The Song of Simon de Montfort: England's First Revolutionary

by Sophie Ambler

'Alive with human detail and acute political judgement, this book marks the arrival of a formidably gifted historian.' – Dan Jones, author of The Plantagenets and The Templars

It was around half-past eight in the morning, with summer rainclouds weighing heavy in the sky, that Simon de Montfort decided to die. It was 4 August 1265 and he was about to face the royal army in the final battle of a quarrel that had raged between them for years. Outnumbered, outmanoeuvred and certain to lose, Simon chose to fight, knowing that he could not possibly win the day.

The Song of Simon de Montfort is the story of this extraordinary heir to a great warrior, devoted husband and father, fearless crusader knight and charismatic leader. It is the story of a man whose passion for good governance was so fierce that, in 1258, frustrated by the King’s refusal to take the advice of his nobles and the increasing injustice meted out to his subjects, he marched on Henry III’s hall at Westminster and seized the reins of power.

Montfort established a council to rule in the King’s name, overturning the social order in a way that would not be seen again until the rule of Oliver Cromwell in the seventeenth century. Having defeated the King at the Battle of Lewes in 1264, Montfort and his revolutionary council ruled England for some fifteen months, until the enmity between the two sides exploded on that August day in 1265. When the fighting was over, Montfort and a host of his followers had been cut down on the battlefield, in an outpouring of noble blood that marked the end of chivalry in England as it had existed since the Norman Conquest.

Drawing on an abundance of sources that allow us to trace Montfort’s actions and personality in a depth not possible for earlier periods in medieval history, Sophie Thérèse Ambler tells his story with a clarity that reveals all of the excitement, chaos and human tragedy of England’s first revolution.

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

586 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2019

About the author

Dr. Sophie Ambler conducted her doctoral research at King’s College London and then as a junior fellow at the Institute of Historical Research, working on the role of bishops in political reform in thirteenth-century England from Magna Carta to the Montfortian Revolution. From 2012-2013 she was employed on the AHRC-funded Breaking of Britain project. Sophie has published articles in Historical Research and Thirteenth Century England.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Very interesting and well told history of a man you hear mentioned a lot while never really learning about. It's a fascinating look at the time with a persuasive attempt to get into the mind of a principled rebel baron. That said I found it a bit hagiographic at points, and his unequivocally evil acts (specifically the massacres of England's Jews) struck me as a bit less examined than they could have been.

[Michael Bully · Rating 4 out of 5]

At her best Sophie Therese Ambler as a writer and speaker, is not over academic nor patronising to her readers. Can appeal to the medieval enthusiast outside the world of academia and build on their interest.,encouraging them to explore the 13th century So would recommend this biography.
It is also fair to say that history Darren Baker, a specialist on de Montfort and Henry III has been critical of this bok. Maintaining that Sophie Therese Ambler has played down the conciliatory and cultural aspects of Henry III reign, focusing on Henry's defeats, rather than his ability to be conciliatory and genuinely pious and charitable. She also seems to be extremely uncritical of Louis IX of France and the scholarly Bishop of Lincoln Robert Grotesste. Even falls short of exploring the motives and drives of Simon de Montfort himself…..apart from highlighting and clearly objecting to his brutal treatment of Jewish people. The possibility that Simon de Montfort might just have been grasping and self-serving is not explored enough. And that is why for all the positive aspects of this book, I could not give the book five stars. Feel that somehow there is not enough about Simon de Montfort's real objectives -I mean why does the writer think that he desired revolution? Why did some powerful barons who supported him in 1264 began to drift away after a few months of de Montfort's 'stewardship' of England . His actions, particularly the victory at the battle of Lewes in 1264 weakened Royal power-but wasn't that just a by product of his driving ambition rather than political idealism ? So much is left unanswered....intention, action and consequences are not separated in dealing with de Montfort's life. Which is a shame.

[Jacob Stelling · Rating 4 out of 5]

The epithet given to Simon in the title of this book, “England’s First Revolutionary” sums up his character best. At Evesham, even in the face of overwhelming odds and the desertion of his allies, Simon refused to break his solemn oath and was killed while fighting an unwinnable battle.

