The Greatest Knight (William Marshal, #2)

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The Greatest Knight (William Marshal #2)

by Elizabeth Chadwick (Goodreads Author)

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 3,129 ratings · 424 reviews

Royal protector. Loyal servant. Forgotten hero.

A penniless young knight with few prospects, William Marshal is plucked from obscurity when he saves the life of Henry II's formidable queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. In gratitude, she appoints him tutor to the heir to the throne, the volatile and fickle Prince Henry. But being a royal favorite brings its share of danger and jeal...more

Paperback, UK edition, 552 pages

Published 2006 by Time Warner (first published November 3rd 2005)

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Oct 25, 2009 Jamie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, medieval, kindle

A nice romance/historical fiction about the legendary knight-errant who served Eleanor of Aquitaine and her sons, including Richard the Lionheart and the infamous King John. I felt immersed in medieval Europe and was always reluctant to put the book down. The details on tournament play were particularly interesting.

One thing I felt was lacking was an exploration of Marshal's childhood and adolescence, since I was curious about the impact of his father's abandonment. The book begins when Marshal...more

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Feb 10, 2010 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, england, france, favorites, 12th-c

The Greatest Knight is the first part of a tale about William Marshall. He begins his life as a lowly hearth knight scrabbling his way up the social hierarchy of the medieval period.

“A penniless young knight with few prospects, William Marshal is plucked from obscurity when he saves the life of Henry II's formidable queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. In gratitude, she appoints him tutor to the heir to the throne, the volatile and fickle Prince Henry. But being a royal favorite brings its share of dan...more The Greatest Knight is the first part of a tale about William Marshall. He begins his life as a lowly hearth knight scrabbling his way up the social hierarchy of the medieval period.

“A penniless young knight with few prospects, William Marshal is plucked from obscurity when he saves the life of Henry II's formidable queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. In gratitude, she appoints him tutor to the heir to the throne, the volatile and fickle Prince Henry. But being a royal favorite brings its share of danger and jealousy as well as fame and reward (from Sourcebooks website)”

When this book first came out, a bunch of my blog friends were reading this book and raving about it, and I felt left out because I didn’t have the book or have any time to read it. Then, when I heard about the sequel coming out, The Scarlet Lion, I knew I had to read this before I could read the sequel.

I really enjoyed reading about the life of a knight during the medieval period. I had not read anything from this time period so the whole world was very new to me. Chadwick did a phenomenal job at describing all the aspects of this world. I gained an entirely new vocabulary as well (like mesnie!). After reading about the Tudor period for so long – it is a very, very different world – which was very refreshing.

The characters were so well rounded and very real. I loved all of the women in his life – Clara, Isabelle, and Eleanor. Each one brings out a different part of William and contributed to the growth and evolution of his person. Without all of them, he wouldn’t be the same person. William is definitely someone you can admire.

The pages just flew by and before I knew it I was finished with 500+ pages. I luckily have The Scarlet Lion on hand to jump right into, and it feels like I am reading one continuous book. The only complaint I have is that almost each chapter jumps at least 2 years. I found it difficult to remember how much time had passed between events and had to keep flipping back to figure out the year. I will need to become a little more familiar with the layout of France (where many of the events take place), I don’t know the map all that well. Other than that, a fantastic introduction to the medieval period and William Marshal.

4.5 out of 5 stars

This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.(less)

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Nov 07, 2008 Barb rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction-medieval, read-in-2008, richard-vs-john

Elizabeth Chadwick's 'The Greatest Knight' chronicles the life of William Marshall, the Medieval soldier and statesman who was described as "the greatest knight that ever lived".

Chadwick takes us from Marshall's boyhood through his service to three kings; King Henry II, Henry the Young King and King Richard. Marshall is loyal and true to those he pledges his fealty even in the face of near certain peril.

I found the history interesting but Chadwick failed to bring these characters to life for m...more

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May 02, 2013 Isabelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book has everything that I might wish for in a 600 page long historic novel. A hero who makes his way in the world by using chance and opportunity, an enigmatic Queen, a King who's been the first Plantagenet on the throne and a lot of historical conflict at the core of the narrative.
What I didn't find however, was a good book which I think is extremely sad because all the requirements for a great read where there.

