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
‘As gripping as any thriller。 History doesn't get any better than this’ BILL BRYSON
’A brilliant read … Game of Thrones but in the real world’ ANTHONY HOROWITZ
PICKED AS A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020 BY THE DAILY TELEGRAPH， THE GUARDIAN， THE DAILY MAIL AND THE DAILY EXPRESS。
The sinking of the White Ship in 1120 is one of the greatest disasters England has ever suffered。 In one catastrophic night， the king’s heir and the flower of Anglo-Norman society were drowned and the future of the crown was thrown violently off course。
In a riveting narrative， Charles Spencer follows the story from the Norman Conquest through to the decades that would become known as the Anarchy: a civil war of untold violence that saw families turn in on each other with English and Norman barons， rebellious Welsh princes and the Scottish king all playing a part in a desperate game of thrones。 All because of the loss of one vessel – the White Ship – the medieval Titanic。
‘Highly enjoyable’ Simon Heffer
‘Brilliant’ Dan Jones
‘Fascinating’ Tom Bower
’A brilliant read … Game of Thrones but in the real world’ ANTHONY HOROWITZ
PICKED AS A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020 BY THE DAILY TELEGRAPH， THE GUARDIAN， THE DAILY MAIL AND THE DAILY EXPRESS。
The sinking of the White Ship in 1120 is one of the greatest disasters England has ever suffered。 In one catastrophic night， the king’s heir and the flower of Anglo-Norman society were drowned and the future of the crown was thrown violently off course。
In a riveting narrative， Charles Spencer follows the story from the Norman Conquest through to the decades that would become known as the Anarchy: a civil war of untold violence that saw families turn in on each other with English and Norman barons， rebellious Welsh princes and the Scottish king all playing a part in a desperate game of thrones。 All because of the loss of one vessel – the White Ship – the medieval Titanic。
‘Highly enjoyable’ Simon Heffer
‘Brilliant’ Dan Jones
‘Fascinating’ Tom Bower
Reviews
William Harris
，
I recently completed my examination of an ARC of Charles Spencer's "The White Ship" （ to be published under the Harper 360 imprint）。 I am pleased to report that it is a thoroughly engrossing read offering even the reader with only a passing acquaintance with Medieval European History a way in to an understanding of the complex world of Normandy and its relationship to Norman England in the turbulent times after the Conquest。 At its center is the the White Ship itself （a vessel lost with many pro I recently completed my examination of an ARC of Charles Spencer's "The White Ship" （ to be published under the Harper 360 imprint）。 I am pleased to report that it is a thoroughly engrossing read offering even the reader with only a passing acquaintance with Medieval European History a way in to an understanding of the complex world of Normandy and its relationship to Norman England in the turbulent times after the Conquest。 At its center is the the White Ship itself （a vessel lost with many prominent aristocratic followers of the King as well as the Crown Prince near the end of Henry I's reign）。 The text is a very readable account of the events following the Norman Conquest and leading in to the troubled years after William the Conqueror died。 The author has a knack for taking the reader into the characteristically complex world of the Middle Ages in a way that often highlights such important side issues as the struggle between the Papacy and the various secular regimes of the time as well as the relationships between men and women and political power。 I suspect many readers will be startled at just how many social， cultural and religious constraints played out in the struggles for political power amongst the various families and the complex web of relationships which bound them together （feudalism）。 Too often， the modern reader's experience of our world with states able to create and sustain overt and more subtle versions of authoritarian and totalitarian states causes us to conflate modern systems with medieval ones。 This book is eye opening even if that is all it offered， and it offers so much more！ 。。。more
Geoff Boxell
，
“No ship that ever sailed brought England such disaster” William of Malmesbury。Never was a truer word written then or now。 The loss of The White Ship with all but one on board re-set not just English history， not just French history， but arguably all western European history from then onwards。 Not only was William the Ætheling， heir to the throne of England and the Duchy of Normandy lost in the sunken ship。 His half brother and half sister drowned， and also many scions of Anglo-Norman aristocrac “No ship that ever sailed brought England such disaster” William of Malmesbury。Never was a truer word written then or now。 The loss of The White Ship with all but one on board re-set not just English history， not just French history， but arguably all western European history from then onwards。 Not only was William the Ætheling， heir to the throne of England and the Duchy of Normandy lost in the sunken ship。 