The author presents an insightful and detailed account of Simon’s life, beginning with that of his father in order to explain the impact of his character on his son’s decisions in political life. Extremely well-written and easy to follow, providing a strong appraisal of a lesser-known political revolutionary who had a strong impact on England’s history.

Highly recommend!

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ambler's account of Simon de Montfort is an interesting, well researched and (at times) very insightful look into the character of a hugely important figure in English history, but one which is marred by a somewhat rose-tinted and romanticised view of her central figure.

There's no doubt that Ambler knows her stuff - there's evidence of a lot of research into aspects of de Montfort's past and that of his family, and her writing about Simon's father, family identity and the forces which shaped his character are insightful, well considered and offers a very good understanding of much of his mindset. Ambler writes very well, with a generally brisk pace, an accessable approach, and a good eye for evocative tableau where appropriate, most notably whenshe moves beyond the shores of Albion and talks about their escapades on the continent and the Middle East. She deploys source material well without being excessive, deploying a nice balance of apposite quotes and well-chosen paraphrasing to keep the pace up.

Much of this good work, is, however, undone by her central argument, which is at best somewhat naive, and at worst deliberately blinkered for the sake of making a good narrative. As much as de Montfort had a huge influence on the rise of English rights (calling the first true parliament, limiting monarchy and extended key rights to those untouched by Magna Carta), Ambler seems to ascribe these moves towards a genuine altruism and revolutionary spirit in Simon, who she portrays as in almost hagiographical tones as above the factionalism, political nous and unpleasantness that she is more than willing to ascribe to his opponents.

In this line, Ambler glosses over some of the more obvious flaws of Simon's character (unbearable arrogance, a hot temper, casual cruelty, hypocrisy and a huge ego), ascribing them to family tradition, faith in Christ or stating that his friends loved him all the same for it. In the same vein, there seems to be no consideration of Simon's true motives when pushing through reform, assuming altrusim where the more likely culprit is cynical populism, pandering to disaffected parts of the population (such as Londoners) to build his power base and launch a coup to place him in de facto control over England. This results in a genuine surprise when Simon immediately breaks his own laws to enrich himself and settle old scores, or when his allies quickly realise that life was better under the previous regime and move against him.

All in all, there is some genuinely excellent historical work here, well written and presented in a manner which is accessable without being patronising or cliched. Unfortunately, the decision to start the narrative with Simon's heroic death in battle seems to reflect an approach which prioritises narrative over hard analysis, where facts are slotted in to support the romance of a last beacon of chivalry brought low by the forces of cynicism and tyranny rather than the reality of a more complex and flawed figure. Overall, it's not without value, but I would recommend reading with Marc Morris' 'A Great and Terrible King' to provide a counterpoint.

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book by Dr.Ambler following the life and times of this notable figure in the history of Britain and how our current Parliamentary system was formed following the Magna Carta. This Simon, who is named after his father referred to as the Count throughout the text. This does help at the outset as this, in common with many historical studies, struggles, for me, to distinguish between the many similarly named figures. As the book proceeds the writing develops a fluid and readable text, even for the less academic among us.

Character; Henry lll appears as less adept and lacking in the martial skills of many nobles in this era and he refused to acknowledge the agreements of the Magna Carta and oppressed his subjects always wanting more funds and trying to influence Parliament in his favour. Simon, born in France, came to Britain to claim the title of the Earl of Leicester originally awarded to his father. At this point, he was without many lands or position. He ingratiated himself with the King and then married the King's sister Eleanor, a widow. The account leads us through the building of his own house and joining a crusade to the holy land. Then moving through various machinations to his challenging Henry to accept Parliament, eventually capturing the King at the battle of Lewes and establishing rule by "committee". Greed then seems to take over his ideal with Simon granting lands taken from the King's supporters and awarding them to his sons and family. This saw the beginning of the end as his supporters deserted him. The King's son Edward escapes and leads his army to defeat and kill Simon at the battle of Evesham.

There are lots in favour of Simon and it came across in the text that the author is a supporter, unfortunately, the greed aspect won the day and his cause was lost. A good and well researched study. 4 good stars.

[Melisende · Rating 3 out of 5]

Begins with a death and ends with a death.

