I am sorry it has taken me so long to post another blog, but Richard has been keeping me very busy with a chapter that ended up being much longer than I’d initially intended. It isn’t unusual for a chapter to become two, for I try to keep them about fifteen pages or so in length unless the chapter cannot possibly be divided, like Henry’s penance scene at Becket’s tomb. But this is the first time a chapter split like an amoeba into three parts.
Thank you all for the interesting book recommendations. I’m glad you reminded us of Pauline Gedge’s fine Egyptian books, Angela. I’m also looking forward to Michelle Moran’s next book, Cleopatra’s Daughter, for while I know she was raised by Antony’s long-suffering wife, I know nothing about her subsequent history. And I hope you tell us more about your Janna mysteries, Felicity. I’d be interested, too, in what boundaries you set in writing books for teenagers. When my first mystery, The Queen’s Man, was chosen as one of the best books of the year for Young Adults, I was delighted, of course. Then I thought, “But Justin has sex! And there are some bloody murders.” Apparently, though, sex and violence are okay as long as the writer is not too explicit?
Judith, I was fascinated to learn that after reading Devil’s Brood, you wrote two songs, one for Hal and one for Joanna. Would you consider sharing them with us? Linda, I loved your wish that if only Henry VIII had an appreciation of architecture, he may have spared all those beautiful abbeys and cathedrals. Of course if Richard had won at Bosworth, Henry would never have been King of England in the first place. For those who claim that one man cannot change history, I’d say “Meet Henry Tudor.” If Henry had not been born, would England have broken with the Catholic Church? Or for that matter, what if Anne Boleyn had never appeared at the royal court to catch Henry’s lustful eye? This is about as close as I can come to Alternate History, Johnny. It just goes against my natural instincts. Moreover, if I lost readers when I started to do mysteries because they preferred that I write of real people and actual events, imagine how they’d bail on me if I ventured into Alternate History!
Gayle, I found your comments about Eleanor quite interesting, but I do think you were rather hard on her. Sadly, Eleanor and Henry both failed miserably as parents, Eleanor by not preventing her teenage sons from taking part in that first rebellion, Henry for mistakes beyond counting—not giving Hal lands and money of his own, refusing to give Geoffrey and Constance her full inheritance, trying to take Aquitaine from Richard, using Geoffrey and John to bring Richard to heel. It is amazing that this brilliant man kept making the same mistakes over and over again where his sons were concerned.
I have to conclude that Henry’s parental flaws were greater than Eleanor’s simply because their children seem to have loved her. IF Joanna and Matilda (my Tilda) had not loved their mother, they would not have sought her out in her disgrace. When Joanna spent the summer of 1176 with Eleanor before her departure for Sicily, Henry’s wounds were still raw, and he’d surely have preferred to keep his daughter away from the wife who’d betrayed him. But it is very much to Henry’s credit that he put Joanna’s needs first. And when Matilda and her husband were exiled from Germany, it would have been easy enough to avoid Eleanor and it would have been prudent, too for she and Heinrich were utterly dependent upon Henry’s good will; instead she was often with her mother, even had Eleanor with her at her lying-in.
As for Eleanor’s sons, Richard’s affection for his mother shines clearly down through the centuries; on his deathbed, Hal pleaded with his father to forgive her; Geoffrey named his daughter after Eleanor; and even John showed Eleanor great respect. Like Richard’s Berengaria, John’s queen was utterly overshadowed as long as Eleanor lived, and John’s one great military triumph was the remarkable rescue he launched upon learning that Eleanor was under siege at Mirebeau by her own grandson, Arthur…..I do love the Angevins, but they were surely the most dysfunctional family since the Oedipus clan.
Sadly, there is no such evidence to put forward on Henry’s behalf. And I admit this is heartbreaking to me, for there can be no doubt that he did love his sons. Well, I am not convinced that he loved Richard, not the way he loved Hal and John and to a lesser extent, Geoffrey. It may be that he and Richard were too much alike not to clash, and his bitterness in the last year of his life is certainly understandable, especially since he seemed unable to realize how much he’d contributed to their final estrangement.
