The Empress Matilda: Queen Consort, Queen Mother and Lady of the English

New
Paperback
1993
$45.22

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 consort of the Emperor Henry V and as regent in Normandy for her son Henry II. It illustrates the problems of female succession in the early twelfth century, and gives a balanced assessment of Matilda's character and achievements in the context of her own times.

Synopsis

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 consort of the Emperor Henry V and as regent in Normandy for her son Henry II. It illustrates the problems of female succession in the early twelfth century, and gives a balanced assessment of Matilda's character and achievements in the context of her own times.

$45.22

Quantity

10 in stock

More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 256
Edition: New edition
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Published: 03 Sep 1993
ISBN 10: 0631190287
ISBN 13: 9780631190288

Media Reviews

The first serious study of the career of the Empress Matilda ... Dr Chibnalla s aim, ably achieved, has been to reconstruct the outline of Matildaa s life, place her in the society and politics of the age, and form an assessment of her character. Times Literary Supplement A formidable book about a formidable woman ... based on an extremely thorough understanding of the sources and casts a broad beam of light on the twelfth century. Journal of Ecclesiastical History Very satisfying ... written with lucidity and force ... a very valuable addition to the corpus of core texts for any student of Norman and Angevin England. History The intention of this book, is to examine Matildaa s role in Anglo--Norman history and, as a female heir to the throne, in the history of feudal society. Marjorie Chibnall not only achieves this aim but surpasses it. This is a full biography of a twelfth--century woman who was in the center of power throughout her life and who served in both traditional and nontraditional female roles. It furthers our understanding of the person and of the political history of the Anglo--Norman kingdom. It also is a beautifully written book, one accessible to both scholar and student. Speculum This is a biography that is both scholarly and readable. English Historical Review

Author Bio

Marjorie Chibnall is Emeritus Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, and has also lectured in the universities of Southampton and Aberdeen. She is a Fellow of the British Academy and Corresponding Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America, and her most recent books include The World of Orderic Vitalis and Anglo-Norman England 1066-1166.