The Anarchy of Stephen and Matilda

by Stephen M. Taylor

Join Matilda Plantagenet in her violent struggle to overcome sexism in medieval England. Share her aspirations as she attempts to balance love and motherhood with the ultimate political career. Experience her frustrations as she battles sins of the flesh, dogmas of the Church and her archnemsis, the beguiling Stephen of Blois. Truth is stranger than fiction in this historically accurate tale of a medieval time, when violence, lust and greed flourish. It begins with the arrival of the Normans to England, where cousins Matilda and Stephen grow up together in the shadow of London Tower. When the King dies, both claim to be his rightful successor and maneuver for the vacillating support of the Church, the nobility and the citizenry, all of whom maintain a what's-in-it-for-me attitude. What follows is Matilda's 19 year knock-down, drag-out struggle for the throne.

408 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996