Gayle, you are quite right in singling out John’s son, Henry III, as a good father. He was not a good king, but he loved his children dearly and so did his unpopular queen. They had a daughter who was unable to speak or hear, and a chronicler described their great grief when she died at age three. He then revealed the medieval bias toward physical disabilities by dismissing the little girl as “pretty but useless.” Another well-known story deals with Henry’s son Edward’s reaction to losing a young son at the same time that Henry died. When a tactless soul remarked that he seemed to grieve more for Henry than for his son, Edward supposedly replied that a man had only one father but could have other sons. Unfortunately, Edward didn’t take his father as a parental role model, and proved to be a less than loving father himself. In fact, there is an interesting pattern for 12th and 13th century English monarchs. You have Henry II, a great king, a flawed father; John, an unsuccessful king but apparently an affectionate father; Henry III, a weak king but a very loving father; Edward I, a great king but a distant, demanding father; Edward II, a disastrous king, a caring father; Edward III, a highly successful king, but another disengaged father. How significant this is, I don’t know, but it is interesting, no?
Sarah—Pride and Predator? I really do hope Jane Austin haunts Elton John to his dying day! And yes, Trisha, I liked the Firefly series, too, just as I liked Angel. But I think Buffy was Josh Whedon’s dark classic. And Suzanne, an interesting question. No, I don’t reread my books. I have to go over a book again and again and again when I am responding to editors and copy editors and proof readers until I am so thoroughly sick of the book that I want only to get it out of my life. Sunne was the worst, for it was over a thousand pages, and by the time I’d finally turned it in for the last time, I was almost ready to start rooting for Tudor to win Bosworth—almost.
Lastly, I’d like to recommend some books for those of you who, like Michele, want to do some advance research on Richard’s reign or the Third Crusade. To date, the definitive biography of Richard is John Gillingham’s Richard I; he has written several books about Richard but the primary biography is the one published in 1999 at almost four hundred pages. Another good biography of Richard is Ralph Turner’s The Reign of Richard Lionheart, probably the most dispassionate of the many books written about this very controversial king. Turner’s final chapter is an excellent summary called Richard in Retrospect, in which he proves that Richard’s reputation is tied directly to the values of the historians writing about him. In other words, Richard serves as the prism through which the biographer reveals more about himself than about this medieval king. Turner’s one weakness is that he does not deal with Richard’s exploits on the Third Crusade, the central experience of Richard’s life. I can also recommend Richard Coeur de Lion in History and Myth, edited by Janet Nelson, and The Legends of King Richard I Coeur de Lion, by Bradford Broughton. And for readers interested specifically in Richard’s crusade and his military career, I can recommend two books very highly. A military historian, Geoffrey Regan has written Lionhearts, Richard I, Saladin, and the Era of the Third Crusade. Whereas the Regan book has Richard sharing star billing with Saladin, David Miller’s Richard the Lionheart focuses more upon Richard’s exploits in the Holy Land. There may be times when you’ll start to wonder where Richard found a phone booth out in the desert to change into his Superman costume, but he honestly did perform these amazing acts of derring-do. After reading these books, you’ll find it easier to understand why Richard became a legend in his own lifetime and why that legend has endured over the centuries. You might also wonder if he had a latent death wish.
As I’ve already indicated, I think David Crouch’s William Marshal, Court, Career and Chivalry in the Angevin Empire is the best of the biographies about that celebrated knight. There are only two English biographies of Berengaria and a 19th century French one that has never been translated. I cannot recommend either of these whole-heartedly, for Mairin Mitchell’s Berengaria, Enigmatic Queen of England contains numerous statements that are either factually false or dubious, as her conclusion that Berengaria spoke Basque. A more scholarly work is Ann Trindale’s Berengaria, in Search of Richard the Lionheart’s Queen, but she is very hostile not only to Richard but to Eleanor as well, and that colors her interpretations of events.
There are numerous biographies of Eleanor, more than histories of Henry, which I suspect would annoy him no end. I have already recommended Eleanor of Aquitaine, Lord and Lady, edited by Bonnie Wheeler. I have some serious issues with one of the most recent biographies of Eleanor, will save that discussion for a later blog. Lastly, if you would like to read “ahead” about Joanna, I highly recommend Julius Norwich’s eloquent history of Norman Sicily, Kingdom in the Sun—I love that title, wish I could appropriate it for my novel about Constance!
Dydd Gywl Dewi Hapus, wishing you all a belated Happy St David’s Day.
March 2, 2009
This is a great post, and I laughed out loud at your point about the fact that Henry would be annoyed that Eleanor has more books about her.
I noticed a remark about Pride and Predator, and would like to make mention of another mangling of the classic, due out soon, entitled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It apparently consists of the entire text of Pride and Prejudice, with other parts…added. Parts involving, yes, zombies. Because apparently the author (or co-author, as he calls himself), decided there just weren’t enough flesh-eating monsters in Austen’s novel of manners. I hate to say it, but I think I might just need to read that particular book.
