Publisher Description
Thomas B. Costain’s four-volume history of the Plantagenets begins with The Conquering Family and the conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066, closing with the reign of John in 1216. The troubled period after the Norman Conquest, when the foundations of government were hammered out between monarch and people, comes to life through Costain’s storytelling skill and historical imagination.
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“Previous to this book, I’ve read The Three Edwards and the Last of the Plantagenets. In those books I found this author’s style dry and focused on quoting source materials, with a confusing out of chronological order narrative. Not so with this book – it reads almost like a novel. So, readers, don’t be afraid to tackle this one. However, I’m not sure why the author states that Henry’s first illegitimate son, Geoffrey, and his last illegitimate son, William Longespee, were born by Henry’s mistress, Rosamund. Neither of them were from Rosamund. The other inaccuracy is the reference to Henry and Eleanor’s first son, William, being born just shy of being illegitimate – only 5 months after they were married. From the research I’ve done, I believe William was born more like a year and a half after they were married. So, if you can look past these inaccuracies, the rest of the book is worth reading.”
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Rosemary (4 out of 5 stars)