It is really a family history, beginning with Simon's early life, that of his married life and political career, and finally that of his family after his death. Based heavily on the writings of Peter of les Vaux-de-Cernay, Simon's story is told in an easy - slightly romanticised- style, which at times reads like it was written in Victorian times.

Much attention is given to the family, as well as the history and politics of the day, supported by copious notes and explanations. There is still, however, a lot of speculation as to what happened / what was said - which is only natural when events have taken place so long ago. However, the reader will find Simon's story flows well and will find themselves immersed in the events as they unfold.

I would be interested in comparing this title with another that sits on my shelves, Simon de Montfort.

[Amy Stanning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of drama, this is a gripping story of ambition, intrigue and conflict. Painstakingly researched and written in a flowing style that’s easy to read.

The narrative is compelling in itself and the use contemporary source material builds the readers understanding and sense of proximity.

As historical biography it stands with such fine works as Alison Weir’s “ “ Eleanor of Aquitaine” and Michael Jones’ “The Black Prince”.

[Steven Batty · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on Simon De Montfort.

[Mark Bowden · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author nails her colours to the mast with the title of this book; the subtitle is also a bold statement, though one that may well be justified (but see below). This is a thoroughly well researched, well written and very readable biography.
I think it would be possible to write a book using the same evidence and come up with a rather different interpretation - not to suggest that Simon de Montfort was a 'baddy' but to give some of the other participants in his story a little more credit. For instance, she implies that Richard of Cornwall was a bit of a self-publicist, which maybe he was but maybe he had something to shout about; she calls him an 'astute politician', which he was, but I think more could be made of his contribution to the events of the period. His relationship to de Montfort is obscure and maybe there isn't enough evidence ever to throw more light on this but it would be interesting to try.
As to the 'first revolutionary': the argument, not entirely original, is that de Montfort and his followers were not fighting a dynastic war, like other medieval civil wars, but were aiming to overturn the whole system of government, replacing monarchy with a ruling council of magnates. That was certainly the stated aim but de Montfort used his victory at Lewes to aggrandise himself and his immediate family; what would he have gone on to do had he not been stopped at Evesham?
The book is concerned more with the thoughts and ideas of de Montfort and his friends than with military history. The battles of Lewes and Evesham are dealt with briskly and the siege of Pevensey Castle, the longest siege in English medieval history, is dismissed in a sentence. But that is fine; these matters have been discussed elsewhere and Ambler's treatment of de Montfort's mental world is valuable.
There is often a tendency for medieval history to bring Monty Python to mind. Simon de Montfort's repeated insistence that he and his followers in the Barons' War were fighting a crusade is ludicrous but, as Ambler makes clear, this was in line with much of mainstream thought in the 13th century; but maybe this was one of the things that made the whole idea of the crusade ridiculous to some thoughtful people in the following century. Throughout the book Ambler is concerned to show the de Montfort family as a united group, the younger generations revering and following in the footsteps of their forefathers, which may be admirable but it reaches its own Pythonesque moment when she points out, correctly, that dying in battle was one of their habits. Dying in battle is not a brilliant tactic. I was forcibly reminded of the Peoples' Front of Judea Suicide Squad arriving at the end of 'Life of Brian' and stabbing themselves, their leader muttering 'That showed them, eh?' with his dying breath.

[Dave Appleby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find the middle ages fascinating and this biography of Simon de Montfort is no exception. It covers, roughly, the period of rapid constitutional change from the issuing of Magna Carta, a document to protect the rights of barons and to limit kingship, via the first parliaments to the calling of the first parliament by Simon to include townspeople, ie the start of the House of Commons. The political theories are fascinating: Magna Carta applied to the 50% of the population who were 'freed' (ie not the serfs) whereas Simon's Provisions of Oxford applied to all people in the realm. For the first time royal officials became truly accountable for their actions and could be acted against by ordinary people in courts. The Franciscans and Dominicans were spreading like wildfire at this time, and learning was advancing rapidly (one of Simon's mentors was Robert Grosseteste, a seminal figure in the history of science, one of Simon's opponents founded Merton College in Oxford). Simon himself was an important figure who made what was almost certainly a love match with King Henry III's sister (to Henry's fury), ended up rebelling and defeating and capturing the King and his Heir, and was at one time offered the regency of France. Not all was progress. Henry III was the first king to order that Jews wore distinctive marks on their clothes and Simon encouraged the persecution and killing of Jews. But it was a key time in English history.