Sharon,
Thanks for posting these blogs. I have commented on a few now, and I have learned much not only from you, but from fellow readers as well! I have enjoyed hearing your thoughts, and it is a fun thing to look forward to. It sounds like “Lionheart” is coming along well, which is certainly great news to all of us!
I, too, am a huge Joss Whedon fan. I like that he writes his dialogue in a style that is unique to each character (this was especially apparent in “Buffy”). Very creative. I’m already hooked on his new show, “Dollhouse”. I think it has a premise that could allow the show to go absolutely anywhere.
Hi Sharon,
I do have argue on behalf of Eleanor of Provence as more than a loving mother and unpopular queen. Margaret Howell’s Eleanor of Provence is one of the most vibrant biographies I’ve ever read. It’s an extremely well-researched and exhaustively detailed study regarding Eleanor’s lifestyle, finances, motherhood, political role at court, and how she helped re-define the role of queenship in England. Howell challenges historians’ long-standing notions of Eleanor has a spendthrift wife who encouraged her husband to shun his Anglo-Norman subjects in favor of her Savoyard and Provencal relatives. Instead, Howell’s research shows Eleanor to have been a decisive and intelligent woman, who was both politically and financially savvy.
BTW, I love your medieval mysteries and I do hope you’ll be able to continue them in the future. I find the cracks of what we know in history to be wonderful places for imagination to flourish.
Following up on the previous comment about Eleanor of Provence, have you read Nancy Goldstone’s Four Queens? All three of her sisters also earned that illustrious title. I’d love to read your take on the family of Raymond Berenger V, Count of Provence. Even his wife, Beatrice of Savoy sounds like an amazing woman. I enjoyed the book more for the stories of these medieval woman than for its writing. But it is well worth the read.
Happy belated birthday to Henry the second!!!
Sharon, I’d love to share some of my songs with all of you guys! My song ‘Joanna Don’t Go’ is about what Eleanor would be feeling when Joanna left for Sicily. Here is a little snippit of it:
‘My Joanna please be strong
and they’ll remember you when you’re long gone
remember I’m behind you to catch you if you fall
but knowing you, you’ll learn to soar and never falter
and oh my baby girl
all of my own
still not ready to give you up to the world
but I know that I have to
I know that it’s your time
to spread your own wings and fly
Joanna don’t go”
It goes to the tune of Taylor Swift’s song ‘Love Story’ if anyone is interested.
Anne Boleyn caught the sweating sickness before she and Henry VIII were married. Do you think that Henry would have broke with the Catholic Church if Anne had died? Or would he have even divorced Katherine of Aragon? I think that if Anne had died, or if Anne hadn’t even gone to court, Henry probably would have jumped strait to Jane Seymour, or he would have married his other mistress, Bessie Blount.
hello again…sorry about splitting this into two posts; i had to walk the dog.
about ‘pride and predator’…my brother described it as ‘a massacre of the Darcys and Bennets’. i refuse to see it, but ‘jane austen and zombies’ looked pretty funny.
i’m going to start ‘time and chance’ once i finish ‘the secret life of josephine:napoleon’s bird of paradise’ by carrolly erickson. has anyone heard of it? my brother says that it’s pretty funny that i’m reading the H&E trilogy backwards.
sharon, if you like ‘firefly’ and ‘buffy’ you might like ‘doctor who’ and ‘torchwood’. it’s a british show, but the DVD’s are sold in america too.
i do think it’s interesting that great kings are never great fathers and great fathers are never great kings. it would be a good topic for a mini documentary.
Judith, I’ve often wondered myself what might have happened if Anne Boleyn had died. But I agree with you–I think events would have still turned out the same, maybe just taken a little longer. I think Henry really wanted to divorce Katherine of Aragon and he wanted to be the head of the church, and Anne provided him an excuse. But if not Anne, then probably some other woman would have come along and given him an excuse. BUT, that’s just my take on it. I don’t know. It’s hard to say because, like Sharon said, it’s alternate history and we can only speculate. It’s kind of fun sometimes though! I like what Carrie said above about the cracks in history being wonderful places for imagination to flourish. 🙂
Hi Sharon – I picked up Janet Nelson’s book, but couldn’t find Ralph Turner’s book in print. Looking forward to some reading and research! Thanks for the tips!
Hi Cathy,
Sorry it took me so long to reply. I have read Four Queens and I enjoyed it. While Goldstone’s book is less academic than Howell’s (and not as exhaustively referenced) it was easy to read and well-researched. If you like stories of medieval women, you should check out Portraits of Medieval Women. It is a collection of essays edited by Linda Mitchell and really delves into the lives and careers of some fascinating medieval noblewomen, including Maud de Lacy and her mother, Margaret de Quincy.