His half brother and half sister drowned， and also many scions of Anglo-Norman aristocracy and military leaders， including 18 women。 The ship’s loss was caused not by storm， not by rough sea but by drunkenness of the crew with the steersman hitting well known rocks。 The details of how and why the ship carried so many of Anglo-Norman young elite and why the crew were drunk is well covered together with why William Ætheling was so important and what happened subsequent to William’s death。The first 87 pages cover how William the Conqueror's youngest son， Henry， came to become King of England， his intent of legitimising Norman rule of England by marrying Edith of Scotland， who was a direct descendant of King Ælfred and Cerdic of Wessex and even giving his only legitimate son （he had 22 bastard children） the English title of “Ætheling”， how Henry out manoeuvred his eldest brother to become Duke of Normandy together with how Henry out fought the French King。The next section of the book deals with William Ætheling and The White Ship， though it is not till page 148 that the actual loss of The White Ship is dealt with。With William Ætheling’s death Henry was left with only one legitimate child， a daughter， Matilda， who was married to the King of the Germans （and claimed the title “Empress”）。 On Henry I’s death she should have ruled， albeit as Regent for her son by her second marriage to Geoffrey of Anjou。 However， many in England did not want a woman to rule over them and elected Henry’s nephew， Stephen， King of England and thus ignited a civil war when， it was said， Christ and all his saints slept。 Eventually Matilda’s eldest son did get the throne and became Henry II and this is dealt with from page 290。If he had lived， would William Ætheling have made a good King of England and Duke of Normandy？ He was said to have remarked that the English were naturally inferior to the Normans and that he would bend their necks to the plough and treat them like beasts of burthen。 Maybe， but the result of his death was to bring to the throne Henry II and the involvement of England in the politics of France， an involvement that didn’t even end with The Hundred Years War and the bloodshed involved in that calamitous period。Overall the book is well written and reads almost like a novel。 I recommend it not just too those unfamiliar with the period， but to any with an interest in English history。 。。。more
Heidi Malagisi
，
In the middle of the night on November 25， 1120， screams could be heard from the English Channel。 A ship known as The White Ship hit a rock and began to sink。 Those on board were the glamorous English elite， including the legitimate son of King Henry I， William Aetheling。 In an era where people feared the sea and could not swim， those on board sank to their watery death on that cold winter night that began with such frivolity。 No one knew that night that this one disaster at sea would cause a dy In the middle of the night on November 25， 1120， screams could be heard from the English Channel。 A ship known as The White Ship hit a rock and began to sink。 Those on board were the glamorous English elite， including the legitimate son of King Henry I， William Aetheling。 In an era where people feared the sea and could not swim， those on board sank to their watery death on that cold winter night that began with such frivolity。 No one knew that night that this one disaster at sea would cause a dynastic struggle that would lead to the founding of the infamous Plantagenet dynasty。 In his latest book， “The White Ship: Conquest， Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream”， Charles Spencer takes his readers on a journey to fully understand the impact that this tragedy had on the English royal family。 Charles Spencer has written many nonfiction books in the past， but they have all been out of the time periods that I enjoy reading about。 I might go back and read them in my own time， but when I saw that this particular title was going to be published and how much praise it had received from prominent historians， I decided to give it a try。Spencer’s tale into this tragedy begins with a vivid account of the night of November 25th and then it jumps to the first part of the tale。 To understand why this event was so horrific for Henry I， we have to understand what it took for Henry I to become King of England。 Henry， I was one of three sons of William the Conqueror。 After his father died in 1087， the third son， William Rufus became King William II， much to the chagrin of the eldest son， Robert Curthose， who remained Duke of Normandy， but he continued to be a thorn at his brother’s side。 When William II died after a hunting accident， Henry knew that it was his chance to beat Robert to the throne， which he did， becoming Henry I， who fought hard to restore order to England。His two legitimate children， William Aetheling and Matilda， allowed Henry I to breathe a sigh of relief， although he had numerous illegitimate children。 This is why this tragedy hit me so hard。 With William’s death， it meant that anyone could take the throne after Henry I’s death， which is exactly what happened。 The period we know as The Anarchy was a battle between Matilda， who was Henry’s heir， and her cousin Stephen of Blois for the throne of England。 