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65th out of 190 books
—
63 voters
Empress Matilda: Queen Consort, Queen Mother and Lady of the English
This is the first comprehensive and fully documented study of the Empress Matilda to be published in English. Much of the serious work on her life and historical importance has never been translated from German, and almost all has concentrated on the years of her struggle with Stephen for the English crown. This book examines her career as a whole, including the years as c...more
Paperback, 227 pages
Published
October 8th 1993
by Blackwell Publishers
(first published October 1st 1992)
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The Empress Matilda was the daughter of King Henry I of England, the wife of two men, the Emperor Henry V and Geoffrey of Anjou and mother of King Henry II of England.
After the death of her only sibling, her brother William, in the sinking of the White Ship in 1120, and especially after her first husband's death and her return to the Anglo-Norman realm of her father, she featured heavily in the succession crisis caused by the lack of direct male heirs of the Conqueror. Matilda should have become...more
After the death of her only sibling, her brother William, in the sinking of the White Ship in 1120, and especially after her first husband's death and her return to the Anglo-Norman realm of her father, she featured heavily in the succession crisis caused by the lack of direct male heirs of the Conqueror. Matilda should have become...more
Nov 11, 2010
Cecily Felber
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone researching 12th century England or women in history
This is yet another core book in my research for my novels.
Professor Chibnall's work on Empress Mathilda (whom I refer to as her alternative name "Maud" in my novels to avoid confusion with her rival King Stephen's wife and queen who shares the same name) is the definitive academic work on this lady. Although there has been criticism of it as an apologia for a lady who really did unnecessarily blow her chances, I found her efforts to put Mathilda in perspective within her time, bringing in other...more
Professor Chibnall's work on Empress Mathilda (whom I refer to as her alternative name "Maud" in my novels to avoid confusion with her rival King Stephen's wife and queen who shares the same name) is the definitive academic work on this lady. Although there has been criticism of it as an apologia for a lady who really did unnecessarily blow her chances, I found her efforts to put Mathilda in perspective within her time, bringing in other...more
This is the first scholarly, English language biography of the Empress Matilda, the twelfth century English princess whose famous epitaph reads "Great by Birth, Greater by Marriage, Greatest in her Offspring: Here lies Matilda, the daughter, wife, and mother of Henry". Chibnall attempts to reclaim Matilda as a worthy subject of historical investigation—most previous work had focused on her son, Henry II, or on Stephen, her rival for the throne, and largely ignored Matilda except to criticise her...more
I had heard of The Anarchy before reading this book, and I knew the cliffnotes version of the battle between Stephen and Matilda for the English Crown. However it wasn't until I read The Empress Matilda that I got a fuller view of the conflict and the woman who was central to the conflict.
Marjorie Chibnall used impressive research to write an easy to read biography of the mother of the Plantagenet dynasty, who for a time was also the crowned Empress(-consort) of the Holy Roman Empire. Chibnall's...more
Marjorie Chibnall used impressive research to write an easy to read biography of the mother of the Plantagenet dynasty, who for a time was also the crowned Empress(-consort) of the Holy Roman Empire. Chibnall's...more
This was fascinating for me, but that's because I am a fan of this period of history and live in the area where a lot of her battles against King Stephen took place. I've even looked around Oxford Castle which she fled from in the snow. Love it. But it isn't a story book, it's a history book :)
Interesting period of history and slippery moment in the history of the monarchy. I'm sure the book represents exacting scholarship, but it is an academic book a little devoid of life. Wish a popular biographer would grab take up this topic!
This is a scholarly work, based on existing, and sometimes conflicting, documents. Not one of the many fictionalized accounts of strong medieval women. Nothing romantic about this book, which makes it all the more trustworthy.
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Marjorie Morgan McCallum Chibnall OBE FBA was an English historian, medievalist and Latin translator.
She was educated at Shrewsbury Priory County Girls School and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she later became a Research fellow. She became a Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge, but relinquished the fellowship when she decided in 1965 to give up teaching to complete her editorial work on the Hi...more
More about Marjorie Chibnall...
She was educated at Shrewsbury Priory County Girls School and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she later became a Research fellow. She became a Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge, but relinquished the fellowship when she decided in 1965 to give up teaching to complete her editorial work on the Hi...more
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