Hi Sharon,
I have been an avid reader of yours for the past decade, and I’m anxiously awaiting your next book… no pressure though! In regards to your request for book recommendations, I have a couple, although entirely unrelated to the historical fiction genre. While this is certainly a passion of mine, it’s sometimes nice to branch out and try something new! I have become a fan of Tom Robbin’s books, specifically “Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas” and “Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates”. These two books are full of thought provoking philosopical and moral questions and outragous humor! During a metro ride home I was reading “Fierce Invalids” and found myself in such a fit of laughter the man next to me began to laugh as well! They’re extremely enjoyable reads.
Also, sticking more to history, the Janet Browne two volume set of Charles Darwin biographies has to be one of the best biographies I have read to date. The books are thorough, but not to the point of revealing every trivial detail about his life (if there are any). They’re titled: “Charles Darwin: Voyaging” (vol. 1) and “Charles Darwin: The Power of Place” (vol. 2).
Thanks for all the books, and I hope you don’t stop writing any time soon!
Just finished DEVIL’S BROOD and have been a reader of many of your historical works over the years. I also write historicals. My published novels are set in either Revolutionary America or the so-called Dark Ages. I have six published and the agent is pushing four more. One I really hope she can sell is A NEST OF PIRATES set in Baltimore during the War of 1812. I’m now working on THE RAVAGERS about the Spanish in early Florida (1538) I live in Florida and am amazed at how little history is available around here. Have you ever read Dorothy Dunnett’s historical novels set in 15-16th Century England? She does a nifty hero. Before she died she wrote to me suggesting that I concentrate on American history because you can dig a lot out of your native land. I guess the greatest historical I have ever read, and the reason I started on this quest, is KRISTIN LAVERNSDATTER by Sigrid Undset.
Please continue your good work.
Mary T Dresser
Another alternative to history. Henry tudor wins at Bosworth, but his son Arthur doesn’t die. Then Henry would never have become king, and the split with the catholic church may never have happened. I say “may never”, because there was still a protestant reformation started on the continent by Martin Luther. Just my take on alternative history. Of course then Elizabeth I would never been born. But, what if Arthur had produced a dynasty that reigns to this very day? Just food for thought. Sut dych chi, Sharon?
Iechyd da,
Dave
Sharon,
Rwyt ti’n siarad Cymraeg?
Dave
Sharon, all of my friends hate you (except for the ladies in my book club.) I have not been available for the usual lunches, shopping, movies, etc. that I normally participate in because I have had my nose buried in Time & Chance and Devils Brood. I was submerged in 12th century life. I cannot wait for the next one! Thank you
You asked about Bernard Cornwell in one of your blogs. I have read several of his historical novels. He is doing a series of England in the time of Alfred the Great, which are called The Saxon Tales. I found them compelling reading. I think he has done 4 so far.
I like the Brother Caedwell stories too, as did my husband, who is the real historian in my family.
I’m having a great deal of fun with your books, and now have read all the ones available at our San Diego County library. I think I also have read all the Philippa Gregory novels. You certainly get an earful of Henry VIII in her books, and she holds your attention.
Thanks for all the clues about other authors. I am 77 years old and I’m afraid I won’t have the time to read them all. What a way to go!!
Hi Sharon,
I wanted to return to a comment you made in one of your previous posts, that John (and presumably his father and brothers) wouldn’t have referred to themselves w/ the surname Plantagenet, that it only found common usage a number of generations later. It occurs to me that people several generations later most likely wouldn’t have known about (or cared enough to name themselves after, if they did know) some flower that the long-dead Geoffrey of Anjou habitually wore, so the name had to have originated earlier. So would it be fair to assume that even if Henry and his sons wouldn’t have used the surname themselves, that presumably there must have been others who referred to them by it? Would it have been partisans, or foes? Or perhaps a regional thing? I’ve just finished reading Warren’s biography of Henry, and he refers to Henry’s natural son Geoffrey as Geoffrey Plantagenet — would Geoffrey have called himself that (as opposed to, say, Fitz Roy), and if so, would he have been the first then to use the surname? I find myself very curious trying to make sense of all these names!
BTW, I have to say that having read your novels makes it so much easier to read “real” history — all the otherwise dry details: names of nobles, various meetings, etc., which presumably would otherwise just blur together meaninglessly, suddenly have context and personalities and stories behind them! So I won’t be “reading ahead” in my history, but I did just order a biography of John, so I may go back and read Here Be Dragons again!
I’ve just finished Devil’s Brood and find myself, like many here, playing the “what if” game. In my case, it’s what if Geoffrey had not died. No King John. No Magna Carta. An actual King Arthur. The long-term implications are staggering.
Sharon, as to your comment about the popularity of the Plantagenets versus that of the Tudors, isn’t amazing the difference a couple of centuries can make? Of course, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I are endlessly fascinating, but it is much more than that. The details known of the lives of the Tudors totally eclipse those known of the Plantagenets. We know more details of the lives of relatively minor actors such as Lady Jane Grey than we do about major figures like Eleanor. More was recorded and more has survived. It also didn’t hurt to have a propagandist as great as Shakespeare on your side.
The minimal historical record is, I suspect, a large part of the disappointing lack of interest in Eleanor of Aquitaine. In a fair world, she would be as well known and regarded as Elizabeth I. Her direct impact and the influence she wielded through her familial relationships had much longer lasting effects. Sadly, she lived in a time and place where what history was recorded was in the hands of religous males. This was made worse by the fact that, with the exception of her first husband, the men in her life had horrid relationships with the Church. What we are left with is all too scant a record. It is our great good luck that writers like Sharon have brought their imaginations and skills to bringing her to life.
Finally, Devil’s Brood made me think back to a trip I made to France several years ago. Sharon, you probably won’t remember, but we did correspond about a trip I was planning to England and you were very helpful. Unfortunately, I neither thought about you in connection with France nor knew half as much as I do now about the Plantagenets at the time. I was, however, fascinated enough by Eleanor that I included Fontvrault on my itinerary. A day in the Loire Valley was followed by a stop in Chinon and a night at the lovely Chateau de Marcay (in an amazing tower room). The next morning we drove to Fontvrault. It was only on finishing Devil’s Brood that I realized we had probably followed the route of Henry’s last earthly journey.
Hi Sharon,
I don’t often read blogs – or subscribe to them – but here I am again! You ask about the Janna Mysteries – and yes, I’ve had a couple of emails from ‘Jannas’ delighted to see their names in print! It’s actually a childish contraction (on Janna’s part) of her real name, Johanna. That is a BIG CLUE for anyone following her quest to find her unknown father! The novels are written for Y/A, but a lot of adults seem to enjoy them too. Briefly: after Janna’s mother dies in mysterious circumstances, Janna goes in search of her unknown father to avenge her mother’s death. Her quest takes her from forest to farm to abbey and via Sarum and Stonehenge to Winchester as she solves crimes and mysteries, including the mystery of her birth. And of course she falls in and out of love along the way – but can she learn the secrets of her heart before it’s too late?? And yes, the Janna Mysteries are set in the 1140s, at the time of the ‘anarchy’ – such a delicious setting with all that bastardry and treachery going on! You mention one of David Crouch’s books. I’ve just recently bought his King Stephen – and am finding it quite challenging to read as I’m very pro-Matilda! (It’s quite a challenge getting hold of chronicles and documents etc etc when I live in Australia but at least I get to do some great research trips!) So far as writing for teenagers is concerned: I’m writing for the Australian market (although I’d love to jump o.s. too) and I think we’re at the cutting edge so far as Y/A is concerned so – while I don’t have sex in my books (not yet anyway!) there is a crucified cat and also a young woman seeking a termination of her pregnancy. Which I’ve discovered is somewhat controversial – even though teenagers all over the world are getting pregnant without meaning to. While I certainly don’t advocate it as a solution, my novel (the first one, Rosemary for Remembrance) does show that there are real consequences for unsafe sex – not only physical but also emotional. Things were different in medieval time of course – but as I keep saying in author talks, times and society might change, but human nature doesn’t! So – basically I don’t know where to draw the line for teenagers other than at good taste and safe practice. And I always end on an upbeat note, cos I think teenagers do it pretty tough and they don’t need to be dragged down into a dark place and left there. Lastly: I’m trying to pretend you don’t mean it when you hint there’ll be no more Justin de Quincy novels. Please, please …..?
Men have always been known for their chivalry. If they are treated well by women, they get treated better in return. If women want to be taken good care of by their men, they need to respect and treat their men with dignity.
Men have always been known for their chivalry. If they are treated well by women, they get treated better in return. If women want to be taken good care of by their men, they need to respect and treat their men with dignity.
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Thanks to everyone who commented! There wasn’t 50 comments on the post so I won’t be choosing a winner:(.
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