Spencer has painted a dramatically dark portrait of the fall of the Norman dynasty。 The Normans were notorious for their cruelty towards those who opposed them， even their own family。 What I thoroughly enjoyed with this book was Spencer’s tone。 It is as if you are having a casual conversation with Spencer about Henry I’s reign and his family’s drama for the throne。 I was impressed with how well researched this book was and the new information that Spencer provided to present the bigger picture of this catastrophe。 I found this book to be a thrilling read full of information and vivid descriptions。 This may be Charles Spencer’s first dive into the world of medieval nonfiction， but I hope it is not the last。 If you want a brilliant read about the aftermath of the Conquest， the rise and fall of Henry I， and the Anarchy， I highly recommend you read， “The White Ship: Conquest， Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream” by Charles Spencer。 。。。more
Eric Grounds
，
This is an excellent book， well written and full of little gems of information。 In truth， it is all about Henry I， who produced many， many illegitimate children but only two legitimate: one daughter， one son。 The loss of the son， William Aetheling， in the White Ship in 1120 blighted the remainder of Henry's reign， and ultimately his legacy to the lands he governed。 Stephen and Matilda created a disaster zone。One of Henry's closest allies was Walter Espec， said to have been a giant of a man with This is an excellent book， well written and full of little gems of information。 In truth， it is all about Henry I， who produced many， many illegitimate children but only two legitimate: one daughter， one son。 The loss of the son， William Aetheling， in the White Ship in 1120 blighted the remainder of Henry's reign， and ultimately his legacy to the lands he governed。 Stephen and Matilda created a disaster zone。One of Henry's closest allies was Walter Espec， said to have been a giant of a man with black hair， a full black beard and a booming voice。 Espec owned land in Bedfordshire， where he built Wardon Abbey， Yorkshire， where he built Rievaulx Abbey and Kirkham Priory， and at Wark where he built the castle which would control affairs between Scotland and England for more than 400 years。 The Order of the Garter is said to have been established at Wark。He also had a son， who died young after a fall from a horse。 which drew the two men together。 And the curious thing is that the loss of the young Espec produced issues at Wark over inheritance and management 。。。more
GBL
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 ´No Ship that ever sailed brought England such Disaster。´William of Malmesbury （page 298）In his easily accessible book， written on the 900th anniversary of the event， Charles Spencer explores the loss of The White Ship and the death of William Aetheling in the historical context of the early Norman period of English History。The death of Henry I’s only son and heir in 1120 derailed the progress of English history from the Norman Conquest， as it left a power gap in the succession that brought anar ´No Ship that ever sailed brought England such Disaster。´William of Malmesbury （page 298）In his easily accessible book， written on the 900th anniversary of the event， Charles Spencer explores the loss of The White Ship and the death of William Aetheling in the historical context of the early Norman period of English History。The death of Henry I’s only son and heir in 1120 derailed the progress of English history from the Norman Conquest， as it left a power gap in the succession that brought anarchy and destruction to England until the accession of Henry II in 1154。Spencer places the loss of The White Ship in a chronological context， showing how the disaster fits in to the historical context of the time， and provides the reader with an understanding of how the loss of one ship had a major impact on the individuals involved and on the wider context of British and European history。 。。。more
Jacob Stelling
，
A great - albeit relatively brief - summary of the events leading up to， and following， the shipwreck which killed the heir to the English throne， William Ætheling。 Covering events from the birth of the Conqueror to the ascension of Henry II， this book is popular narrative history at its best。 The author presents an engaging and easy-to-follow summary of events， tying the chaos which ensues in the Anarchy directly to the collapse of Henry I’s fledgling dynasty。 Overall， a highly recommended read A great - albeit relatively brief - summary of the events leading up to， and following， the shipwreck which killed the heir to the English throne， William Ætheling。 Covering events from the birth of the Conqueror to the ascension of Henry II， this book is popular narrative history at its best。 The author presents an engaging and easy-to-follow summary of events， tying the chaos which ensues in the Anarchy directly to the collapse of Henry I’s fledgling dynasty。 Overall， a highly recommended read， which has presented information which has previously been well-documented in a new and engaging popular historical form。 。。。more