It was well written and very well explained and there were some very useful maps, but one of my criticisms is that the author expects you to remember which year you are in. She gives dates such as '9 June' (for the Oxford Parliament) but if I have forgotten the year I have to move back through the pages until I can find the year mentioned; in this case it was (by implication) in the previous chapter. There are also occasions when people are mentioned and more could have been said. For example, one of the magnates supporting SdM at Oxford is listed as "Hugh Despenser"; what is not mentioned is that he is the father of High Despenser the Elder and the grandfather of Hugh Despenser the Younger who was a controversial favourite of Edward II. Why did I have to to look this up on wikipedia?

[Norman Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read half a dozen books on this period of English history, and this is the first one that gave me the impression that I knew what had happened. The author writes very clearly, and orders the events in the history very well. In addition, she writes very transparently, avoiding jargon and keeping things straight.

She is very good on the character of Simon. This is one of the few histories I have read that really demonstrated the development of the character, from idealistic, proud, fine, upstanding young man (probably too idealistic, too proud), trying hard to live up to the ideal knight, his father, to the older man who has been so corrupted by his own convictions of self-worth that he finally became a tyrant, willing to order (or condone) the slaughter of hundreds of Jews in London so that he could get money. Even at the end, when Simon was entering a state of grace accepting his fate, Simon was still sufficiently taken with his own goals deliberately to put King Henry III in peril at Evesham for his own purposes.

Ambler makes excellent use of the available sources, and brings a more contemporary touch to the translations from the English, French, or Latin of the period.

Highly recommended!

[Jake Palmer]

A great story deftly told. I learned a lot about the Magna Carta and the shifts in the fabric of the theory of kingship (the passage on the 13th century translation of Aristotle was particularly striking).Amber reflects in the introduction and the epilogue on Simon's impact and relationship with the changing chivalric order--the influence of the crusades on the obligations to preserve noble life in battle. I wish there had been more engagement with theory in general, though this was probably a deliberate omission. In particular, I wish she had discussed Simon's persecution of the Jews from a theoretical lens--what impact did this have on identity (it may be been instigated by Simon's need for funds but these kinds of event create their own narrative). Second I wish she had dwelt more on the tension embodied in the subtitle: the word revolutionary. It is unclear from the story how much of Simon's rebellion came down to personal grievances and charisma versus his desire to challenge the established political order. It seems his legacy has informed the tradition of parliamentarianism but his goals may have been more rooted in petty grievances nurtured against the king.

[Ruth Harwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating biography of an interesting man, a man I knew little about until I read this. I knew the name, just like all the Hugh Despencers and the Roger Mortimers, it wasn't an uncommon name for a De Montfort at the time. It seems, strangely, that each successive generation called their children the same name as themselves, causing not a little confusion when reading through this and the previous/successive centuries! Still, aside from the imaginative naming of sons, the man and his ideas were so different from what you'd expect at the time that he's a character I'm glad I know about!
A well-written and researched book, this is neither too long, or too obsessed with knowing the price of bread in the thirteenth century, if you know what I mean! I loved the style and substance, basically. Worth reading in a lot of ways just to simply know the man and the surroundings of England after Magna Carta, this book is a tour de force of life before the Black Death changed the face of Europe and it's peoples.

[Jason Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whereas the Magna Carta had in reality done little for anyone lower down in society than the barons, De Montfort , already chequered in his royal relations, in sorting his Ian concerns also pressed for those of the people. The result was justice across society, but inevitably its days, along with his, were numbered.

This book is an able chronicle and shoes the contradictions of Simon’s character well. He genuine,y cared, but could be ruthless and was hugely anti Semitic, though this was more or less the norm at the time. Beyond that , though, we get little sense of his interiority. He’s a man of prayer who wears hair shirts, which is a bizarre medieval way of being pious, but that’s all. Which is frustrating given that the author cites works which do but doesn’t use their insights.

As an introduction to an important historical figure it’s readable, if a tad dry at times, but there may be better books about De Montfort.