The minor thing that bothered me was language. Chadwick certainly can write,...more This book has everything that I might wish for in a 600 page long historic novel. A hero who makes his way in the world by using chance and opportunity, an enigmatic Queen, a King who's been the first Plantagenet on the throne and a lot of historical conflict at the core of the narrative.
What I didn't find however, was a good book which I think is extremely sad because all the requirements for a great read where there.

The minor thing that bothered me was language. Chadwick certainly can write, but her use of metaphors and comparisons drove me up the walls sometimes. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt in some parts because I didn't read the original but the German version but still. I found myself conciously noticing her figures of speach, which inhibited the flow of my reading alot because I was always thrown out of the narrative into musings about writing. Also, she often ends paragraphs with a comparison or a metaphor. So often that it is noticable. Now you could argue that this is a history novel and meant to entertain instead of being highly literary in writing style. Which brings me to my second, much larger problem with the book.

The way the story is told and, to an even larger degree, the characters.
The book spans 26 years, which is fairly normal for a historic novel that wants to depict historical developements. However, Chadwick manages to really only portray episodes instead of periods. We get glimpses of events. That, in itself, would be fine, but somehow, I could find neither drive nor urgency in any of them. No matter how significant an event was, it was told in the same, nearly solemn manner. In the afterword, Chadwick says that a lot of things, she could only hint at because William Marshall's personal history is so full of events and experiences that it would be impossible to do it justice, the reason she wrote a second book about the second half of his life (which I haven't read so I can't say whether this differs from the first one).
Chadwick succumbs to that one thing that cannot happen in literature that is meant mostly for pure entertainment: she tells instead of showing. Whenever she moves on for a year or two with her narrative, the reader gets told in the opening paragraph what has happened in the years in between, then a more or less significant scene from Williams life is depicted and on we move. We do not see him develope, we get told he did.

Which brings me to my second major point of criticism. The characters. I know that Marshall is a historic figure, I know that he suposedly had all the character traits a knight was thought to have, a man right out of song. But here's the pitfall. I believe she's throughly researched. But, as she writes herself in the afterword, much knowledge about him results from a ballade written after his death that has been rediscovered in 1890. Now, a ballade in itself is a literary text, it's a piece of imagination of a single person. It's prone to praise of the hero. And that's exactly what Chadwick does. William Marshall has no depth of character because he is inherently good, noble, humble and all around chivalrous. He does no wrong. The only (perceived) wrong he does, that he is able to find fault in himself for, is the fact that he wasn't with his Lord when he died and that he followed his orders and ransacked churches under Henrys command. For 26 years of life, this is an impressively small list of sins for a soldier who had a mistress (who, conviniently is infertile so she won't give him any bastards), was said to have an affair with Margaret, wife of Henry, and who fought in dozens of tournaments that usually weren't exactly havens of good behaviour.
Chadwick managed to avoid every possible conflict Marshall could have had. If the documents didn't serve her with one, she could well have invented one. But she decided to stick to the sources she had, and if I have learned one thing during my history studies it's that what is important about a historical source is what it doesn't tell you. The blank spots. The hints at something they don't want you to know because it would interfer with the version of history that is supposed to be written down. Every source we have has been written down to preserve a certain notion about what has happened by a certain group or even single person. And for me, Chadwick simply believes in the greatness and goodness of William Marshall described in the ballade (that I have, admittedly, never read, so I'm doing a bit of guessing here).
A character that has come such a long way, from a virtual nobody to teacher and trusted companion of the kings son(s), someone who comes from the hinterland and moves into palaces, is not believable for me if he isn't at least tempted by this gain of power.
Similiarly to Marshall, the other characters remain flat because we only get to see them every once in a while and their relationships remain suspiciously devoid of emotion, a fact that for me, mainly results from Marshall's inhuman goodness, so that his relationships to the other characters always remain somewhat a token of what a real relationship would look like.

So while I really was curious about the book and love the time it depicts, and really wanted to like it, I never really managed to do so. It is, however, a quick read and gives you an insight into the turbulent times of Henry II, his famous wife Eleanore of Aquitaine and their quarrelsome sons, thus two stars.
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Apr 02, 2013 Darien rated it 4 of 5 stars

An excellent historic read with an emphasis on character development. The period details all feel real and as a reader it is clear why Elizabeth Chadwick is considered to have some of the most well-researched writings about the medieval period. This book is based on a real character whom many scholars do consider the "Greatest Knight", having risen from relative obscurity to serve not one, but four Kings in positions of great trust. She gives enough detail in the battles and political maneuverin...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Booknblues rated it 5 of 5 stars

His father gambled on King Stephen’s leniency when he broke his vow after giving William to him as hostage and correctly as Stephen was unable to hang the lad. While his canny father John Marshall lived a life of expediency, William took an alternate route as Elizabeth Chadwick explains in her book The Greatest Knight: The Unsung Story of the Queen's Champion, which chronicles the time he served for the Young King Henry and Richard the Lionheart. William was a knight true to his vows and his int...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Jacey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, favorites

Not necessarily a sequel to ‘A Place Beyond Courage’ as all Chadwick’s books are stand-alones, this is the first part of the story of William Marshall, penniless younger son, who has only his wits and his skill to lift him up out of obscurity. Fortunately he not only has wits and skill in plenty, but he also becomes a favourite of the King’s estranged wife, the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine, whose sound advice sets him on the right course to prosper, though not without trials and tribulations...more

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Oct 05, 2011 Martin Lake rated it 5 of 5 stars

Perfect knight, consummate politician or both

This novel tells the story of William Marshal who was one of the greatest English knights of the twelfth century, or arguably, any century. He was also astute politically and this story shows how he was able to loyally serve King Henry II and two of his sons who were engaged in an almost feral conflict with each other. In this maelstrom of passion and family feud Marshal was the great survivor.

Chadwick weaves a marvellous story which made the era com...more

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Aug 27, 2011 Gretchen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011

I loved the idea of a novel dedicated to William Marshall. He rose from being the 4th son of a landholder, to a man of wealth and stature, serving 3 of Englands kings in the process. He was present at a number of critical moments in English history, and is mentioned in many original sources, so there was a lot of historical fact to bring up in this novel.

Unfortunately, I think the facts got in the way of the story for this novel. Chadwick does cover a lot of history, but Marshall as a person see...more

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Jan 15, 2011 Linda Acaster rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Excellent!

At present necessary commuting is eating into my reading and writing time. I can't write while I'm driving, but audiobooks are a Godsend for my sanity. And this one was a cracker.

It was also a Christmas present, but what a difference to my last. The writing was crisp, and even though I know the adult story of real life William Marshall, Elizabeth Chadwick takes him from the age of six, when he's due to be hanged by King Stephen for his father's duplicity (leaving young William as a ho...more

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Aug 29, 2010 Steven Peterson rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first in a two volume series, focusing on William Marshal, a self-made man serving Kings Henry II, Richard I, and John. Elizabeth Chadwick, the author, doers a masterful job of depicting the era and the details of that time (although I am not an expert, there is a sense of reality to the novel that impresses me).

Marshal tells the tale of this real historical figure in an historical fiction. Marshal was a self-made man, learning his craft, becoming a knight, coming to earn his keep by...more

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Jul 31, 2010 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars

I first encountered William Marshal in Maurice Keen's Chivalry when I was doing research for my dissertation. I was intrigued by the thought that a real knight existed who was the epitome of chivalry. But I was too busy then to read any further about him. Our paths did cross, most recently when I visited Chepstow Castle this summer and the Temple this past March, and I'd register recognition and move on.

I discovered Elizabeth Chadwick through a discussion of another excellent historical novel, T...more

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Oct 13, 2009 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love English monarchial history through Queen Elizabeth, and the Lion in Winter is one of my favorite movies, so any chance to learn more about the people and times of Henry II and Eleanor of Acquitaine is welcomed. Though one always has to be careful with historical fiction, or fictionized history, this story helps to flesh out the events prior to and after the events of The Lion in Winter. Henry II's son, Henry, who is already dead by the time of the movie, is a fully realized character here...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Lucinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Beguiling characters, stunning historical detail within a captivating narrative makes this impressive read outstanding!

I am a huge fan and keen reader of works by Elizabeth Chadwick, for her impressive collection of Medieval novels stand-out above all other historical literature. It is the author’s attention to detail that makes her work so beautifully atmospheric, as past ages are brought boldly to life with much fervent intensity and color. This stunning novel cleverly combines both fact and...more Beguiling characters, stunning historical detail within a captivating narrative makes this impressive read outstanding!

I am a huge fan and keen reader of works by Elizabeth Chadwick, for her impressive collection of Medieval novels stand-out above all other historical literature. It is the author’s attention to detail that makes her work so beautifully atmospheric, as past ages are brought boldly to life with much fervent intensity and color. This stunning novel cleverly combines both fact and fiction, as one of England’s greatest forgotten heroes is resurrected on the page triumphantly. Within the apex of the Middle Ages this noble Knight brought victory, he created mighty power struggles and memorable scandals; all of which has lived on through the centuries and is very much a part of our history. Elizabeth Chadwick is not only one of my favorite authors of historical fiction, as her noticeable books within this genre are something special, for she is one of the greatest writers of Medieval Fiction.

Convincing and utterly compelling this exciting novel is one that encapsulates the harshness of the bleak Middle-Ages, through heated drama and conflict. Dazzling authentic details are blended beautifully with a modern twist for electric emotional drama that oozes quality, as you are left breathless in astonishment of such a feat. William Marshall’s journey from a penniless young Knight with few prospects to one of the greatest and most influential hero’s in history is truly fascinating and most interesting. That single act (of when he saves the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine; Henry VII’s wife) is the catalyst for great chance, and so plucked from obscurity he is thrust into fame and fortune. Being a Royal ‘Favorite’ also has its downfalls, as you discover what the implications are of coming into conflict with others – especially in a Royal court.

An absorbing tale that is fueled by passion, exquisitely drawn and indisputably exceptional, I would highly recommend “The Greatest Knight” to those readers who delight in epic battles and re-telling the past.

www.elizabethchadwick.com
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Aug 13, 2011 Tara Chevrestt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, historical-fiction, england

Most all of my reading friends have read this book and declared their undying love for William Marshall, the greatest knight. 25 percent into this book, I said, "Hm. This is really well written. Love the Eleanor tidbits, but I'm not in love with this William dude."

50 percent into the book, I said, "I have no interested in all these Henrys and Johns fighting over the crown, but Chadwick is making this interesting. This is a darn good book, but I'm still not in love with William. Everything he do...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Stephanie Dray rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

This novel is based on the true life story of William Marshal, who served at least four kings--three of whom were the sons of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. While William is a Dudley-Do-Right Knight with altogether too few flaws and a stoicism that keeps him at an arm's length from the reader, he's not without his charm. His story is so full of twists and turns, one might feel tempted to accuse the author of making it up out of whole cloth, but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. The characte...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Lovers of Medieval Historical Fiction Who Just Can't Get Enough...

Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by: The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List

Shelves: historical-fiction, ultimate-reading-list, fiction, novels

This is a biographic novel of William Marshall, one of the great knights of England, a man who served four English Kings, including Richard the Lionhearted, who was involved with the Magna Carta and served as regent to Henry III. So, a fascinating figure, but I'm afraid a less than fascinating book.

The problem may be that the book tried to cover too much ground--despite being over 500 pages and covering only about half his life. Years would pass between chapters that seemed to skim over Marshal...more

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Mar 02, 2011 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: historical romance lovers, history lovers of henry VIII

Recommended to Liz by: barnes and nobles

Shelves: historical-fiction, nook-book

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 01, 2012 Ashley Arthur rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’ve heard so many good things about Elizabeth Chadwick, and I was thrilled when I saw a Nook promotion offering this book for 99 cents. This is the story of William Marshal, referred to by many of this book’s reviewers as “the greatest hero you’ve never heard of,” and his life as a knight in the service of the Plantagenet kings from 1167-1194.

The story begins when William is a child, sent as a hostage to King Stephen for his father’s treachery. From these humble beginnings, William trains as a...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Megan

Shelves: europe, female-authors, historical-fiction, united-kingdom

Historical fiction can be iffy with me -- if I know of the time period in any detail I usually have difficulties in enjoying it, because I'm always nitpicking. I know I shouldn't but it is so hard, especially when Philippa Gregory blatantly changes the birth order of the Boleyn siblings, or other authors Mary Sue their protagonists (Pink Carnation, I am looking at you).

I picked this up because everytime I went to Borders my eye kept hitting it. And I only knew of William Marshal as that guy in...more

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Mar 11, 2011 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lit-english, kindle-freebie, historical-fiction-med-ren

I owe Chadwick an apolgy. I've been aware of her for a while, mostly though GRFs but I have been somewhat wary of picking up her books. This is not due to distrust on the part of my GRFs reviews, but more with knowledge that my tolerance of romantic fiction is, currently, very, very, very, very low. And some of the covers of Chadwick's books look a bit too romancy I'm the same way with Urban Fantasy. You know what's it like, you've been burnt by false book advertising before, and you know you're...more

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May 16, 2011 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, nook-book, read-in-2011

I am not usually into medieval fiction, or historical fiction much at all, but this was really good! That is one thing I love about GoodReads; I find new and wonderful books that I would never have picked for myself.

This story is based on the life of a forgotten hero, William Marshal, the knight selected by Eleanor of Acquitaine to train her sons in horsemanship and chivalry. While Eleanor's sons might not have turned out that great, it wasn't any fault of William Marshal's. He was amazing! Mos...more

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Apr 12, 2012 TheFountainPenDiva rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-that-are-keepers, characters-british-heroes, characters-kick-ass-heroines, characters-killer-queens, characters-male-knights, characters-real-alpha-males, characters-royalty-kings, characters-royalty-princes, characters-warriors, e-books-purchased, genre-historical-fiction, heroes-who-rock, opinions-read-this-book-now, settings-great-britain, settings-france, historical-figures-william-marshal, historical-figures-eleanor-of-aquit

While I wouldn't want to live in 12th century England or France, reading Elizabetn Chadwick's The Greatest Knight, I feel as if I've traveled back in time to the turbulent era marked by feuding rulers, barons and the height of chivalry. Even the descriptions of food sounded appetizing (to a point--I won't be purchasing an eel pie any time soon).

There is obviously a reason that Chadwick as a historical fiction author is held in such esteem and that esteem is richly deserved, though she couldn't h...more

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Apr 09, 2010 MAP rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction

This book follows William Marshal, a knight in the 12th century who served under Henry, Richard, John, and another Henry, through his late teen years until his early 50s. I had never heard of William Marshal before this book, and my only knowledge of the time period was Sharon Kay Penman's Here Be Dragons.

The book doesn't have a plot necessarily, it basically just follows Marshal's life. But considering one of my favorite genres is the biography, I'm really just fine with that. I very much enjoy...more

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Jan 22, 2011 Cryssa rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Greatest knight is the story of William Marshal, knight and advisor to three Plantagenet kings: King Henry II, the Young King and King Richard. William Marshal lives in a time when chivalry is assumed but not always uphold, when politics and scheming are the order of the day. In contrast, William espouses the very ideals of honour and loyalty and over the years rises from hearth knight to justicular.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Elizabeth Chadwick's writing is wonderfully detailed, and sh...more

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May 11, 2013 Stefaniab rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read a lot of historical fiction, especially books set in either the early Medieval or Roman Republic times. I only now discovered Elizabeth Chadwick. And what a discovery she is! Chadwick's William Marshal is a rare main character for the current historical genre: one who values integrity, loyalty, and honor, and walks the walk more than he talks the talk.

Sounds boring, nu?, but believe me William's life is anything but. We follow William as a young knight as he fights in the company of the...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Nisareen rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Greatest Knight is a compelling blend of facts and fiction chronicling the life of William Marshal, beginning with his early childhood as a political hostage, to his rise as a knight in the service of Henry I, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their two sons Young King Henry I and King Richard the Lionheart. A man of integrity and fierce loyalty, William walks a tightrope of court politics, brutal combat and conflicting loyalties in his quest to fulfill his destiny.

Having read A Place Beyon...more The Greatest Knight is a compelling blend of facts and fiction chronicling the life of William Marshal, beginning with his early childhood as a political hostage, to his rise as a knight in the service of Henry I, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their two sons Young King Henry I and King Richard the Lionheart. A man of integrity and fierce loyalty, William walks a tightrope of court politics, brutal combat and conflicting loyalties in his quest to fulfill his destiny.

Having read A Place Beyond Courage prior to The Greatest Knight put me at a advantage, as many aspects of William’s life are covered in the former that are not elaborated on in the latter. In the former we learn the reasons and circumstances behind John FitzGilbert's (William's father) decision to ransom his son to King Stephen and the impact it had on both father and son. In TGK, several references are made about William's promise to King Stephen when he was his hostage that isn't elaborated on but is covered in APBC. There's a part in The Greatest Knight where John Marshal fancies that he sees his father's spectre on the wall at Marlborough which was a poignant moment for those familiar with A Place Beyond Courage as the elder John Marshal fought tooth and nail for it when it was under siege. That the younger John died before having to turn the castle over to King Richard was a mercy. The roots of John Marshal's jealousy towards his younger brother William become clearer if one reads A Place Beyond Courage first. William was an endearing and exceptionally gifted child who was loved dearly by his parents. John felt threatened by him from an early age which unfortunately stayed with him into adulthood.

At over 500 pages, this isn't a light read, and my only criticism of the novel is the pacing and length of the book. However, the narrative is engaging from the very first pages. One of the highlights for me was the characterization of Eleanor of Aquitaine and her friendship with William. I can’t wait to read the follow up novel, The Scarlet Lion(less)

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Mar 23, 2010 Sarah Maddaford rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: can-be-read-alone, first-in-series, historical, political, realistic-fiction, romance, war, arlington

This book definitely fits most of the characteristics of historical fiction. It is over five hundred pages long and packed with historical detail. The events and settings are accurate as far as I can tell. The author even includes the sources that she found most helpful in her author’s note. At the front of the book, there are two family trees: the English Kings and the Marshal family. There are also two maps, one of England and one of France. The book focuses on a real person. William Marshal w...more This book definitely fits most of the characteristics of historical fiction. It is over five hundred pages long and packed with historical detail. The events and settings are accurate as far as I can tell. The author even includes the sources that she found most helpful in her author’s note. At the front of the book, there are two family trees: the English Kings and the Marshal family. There are also two maps, one of England and one of France. The book focuses on a real person. William Marshal was indeed a real knight tied to the English Kings from around 1170 until his death. Historically, he was involved with, though not necessarily essential to, the many conflicts among the members of the royal family. There has also always been debate over whether he actually had an affair with the Young Queen. The characters act like people of the time including favoring marriage of a much older man to a young woman of status. There are a couple of word choices and phrases that may have been missed in editing, but overall the speech of the characters was true to the period without being unintelligible.

It was very slow to start and in several sections, but the pacing did not kill the book for me. I enjoyed the knightly behavior of William, but was very frustrated by the selfishness and pettiness of the royalty to whom he gave his loyalty. The details of the tourneys were interesting and entertaining although I did not like the fact that the woman who saved him during his captivity turned out to be a whore that he could not marry. There were a lot of courtly details that I would not have ever heard about otherwise, but the excesses of the court were truly terrible compared with the way their underlings lived. I also had to keep reminding myself that Isabelle being half William’s age was not a problem in that society in order to enjoy their loving relationship. I did enjoy the way he treated her with respect and valued her opinion. Overall, I was only disappointed in the fact that only half the story was told even though it covered over five hundred pages. I may have to put the next book on my to read list to get the rest of the story.

I am not sure that readers who do not like historical fiction would enjoy this book especially if the reason behind the dislike is either pacing or length. A fantasy reader who does not mind a slightly slower pace might enjoy this book for the knights and royal court. The book would not really work for a romance reader because the romance does not appear until about page three hundred and fifty; but, if they want to wait that long, a romance reader might enjoy it.(less)

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Jan 10, 2012 Elaine rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first part of the four part series chronicling the life of the little known person who was indeed classed as "The Greatest Knight" of his time. A skilled knight and tourney champion, William is also a clever diplomat and politician, at ease with all strands of society, from King through to the humblest clerk.

As a reward for his loyalty he is offered the hand of Isabelle, a wealthy heiress with lands in England and Ireland. They make a fabulous match, and their love story os one of t...more

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Sep 05, 2009 Debbie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

The Greatest Knight is an enjoyable historical fiction that covers the first part of William Marshal's life (1167-1194 AD). The sequel, describing the rest of his life, is titled "The Scarlet Lion."

The author clearly knows her subject matter and stayed true to it. Her skilled use of historical detail helped bring the world alive in my imagination without slowing the pace.

However, the author had so many years to cover that she often skipped over months, even years, of William Marshal's life betwe...more

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About Elizabeth Chadwick

Best selling historical novelist Elizabeth Chadwick won a Betty Trask Award for her first novel The Wild Hunt. She has been shortlisted for the UK's mainstream Best Romantic Novel of the Year Award 4 times and longlisted twice. Her novel The Scarlet Lion about the great William Marshal and his wife Isabelle de Clare, has been selected by Richard Lee, founder of the Historical Novel Society as one...more

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Books by Elizabeth Chadwick

A Place Beyond Courage (William Marshal, #1)

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Quotes from The Greatest Knight

“Your enemies have neither the proof nor the backbone to stand against you, but say something often enough in vulnerable ears and incredulity turns to belief.” — 12 people liked it

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The Greatest Knight (William Marshal #2)

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