V。E。 Lynne
，
In November 1120 the only legitimate heir to England and Normandy， William Atheling， set sail from Barfleur on a vessel called 'The White Ship' along with about 300 raucous companions。 Despite the fact that the sea was calm， the ship was wrecked upon a rock in the harbour and just one man， a butcher who had boarded the vessel in search of money he was owed， lived to tell the tale。 William Atheling and his friends， siblings and servants were all at the bottom of the sea， most of them never to be In November 1120 the only legitimate heir to England and Normandy， William Atheling， set sail from Barfleur on a vessel called 'The White Ship' along with about 300 raucous companions。 Despite the fact that the sea was calm， the ship was wrecked upon a rock in the harbour and just one man， a butcher who had boarded the vessel in search of money he was owed， lived to tell the tale。 William Atheling and his friends， siblings and servants were all at the bottom of the sea， most of them never to be recovered， and Henry I's hopes for a peaceful transfer of power sunk along with them。 What happened to 'The White Ship' and why did its loss set off such a tragic series of events that came to be known as 'The Anarchy'？ This book sets it all out for the reader， in very lively and tragic detail。Charles Spencer， who has an immensely engaging and likeable writing style， builds up to the disaster with quite a comprehensive survey of Henry I's reign， as well as his predecessor William Rufus's， and the subsequent struggle for power with his eldest brother Robert and his son William Clito。 We are given a very good overview of the factional nature of Anglo-Norman politics， Henry's siring of many illegitimate children by mostly anonymous mothers， and how precious his only legitimate boy William was。 We are also reminded， or perhaps enlightened for new readers to this era， how immensely cruel it could be - at one point there is a blinding， sometimes of children， on almost every page which made for pretty grim reading。 The tragedy of the shipwreck is well set out although， as ever， the main casualty of the event， William Atheling， is not much more than a shadow。 We know he lost his life because he made the decision to go back for his sister， a selfless act which speaks well of him， but other than that he is elusive and almost impossibly remote。 There is just not enough information that has come down to us to flesh him out in any meaningful way。Spencer's portrayal of Henry I is， however， excellent and was the highlight of the book for me。 I came away knowing a lot more about him and feeling a lot more sympathy for the situation he found himself in in 112o and the steps he took to try and avoid the disaster of a disputed succession。 In the end， the wishes of a dead king came to naught and anarchy took hold， a catastrophic situation that was directly attributable to that fateful night in Barfleur。 Absorbing， dramatic and ultimately tragic， 'The White Ship' was an extremely good read。 Four stars。 。。。more
Karen Mace
，
This was a brilliant insightful look at how the sinking of a ship in 1120 changed the course of history in England and the impact that had， and also looks into Henry I and his life before， during and after the tragic events of that night。I'm shamefully ignorant of a lot of history， so books like these are my chance to learn and be entertained！ And this book definitely does that！ I knew very little of Henry I so was fascinated by his story， and his family history and how ruthless he was in becomi This was a brilliant insightful look at how the sinking of a ship in 1120 changed the course of history in England and the impact that had， and also looks into Henry I and his life before， during and after the tragic events of that night。I'm shamefully ignorant of a lot of history， so books like these are my chance to learn and be entertained！ And this book definitely does that！ I knew very little of Henry I so was fascinated by his story， and his family history and how ruthless he was in becoming King。And despite having 22 illegitimate children， his sole legitimate son William， was the future of the country so he was set on grooming him well to take over upon his death。 This book explores the family history and politics of the time， and also looks in depth at the build up to that final journey and how the timing of the journey probably led to its' demise。It also carries on the story to as to what happened in the years that followed， and I found it all to be so fascinating that I lapped it all up！ There are some great illustrations that really help to build up the images of the characters involved， and I just found myself transported back in time and glad to have learnt a lot more about history。 。。。more
Andrew Whelan
，
