If All the Swords in England: A Story of Thomas Becket

by Barbara Willard, Robert M. Sax (Illustrator)

Young Simon, recently and tragically orphaned, becomes a scribe in the following of the exiled Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. The uncertainty of the tumultuous years leading to the infamous cathedral slaying is heightened by Simon's separation from his twin Edmund, who is in the service of King Henry II.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, School, Medieval, Catholic, Childrens, Action

194 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

Barbara Mary Willard was a British novelist best known for children's historical fiction. Her "Mantlemass Chronicles" is a family saga set in 15th to 17th-century England. For one chronicle, The Iron Lily (1973), she won the annual Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, a book award judged by panel of British children's writers.
Willard was born in Brighton, Sussex on 12 March 1909, the daughter of the Shakespearean actor Edmund Willard and Mabel Theresa Tebbs. She was also the great-niece of Victorian-era actor Edward Smith Willard. The young Willard was educated at a convent school in Southampton.
Because of her family connections, Willard originally went on the stage as an actress and also worked as a playreader, but she was unsuccessful and abandoned acting in her early twenties. She wrote numerous books for adults before she turned to children's literature.
Very little about the author was written during her lifetime, because of her private nature. She died at a nursing home in Wivelsfield Green, East Sussex, on 18 February 1994.
The Grove of Green Holly (1967), which was a story about a group of 17th century travelling players who were hiding in a forest in Sussex from Oliver Cromwell's soldiers, spawned her most famous work, the Mantlemass series (1970–1981) including her Guardian Prize-winning book. Some other books were Hetty (1956), Storm from the West (1963), Three and One to Carry (1964), and Charity at Home (1965).
One of her last books, The Forest - Ashdown in East Sussex, published by Sweethaws Press in 1989, gives a detailed account of Ashdown Forest. In the introduction to the book, Christopher Milne notes that Willard had moved from her home on the Sussex Downs to the edge of Ashdown Forest in 1956 and that her new surroundings had provided the inspiration and setting for ten of her children's historical novels (eight in the Mantlemass series and two others). It is evident by her own account in her book that she actively involved herself in the affairs of the forest. She was a representative of the forest Commoners elected to the forest's Board of Conservators in 1975, and she remained in that capacity for ten years. She tells how she was later heavily involved in the fundraising campaign which enabled East Sussex County Council to purchase the forest in 1988, enabling it to remain as a place of beauty and tranquility open to the public.

Reviews

[Elevetha]

1.5 stars.

Quite frankly, Barbara Willard just needs to stop writing.

[Amanda]

Notes for discussion with kids:

Twin brothers are separated, Edmund to be in the king’s service and Simon hopes to find the exiled Archbishop of Canterbury. Simon has one bad hand.

Simon is staying with a family related to Becket, and is exiled when the king forces all his relations to France. He works in his service when they arrive.

They together witness the murder of Becket in the church, after he returns to England. The people were overjoyed to see him, but the king was still angry he wouldn’t sign immoral laws and wouldn’t crown his son. His knights interpret that as instructions to kill him.

[Lanny]

Really more of 3.5 stars but I'll round up. This book could have been REALLY good...but instead it was only above average. The beginning and the middle were riveting and we were all obsessed. The middle was bogged down with words specific to abbeys/catholics and political discussion between too many forgettable characters.
Not sad we read it and I would still recommend it for other people wanting decent historical fiction about this time. Also good for boys since there is a lot to discuss about what it means to live and die for something.
Warning: The last bit is violent so don't read to young children who have a very low tolerance for violence.

[Heather]

Edmund and Simon, orphaned twins, are split up when Edmund enters the service of the king and Simon goes to work for the exiled Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. The story covers from when all relations, no matter how distant, of Becket were sent into exile with him through his murder. It took a bit to really get into the story due to many stretches where it dragged a bit. I recommend this book to kids studying Becket or the late 1100s.

[The F]

read my review for Augustine Came to Kent, it's basically the same for this.

[Kara]

An interesting adventure story of the life of Thomas Becket. An inspiring tale of a saint and the king who was his friend.

[Leila Chandler]

It was ok, but it read more like a straightforward historical account than a novel.

[Laurie Wheeler]

Interesting story set in the Middle Ages set around the famous slaying in the cathedral. My kids and I read this book for our Classical Dialectic studies.

[Evie Chastain]

Very good story. The characters have real traits and are not perfect. Although I already knew the ending, since it is historical fiction. Very sad ending, and very well done.

[Wendy]

Well written story - perfect for boys 8-14. My son (7) is named for Thomas Becket. He loved this novelization of the final years of Thomas' life.

[LuAnn]

An exciting story of the controversy over the governance of the church in
England in the 1100s between former friends Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury and King Henry II. Portraying events through the eyes of twin brothers increases the appeal to younger readers and telling details of their lives conveys a sense of the time period. Though they exact cause of the disagreement and the details of the years of negotiating maybe be lost on some readers, St. Thomas' allegiance to God and the Pope over Henry and his willingness to be martyred for the church is clear.

[Trish Watta]

I read this aloud to my kids and they loved it. Lots of action and suspense.

[Nana]

Seton

[Jaeger Matthias]

Simon, Thomas Becket, was tragiccly orphaned. meanwhile, Thomas was a asssistant of a priest!

[Holderofthemt]

A good historical fiction focused on the last years of Thomas Becket. It gives the reader a better understanding of the conflict between the church and state.

[Jacqueline]

This the worst book ever it was interesting in the beginning and end but boring in the middle I mean boring but I do admire St. Thomas More in fact I like him a lot.

[jillian n.]

3.5/5