admitting what he doesn't know, isn't interested in, or thinks he should pass over, but with a good sense of what makes a story move and which incidents are worth reporting.
Thomas Asbridge has recently (2014) written a biography of The Marshall called 'The Greatest Knight'. Read it for the historically accurate modern version, but read The History for pleasure.
'The earliest surviving biography of a Knight' is worth reading for many reasons.
It tells the life story of William Marshall, who was a legend in his own lifetime. He was 'The Marshall'. About the age of five, he was handed over as a hostage by his father, who promptly broke the terms of the truce. The Marshall survived that experience though luck, and then, essentially poor in Knightly terms, won himself a reputation on the tournament circuit as the greatest knight of the age.
He went on to serve four kings. There is something almost surreal about his unshakeable loyalty to these men, and his insistance that he would stand by his word no matter what. The fact that when accused of treason he could claim his right to trial by combat and no one was willing to take him on may have given him the confidence to do so.
He ends his life as the protector of the young King Henry III, the most powerful man in England, and wins an improbable victory at Lincoln, still fighting when he must have been in his seventies.
At times the History reads like an episode in Malory, but it is history. And the Life is one of the primary sources for the period.
It was a different world, and the story brings it alive, a reminder that the kings and princes and knights were real people. They are angry and envious, untrustworthy, cruel, and some are loyal. It's not a biography in modern terms. The Marshall remains ghostly, but then I suspect his contemporaries found him hard to fathom. From the anarchy of Stephen's reign, through the family wars of Henry II, through the misery of John's, the Marshall's steadfast insistence on dignity and honour whatever the cost, and his belief that truth would triumph must have sometimes baffled those around him and can seem naive to a modern reader.
There's a telling moment when John orders him, essentially, to hand over everything he's got, castles, lands, sons, retainers, as hostages for his good behaviour. It's obvious he's being victimised. And John's ill treatment of his hostages was notorious. But the Marshall accepts. 'A man may do this with confidence when he's no intention of committing any wrong'.
Bryant's translation rocks along. He is scrupulous to annotate places where he has been forced to guess, explains where the meaning is not clear, and he tracks the historical accuracy of his source. His introduction is a good natured defence of his source whose bias and occasional lapses he points out while defending the value of the majority of the text.
If the story is a good one, the story teller is excellent. The annonymous 13th century narrator emerges as a character in his own right; partisan (he's anti-French and pro the Marshall family); admiring the Marshall to the point of Idolatory, admitting what he doesn't know, isn't interested in, or thinks he should pass over, but with a good sense of what makes a story move and which incidents are worth reporting.
Thomas Asbridge has recently (2014) written a biography of The Marshall called 'The Greatest Knight'. Read it for the historically accurate modern version, but read The History for pleasure.
December 27, 2022
I don’t really know how to rate a translation. Think of it as a history, a narrative? Not too sure. It’s an important work in the history of the Middle Ages and I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining the author it.
February 25, 2019
Five stars for the incredible translation.
November 14, 2024
This translation is a bit modern at times, but the story is still awesome. A good book to read curled up with some tea on a rainy day
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July 29, 2025I didn't actually finish this I'm sorry but I read most of it for class and honestly it was super entertaining I see why medieval kids loved it so much
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews