The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream
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- Author：Charles Spencer
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Summary
The sinking of the White Ship is one of the greatest disasters in English history。 Here， Sunday Times bestselling author Charles Spencer tells the real story behind the legend to show how one cataclysmic shipwreck changed England’s course。
In 1120， the White Ship was known as the fastest ship afloat。 When it sank sailing from Normandy to England it was carrying aboard the only legitimate heir to King Henry I， William of Ætheling。 The raucous， arrogant young prince had made a party of the voyage， carousing with his companions and pushing wine into the eager hands of the crew。 It was the middle of the night when the drunken helmsman rammed the ship into rocks。
The next day only one of the three hundred who had boarded the ship was alive to describe the horrors of the slow shipwreck。 William， the face of England’s future had drowned along with scores of the social elite。 The royal line severed and with no obvious heir to the crown， a civil war of untold violence erupted。 Known fittingly as ‘The Anarchy’， this game of thrones saw families turned in on each other， with English barons， rebellious Welsh leaders and Scottish invaders all playing a part in the bloody， desperate scrum for power。
One incredible shipwreck and two decades of violent uncertainty; England’s course had changed forever。
In 1120， the White Ship was known as the fastest ship afloat。 When it sank sailing from Normandy to England it was carrying aboard the only legitimate heir to King Henry I， William of Ætheling。 The raucous， arrogant young prince had made a party of the voyage， carousing with his companions and pushing wine into the eager hands of the crew。 It was the middle of the night when the drunken helmsman rammed the ship into rocks。
The next day only one of the three hundred who had boarded the ship was alive to describe the horrors of the slow shipwreck。 William， the face of England’s future had drowned along with scores of the social elite。 The royal line severed and with no obvious heir to the crown， a civil war of untold violence erupted。 Known fittingly as ‘The Anarchy’， this game of thrones saw families turned in on each other， with English barons， rebellious Welsh leaders and Scottish invaders all playing a part in the bloody， desperate scrum for power。
One incredible shipwreck and two decades of violent uncertainty; England’s course had changed forever。
Reviews
Devon
，
The White Ship by Charles Spencer is a truly thorough novel。 It looks back at William the Conqueror establishing himself as sovereign， and then pitches forward through the successive battles and strife before settling upon Henry I， his son， thus setting the scene for the title of the book。 I found it a very gripping read; sometimes historical novels are， to put it as kindly as one can， rather dry， but this one was absorbing and fascinating， and did a thorough job at showing how Henry I worked so The White Ship by Charles Spencer is a truly thorough novel。 It looks back at William the Conqueror establishing himself as sovereign， and then pitches forward through the successive battles and strife before settling upon Henry I， his son， thus setting the scene for the title of the book。 I found it a very gripping read; sometimes historical novels are， to put it as kindly as one can， rather dry， but this one was absorbing and fascinating， and did a thorough job at showing how Henry I worked so hard to establish peace and consolidate power only for it all to be undone in one fatal， catastrophic accident。 There were quite a lot of names， many of them the same or similar， which may confuse or overwhelm the average reader， but the detail and fleshing out of the innerworkings of the marriages and loyalties performed by the author should help to alleviate misgivings in anyone wary of picking up historical books。I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Peter Tillman
，
Sounds like quite a story！ WSJ review: https://www。wsj。com/articles/the-whit。。。（Paywalled。 As always， I'm happy to email a copy to non-subscribers） Excerpt:Just before midnight on Nov。 25， 1120， the White Ship left the northern French harbor of Barfleur， bound for the English port of Southampton。 On board the stately vessel were nearly 300 passengers， including the aristocratic elite of the prosperous Anglo-Norman realm then ruled by Henry I。 Foremost among them， and the focus of Henry’s dynasti Sounds like quite a story！ WSJ review: https://www。wsj。com/articles/the-whit。。。（Paywalled。 As always， I'm happy to email a copy to non-subscribers） Excerpt:Just before midnight on Nov。 25， 1120， the White Ship left the northern French harbor of Barfleur， bound for the English port of Southampton。 On board the stately vessel were nearly 300 passengers， including the aristocratic elite of the prosperous Anglo-Norman realm then ruled by Henry I。 Foremost among them， and the focus of Henry’s dynastic hopes， was his sole legitimate son and heir， the 17-year-old William Ætheling。Warmed by several barrels of wine， the White Ship’s boisterous company anticipated a swift and uneventful crossing of the English Channel。 But the crew and helmsman were also tipsy， and the voyage had barely begun before it ended in catastrophe。 Just a mile offshore， the White Ship struck the notorious Quilleboeuf rock， keeled over and foundered in the frigid sea。 There was only one survivor， the humble butcher Berold。 As the White Ship went down， Berold testified， William Ætheling’s bodyguard hustled him aboard the lone rowboat。 But when he heard the anguished cries of his half-sister， Matilda of Perche， the prince insisted upon turning back， and the dinghy was swamped and sunk。 。。。more
Tim
，
Fascinating account of a cruel ageWritten with passion for the subject， this proved to be an engaging read from start to finish。 This book took me into the grim and bloody world of the Norman's， descended from Vikings， whose dragon-headed ships conveyed William the Bastard， Duke of Normandy， to England's south coast in 1066 to change England's history for ever。 The Bastard became The Conqueror， and King of England， but his sons followed in their fathers footsteps and fought each other， with the Fascinating account of a cruel ageWritten with passion for the subject， this proved to be an engaging read from start to finish。 This book took me into the grim and bloody world of the Norman's， descended from Vikings， whose dragon-headed ships conveyed William the Bastard， Duke of Normandy， to England's south coast in 1066 to change England's history for ever。 The Bastard became The Conqueror， and King of England， but his sons followed in their fathers footsteps and fought each other， with the youngest， Henry， finally settling into a relative stable reign。 It was his son and heir， William， who died in the shipwreck of the White Ship， throwing Henry's plans of a smooth succession into chaos。 It is a fiendishly gripping story， with many cruel and avaricious characters， all the more enjoyable for it being meticulously researched history。 Sadly， the peasants get stuffed again。。。 the most consistently recurring theme in our fractious history。 。。。more
Red Claire
，
Solid biography of Henry I of England pivoting around the White Ship Disaster， tautly written and with clear sympathy for its subject。 I can’t help feeling the author is a little too keen on accepting the chroniclers’ views of William II without interrogating the reasons around them a little more， but it’s very clear that he is not the subject of this text - he is treated more like an event happening to Henry I than a person。
Janet Wertman
，
Wow！ So I have known for decades that Henry VIII felt compelled to divorce Catherine of Aragon because of what happened the last time a woman was the only legitimate heir to the throne of England， and I knew it involved a terrible civil war 。。。 but this book finally gave me that full story。 Loved the larger structure （opening with the ship sinking， the taking us back through the lead-up to better contextualize the consequence） and the smaller structure （sequencing of the information）。 Admittedly Wow！ So I have known for decades that Henry VIII felt compelled to divorce Catherine of Aragon because of what happened the last time a woman was the only legitimate heir to the throne of England， and I knew it involved a terrible civil war 。。。 but this book finally gave me that full story。 Loved the larger structure （opening with the ship sinking， the taking us back through the lead-up to better contextualize the consequence） and the smaller structure （sequencing of the information）。 Admittedly， there was a LOT！ And since so many names were same or similar， it could be a little hard to follow - which has been my husband's complaint for years about my Tudor stories！ Rather， the ones I tell over dinner， not when they're set down in my books ;） 。。。more
Thomas Shuttleworth
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A great look into the norman rule of England
Di Worley
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Loved this。 Written in an engaging way， setting background for the tragedy as well as the aftermath and the draining effect of The Anarchy。 It also put the effect of the sinking of the White ship and the rippling changes that it brought about and hoe history was changed as a result。 Thoroughly recommended。
Linda Rowlett
，
The White Ship provided a detailed look at England in the years before and then after the sinking of The White Ship， a sinking that resulted in the deaths of many， including the sole legitimate heir of King Henry I of England。 This history will convince the reader that the nobles of the time were selfish and often thoughtless。 The “anarchy” mentioned in the title is everywhere evident。 The central persons in the book， nobles， were arrogant and power hungry。 Their sworn oaths proved often to be m The White Ship provided a detailed look at England in the years before and then after the sinking of The White Ship， a sinking that resulted in the deaths of many， including the sole legitimate heir of King Henry I of England。 This history will convince the reader that the nobles of the time were selfish and often thoughtless。 The “anarchy” mentioned in the title is everywhere evident。 The central persons in the book， nobles， were arrogant and power hungry。 Their sworn oaths proved often to be meaningless。 This history was related in an engaging manner。 The details were clearly presented。 The only difficulty for me was keeping all the personages straight！ 。。。more
Chiefdonkey Bradey
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That distant mirror - honour - cruel swordplay - noble names
Andrew Glover
，
A fantastic read that engrossed you from first page to last in a fascinating story。 The key theme of the book is cleverly anchored as the key factor in the consequences that are described as well an excellent overview of context that preceded the White Ship sinking。 If all factual history books were written like this there’d be little need for historical fiction！
Haley McNamera
，
Incredibly well-written history！ Great storytelling that made a period of history I knew little （to nothing） about really come alive。
Jon Kissack
，
Interesting and detailed account of the early years of Norman rule in Britain。 It details the pivotal moment in history when the White Ship carrying the heir to the throne， and a vast swathe of the sons of the aristocracy， sinks and the impact that is felt not only in Britain but across Northern Europe。 I enjoyed this book and particularly this period in history。 At times Spencer does seem bogged down in detail but never to the detriment of the narrative
Natalie Lomako
，
Today I’d love to talk about “The White Ship” by @charlesspencerbooks which I recently finished。⚓️Compared to the Tudors or even the Stuarts， the #Normans don’t get much limelight， which is a shame， because this period and its leading dramatis personae are captivating and as multi-dimensional as any good set of Shakespeare characters。👨👩👧Three generations， four monarchs and one Act of God， showcase the many facets of human nature and the wheel of fortune they all depend on。🧭I believe one review Today I’d love to talk about “The White Ship” by @charlesspencerbooks which I recently finished。⚓️Compared to the Tudors or even the Stuarts， the #Normans don’t get much limelight， which is a shame， because this period and its leading dramatis personae are captivating and as multi-dimensional as any good set of Shakespeare characters。👨👩👧Three generations， four monarchs and one Act of God， showcase the many facets of human nature and the wheel of fortune they all depend on。🧭I believe one review called it ‘ #GameofThrones in the real world’， and they really hit the nail right on the head。 The book covers the entire Normal rule in England， from the Conquest to the arrival of the first Plantagenet king。 It’s a century of battles FOR the crown， and battles to KEEP the crown。👑The White Ship disaster is right in the middle of the book， promptly occupying pride of place in the historical narrative。☀️The ship sailing victoriously from Normandy was the highest point of Henry I’s life。It proved the happy conclusion to his life’s work， closing firmly shut all the preceding chapters of Anglo-Norman squabbles。🌊The ship sinking shortly after leaving harbour was the lowest point of Henry’s life as it unmade everything Henry had worked so hard for - mainly fighting off his brothers for the crown; and establishing law， order and peace across his two realms - England and Normandy。⚖️The death of the heir apparent caused the crown inheritance to be disputed。 This led directly to a bloody and drawn-out civil war that became known as The Anarchy。 This in turn， made the future powers-that-be wary of female power as well as the lack of certainty in the line of succession。👸🏻This book gives you plenty of food for thought， all the what-ifs and the if-onlys。 All in all， it’s a Brilliant book， I heartily recommend it！ 。。。more
Susannah
，
I found this interesting as I do not know much about this period of history and this gives a good overview and is written in an accessible way。 I would have preferred more of a focus on the sinking of The White Ship and the anarchy as this is more of a history of England from the Norman invasion to the accession of Henry II。 The first part before the sinking of the ship was quite long and the second part felt a bit rushed and was a litany of things that happened and although it was briefly menti I found this interesting as I do not know much about this period of history and this gives a good overview and is written in an accessible way。 I would have preferred more of a focus on the sinking of The White Ship and the anarchy as this is more of a history of England from the Norman invasion to the accession of Henry II。 The first part before the sinking of the ship was quite long and the second part felt a bit rushed and was a litany of things that happened and although it was briefly mentioned that this had a bad effect on ordinary people and led to famine， I would have liked more of this as I prefer social history to political history。 I liked how Spencer points out that Matilda was vilified because she behaved in an ‘unwomanly’ way when she was only behaving the way kings before her had and a male ruler would not have been criticised in the same way， I also liked how he wrote about the brutality of the period without judging these actions by modern standards。 I would recommend this as a good starting point for 12th Century history。 。。。more
Emma Hardy
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Packed with historical facts and very informative in a time of history that is rarely discussed。
Gary B Thompson
，
Worth a punt。I was unsure about the book but for 99p thought it was worth a go。 I was delighted to be reading an intriguing summary of the Norman Kings and a brief analysis of the Anarchy。The characters are well written and often repeated to ensure they are not confusing。 Allied to The Pillars of the Earth， this is an excellent factual account of the period。
Brian
，
The sinking of the White Ship on 25th November 1120 is one of the greatest disasters in English history。 In one fateful night， the king’s heir was drowned and the future of the crown was thrown into turmoil。 Charles Spencer’s narrative begins with the Norman conquest and the Battle of Hastings and continues through the decades which became known as the Anarchy。 A time of civil war and violence when families turned on each other in a bid for the throne。 All of which was the result of the loss of The sinking of the White Ship on 25th November 1120 is one of the greatest disasters in English history。 In one fateful night， the king’s heir was drowned and the future of the crown was thrown into turmoil。 Charles Spencer’s narrative begins with the Norman conquest and the Battle of Hastings and continues through the decades which became known as the Anarchy。 A time of civil war and violence when families turned on each other in a bid for the throne。 All of which was the result of the loss of one ship， the White Ship。When I first started reading this it seemed a lot to take in due to the amount of people， dates and events being thrown at me。 Note taking definitely helps here and I had too keep stopping to take in what I had just read。 However this soon settles down and the narrative flows a lot better。 But the action doesn’t slow down。 Anthony Horrowitz on the cover called it a ‘Game of Thrones with real people’， I totally agree with him， that’s exactly what it is。 It is a gripping real life thriller， and some of the characters like Robert de Bellême for example， who considered ‘the most horrible butchering of men was pleasant nourishment for the soul’， would be right at home in George R。R。 Martin’s books。 Then there’s William Rufus who ‘He never had a lawful wife， but gave himself up insatiably to obscene fornications and repeated adulteries。 And lets not forget the allegations against David of Scotland’s invading army that before downing their drinks they spiced them with the blood of slaughtered children。’The actual sinking of the white ship takes only a small portion of this story。 Charles Spencer’s book mainly concerns the events leading up to it and the aftermath。 The shipwreck， as he points out， impacted spectacularly on the next generation， resulting in the bloodiest anarchy that England has ever suffered。 It’s an bloody and exciting part of history and it’s a cracking story well told。 。。。more
Matthew
，
This isn't a book about the White Ship Disaster， it's a very readable jaunt through English dynastic politics between the Conquest and the ascension of Henry II， of which the sinking of the White Ship is a pivotal moment。 A good read if you're looking for an introduction to this period。 This isn't a book about the White Ship Disaster， it's a very readable jaunt through English dynastic politics between the Conquest and the ascension of Henry II， of which the sinking of the White Ship is a pivotal moment。 A good read if you're looking for an introduction to this period。 。。。more
Matt Johnston
，
Rammed with names and endless battles I found it dry ane encyclopaedic at times。 But then again I came away with some knowledge of a time I knew zero about in a relatively short read。 As gripping as any thriller according to Bill Bryson。 I think not。
Ashley Amos
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Charles Spencer delivers a superb narrative on a much overlooked section of England’s history， not to mention the red hot political intrigues of the powerful dukedom of Normandy。 Though often overstated， the time of Henry I and the civil war that followed， known as The Anarchy， really is a Game of Thrones， where the English King and the French King （Louis XI or Louis the Fat） contend for dominion over the politically fractious dukedom of Normandy。 It was on returning from Normandy in November 11 Charles Spencer delivers a superb narrative on a much overlooked section of England’s history， not to mention the red hot political intrigues of the powerful dukedom of Normandy。 Though often overstated， the time of Henry I and the civil war that followed， known as The Anarchy， really is a Game of Thrones， where the English King and the French King （Louis XI or Louis the Fat） contend for dominion over the politically fractious dukedom of Normandy。 It was on returning from Normandy in November 1120 that Henry I lost his only legitimate male heir in the shipwreck of The White Ship， brought down by English drunkenness and excess。 It is a real what if moment of history and the event that connects the good order and legal progressiveness of Henry’s reign with the chaos that followed。 Spencer delivers a superb commentary that fuses detail with a strong overview。 He communicates the ruthlessness of the age and how the King was yet to become the undisputed ruler of England， having to battle mighty magnates， such as Robert de Belleme。 He also provides a magnificent description of the White Ship sinking and how this disaster cast a long shadow over England and Normandy until the accession of Henry II in 1154。 Definitely a fine tome to crown any summer reading list！ 。。。more
Corinne Flavell
，
Amazing book by Charles Spencer。 Fantastic read。 Couldn’t put the book down。 Definitely a must read。
Andrea Zuvich
，
I know I'm not the only historian who was surprised when Spencer， very well-known for his popular and riveting books on seventeenth-century Stuart history， suddenly said he was going to write about the 1100s。 What？！ Spencer， to me， is just synonymous with the Stuart period， so it seemed an odd move。 That said， I'm really glad he wrote this because I probably wouldn't have read a history about this period otherwise。 I had a vague understanding of the Conquest of 1066， that some ship sank killing I know I'm not the only historian who was surprised when Spencer， very well-known for his popular and riveting books on seventeenth-century Stuart history， suddenly said he was going to write about the 1100s。 What？！ Spencer， to me， is just synonymous with the Stuart period， so it seemed an odd move。 That said， I'm really glad he wrote this because I probably wouldn't have read a history about this period otherwise。 I had a vague understanding of the Conquest of 1066， that some ship sank killing an heir， and the chaos of the Anarchy， but this book fully engaged and enlightened me。 I now wholly appreciate the significance of the sinking of the White Ship， which truly changed so much。This book was downright horrible， and I mean that in the sense that it was full of horrible， violent， petty， and devastating events， figures， and situations。 I literally had to put it down because it was so graphic and unsettling at times。 The amount of gouged eyes。。。*shudders*In a nutshell， he's done it again。 This is another superb work of history by Charles Spencer。 What will he surprise us with next？（The full version of this review is at: https://www。andreazuvich。com/book-rev。。。 ） 。。。more
Ceri Geldenhuys
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This book was brilliantly researched and made the historical journey easy to follow。 Well written 。。
A J
，
This is excellent work by Charles Spencer。 There is enough detail to understand the context， characters and events whilst being able to avoid being bogged down by detail。 I usually enjoy the detail as it helps cement the subject matter and establishes the reasons ‘why’。 Especially for why historical figures did what they did， which is extremely important as often in their times they were left with little choice against the options and expectations of the times。 I felt Spencer has enabled me to u This is excellent work by Charles Spencer。 There is enough detail to understand the context， characters and events whilst being able to avoid being bogged down by detail。 I usually enjoy the detail as it helps cement the subject matter and establishes the reasons ‘why’。 Especially for why historical figures did what they did， which is extremely important as often in their times they were left with little choice against the options and expectations of the times。 I felt Spencer has enabled me to understand what kind of man and king Henry I was， a strong and decent one for what the Norman period required。 The significance of the death of William Eatheling is explained and the ramifications in this fascinating book。 A great book and I will revisit in the future。 。。。more
Peter Barker
，
Packed with lots， with loads of detail to follow。 However， an interesting and informative read。
Sarah Parkin
，
This book opens with a really powerful description of a huge tragedy， and though the rest of the text doesn't reach the same level of intensity， it does clearly lay out all the ways in which the sinking of the White Ship impacted the Anglo-Norman world and what followed。 It's a period that strangely little has been written on for a general public audience and I thought it did a really good job of setting the scene， with the context of the Norman invasion and Henry I's rise from landless younger This book opens with a really powerful description of a huge tragedy， and though the rest of the text doesn't reach the same level of intensity， it does clearly lay out all the ways in which the sinking of the White Ship impacted the Anglo-Norman world and what followed。 It's a period that strangely little has been written on for a general public audience and I thought it did a really good job of setting the scene， with the context of the Norman invasion and Henry I's rise from landless younger brother to European power-broker。 It also serves as a biography of Henry I in that respect， and that's where the tone sometimes feels a bit jarring as the author is entirely too admiring of a man who personally threw a traitor out of a window， forcibly removed people from their homes so he could use the stone to extend the walls around his hunting land， and allowed his own granddaughters to be blinded。I found the narrative interesting but it was often lacking in insight or analysis outside of Henry I himself - for example， Matilda disappears from the narrative a bit too easily， and I felt she was somewhat underserved。 In setting out the huge cast of characters， why they matter and how they're connected， the prose also sometimes becomes an endless list of names。 That said， it's mostly quite pacy and helps to fill an important gap between the Conqueror and the Plantagenets about which many people like me know very little。 。。。more
Christopher Jones
，
Bloody marvellous ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Mrs Anne B Miles
，
Well，I seem to be in a very small minority here but although written in an engaging manner about a very involved period of history，I felt this was pretty basic stuff。The premise is that Henry Ist was a great but undervalued king，and the death of his heir in the White ship was a terrible disaster，that led to the anarchy of Stephen and Matilda。Well，Henry Ist was probably the most cruel ，vicious and promiscuous king to ever occupy the English throne。He was in the New Forest the day his brother Will Well，I seem to be in a very small minority here but although written in an engaging manner about a very involved period of history，I felt this was pretty basic stuff。The premise is that Henry Ist was a great but undervalued king，and the death of his heir in the White ship was a terrible disaster，that led to the anarchy of Stephen and Matilda。Well，Henry Ist was probably the most cruel ，vicious and promiscuous king to ever occupy the English throne。He was in the New Forest the day his brother William Rufus was killed by an arrow，hmm，then ruled with cruel efficiency。The Norman penchant for mutilation of anyone in defiance of them was even extended to his own granddaughters who were blinded and mutilated on HIS orders。Spencer quickly skims over this unbelievable atrocity by saying that ‘he was carrying out the conventions of the time’The heir who died on the White Ship was drunk along with most of the ship’s company and crew。God knows what sort of a king he would have made。It seems to me a sort of attempt at revisionist history about a particularly unsavoury king。It is not serious history，despite the impressive bibliography there are no specific footnotes，just general points of interest at the bottom of some of the pages。An interesting read，well chosen illustrations。 。。。more
Christine Watts
，
An interesting， well researched book detailing the context leading to the sinking of the White Ship， the tragedy itself and the after effects。 The White Ship sank in 1120 with the heir to Henry 1st aboard along with hundreds of companions and sailors。 There was only one survivor， a butcher， out to get his money back that was owing from the rich folk on board。 The death of the king`s only legitimate heir led to the `Anarchy` of the 1130s to 1150s and the death of 1000s in what was really a civil An interesting， well researched book detailing the context leading to the sinking of the White Ship， the tragedy itself and the after effects。 The White Ship sank in 1120 with the heir to Henry 1st aboard along with hundreds of companions and sailors。 There was only one survivor， a butcher， out to get his money back that was owing from the rich folk on board。 The death of the king`s only legitimate heir led to the `Anarchy` of the 1130s to 1150s and the death of 1000s in what was really a civil war。A really good read that filled in gaps in my knowledge of that era。 。。。more
Paul M
，