[John Mannion · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a thorough and detailed account of de Montfort's life but it lacks distance from its subject. Simon is brave and honourable, tried to live up to his family's traditions, stood up to a frankly useless king etc etc. Unfortunately his family's traditions included waging war against people with slightly different skin colours or slightly different religious beliefs. His mistreatment of Jews throughout his life is barely even excused.

I think we are meant to be moved when the book ends with the revelation that SdM wore a hair shirt. We are also treated to an epilogue that deals with the fact that after Simon's time aristocrats started killing each other for real in battle rather than taking each other for ransoms that the peasants could be forced to pay.

No mention of the fate or impact of his parliamentary reforms.

[Katie Poole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great history: clearly written, properly researched and referenced, dynamic, and always with an eye on the human elements that drive events - in this case, personality clashes, values, and upbringing. Ambler brings a strong sense of personality and agency not just to the main 'characters' but also to those around them. Her vignettes are always relevant, and she writes them with sympathy, clarity, and just enough panache to keep the text from becoming a dry sequence of events. There are a couple of sluggish patches in the early chapters, but things quickly pick back up again. I had very little idea of who Simon de Montfort was before reading this book, despite having studied Medieval literature, and afterwards I couldn't fathom why he is not better known. A really worthwhile read.

[Red Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book difficult. Largely forgot the fact that it clearly regards De Montfort as a heroic figure and his family as a heroic tradition - while it does not shy away from the factual details of their incredibly brutal actions against Cathars and Jewish people, thise actions are presented in an odd bubble within the narrative, as if they do not effect the protagonist’s nature. It returns again and again to affirming and exploring his and their *self-conception* as heroic and principled people without discussing the reality of them as, in particular, antisemitic zealots.

The effect is horribly apologist, particularly when contrasted to the text’s portrayal of his actions as they affected the wider community of Christian free and unfree people in the U.K.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather dry rendition of what could have been a fascinating story of a real attempt to change the way that medieval England was ruled.
The author has obviously done a great deal of research and is very keen to demonstrate this by bringing in a lot of detail from a large number of sources but not all strictly relevant to furthering the story.
What I read was the paperback version of the book , which I assume was directed at the mass market
Of so, was there any real need for all the references and detailed bibliography? Fine for an academic hardback, but at nearly a quarter of the book, is this value for money for the average lay reader?

[Sheikh Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well detailed book on a very important medieval figure and family. The author is clearly passionate about the subject which made this all the more an enjoyable read. I was a little disappointed by the ending and conclusion however as I thought that it was a little bit short and dry. I was hoping for more on the legacy of Simon and how his life impacted the era after him. That being said, this was over all a great read for anyone who is interested in the subject.

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really engrossing story of the first attempt at parliament and curbing the power of the monarch in England. Simon de Montfort was undoubtedly a charismatic figure with some genuinely noble ideas - unfortunately his and his supporters' targeting and massacre of the Jewish people multiple times leaves a bitter taste.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really wonderful read. Well-written and full of interesting information. I especially loved the way that the author put things into their wider European political context, such as medieval antisemitism and chivalry. An excellent read, and the end is quite suspenseful as well, even though of course the reader knows how it all ends.

[Laura Derbyshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful and engaging account of Simon de Montfort's life and accomplishments. Emotive and incredibly interesting, it's not often a history book makes you feel invested in the life of the its subject but this accomplished just that.

[Liz Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written and researched book. I thought it might read like a text book but in fact it was easy to read and full of facts and details . It is a period of history I know little about and now I have learnt about Henry 111 and Simon de Montfort.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Densely packed with detailed information but still easy to read. However the book left me unsatisfied. I did not get from it any clear idea of what type of man De Montfort was or of what significance his actions had.

[Andrew Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really well-written, lively and gripping slice of English history. The characters come alive on the page and give you a feel for how personalities drive politics.

[Robert Amis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellently written raises some interesting questions

[Anand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. One of the most lively histories I’ve read, all the more impressive as the story is from so long ago.

[SB · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Engagingly written and obviously well researched. This is a comfortable read on an interesting subject.

[David Withers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. I really liked the long build up and all the background to the final fall out and the final battles.

[Jenni Derrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and engaging narrative history 👏