It’s always going to be a stretch to write a book about a very brief event that had no mystery to it。 That said， the overview of the Norman invasion is really good and the impact of the death of William Aethling is covered - albeit in less space than the preceding events。 My issue is that the book is a relentless narrative of people and what they did with very little insight or analysis。 Accessible for the general reader wanting to know how the Norman conquest unfolded but becomes less cohesive It’s always going to be a stretch to write a book about a very brief event that had no mystery to it。 That said， the overview of the Norman invasion is really good and the impact of the death of William Aethling is covered - albeit in less space than the preceding events。 My issue is that the book is a relentless narrative of people and what they did with very little insight or analysis。 Accessible for the general reader wanting to know how the Norman conquest unfolded but becomes less cohesive and clear during the anarchy。 90 pages to cover this period is always going to be a stretch and Spencer has not attempted to woke out who the key people really are so the CS sees of characters is vast and unwieldy。 Equally， the reliance on Henry of Huntingdon as the man source feels less than academic and there is no attempt to evaluate this。 When compared to Marc Morris’ book of the conquest this falls very short in terms of research and academic rigour， and although readable is not as enjoyable。 Decent， but doesn’t really break new ground。 。。。more
Thomas
，
Another superb read by Charles Spencer， dipping into the Norman history of England to the beginnings of Plantagenet House of English Royalty。 The book has three parts， first giving the backstory to Norman rule in Britain and building up the story of Henry I。 Second the life of Henry and aftermath of the White Ship tragedy。 Finally the fallout from the passing of Henry I and the fighting to gain the throne。 Overall very interesting and a part of history I know very little about， aside from what I Another superb read by Charles Spencer， dipping into the Norman history of England to the beginnings of Plantagenet House of English Royalty。 The book has three parts， first giving the backstory to Norman rule in Britain and building up the story of Henry I。 Second the life of Henry and aftermath of the White Ship tragedy。 Finally the fallout from the passing of Henry I and the fighting to gain the throne。 Overall very interesting and a part of history I know very little about， aside from what I was taught in school with 1066 and The Battle of Hastings。 Certainly made me interested to learn more of the period。 。。。more
Rachel
，
The White Ship: Conquest， Anarchy， and the Wrecking of Henry I's Dream by Charles Spencer is a great historical account of the events leading up to， during， and also after the infamous shipwreck in 1120 that changed English history。It is fascinating to know that this one singular occurrence dramatically changed the course of the English monarchy。 I have read articles and also listened to history podcasts that delve into the shipwreck， loss of life aboard， and the lineage change of the English mo The White Ship: Conquest， Anarchy， and the Wrecking of Henry I's Dream by Charles Spencer is a great historical account of the events leading up to， during， and also after the infamous shipwreck in 1120 that changed English history。It is fascinating to know that this one singular occurrence dramatically changed the course of the English monarchy。 I have read articles and also listened to history podcasts that delve into the shipwreck， loss of life aboard， and the lineage change of the English monarchy in the past。 It was great to be able to have everything tied in together nicely， including the political， personal， societal， and intercontinental events that were occurring before， and because of， the death of Henry I's heir， William。Mr。 Spencer did a fabulous job presenting a well-researched book， creating a narrative that was easy to read， comprehend， and follow。 It kept my interest and was engaging from beginning to end。 While I did not learn anything new， for others that have not researched this already， this is a great introduction and overall coverage of these monumental and course-changing events。5/5 starsThank you EW and William Collins/Harper Collins for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion。 I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon， Instagram， and B&N accounts upon publication。 。。。more
Susan
，
I thoroughly enjoyed this account of the sinking of The white Ship off Barfleur on the coast of France in 1120。 The heir to the throne， William Atheling and many leading members of the English elite were suddenly wiped out， ultimately leading to the years of the Anarchy。 the actual sinking only takes up a small part of the book ， whilst the rest is given over to the lead up and the consequences， which were significant。 Although this is a 900 year old story， Charles Spencer tells it afresh and as I thoroughly enjoyed this account of the sinking of The white Ship off Barfleur on the coast of France in 1120。 The heir to the throne， William Atheling and many leading members of the English elite were suddenly wiped out， ultimately leading to the years of the Anarchy。 the actual sinking only takes up a small part of the book ， whilst the rest is given over to the lead up and the consequences， which were significant。 Although this is a 900 year old story， Charles Spencer tells it afresh and as ever， the way he writes is a dream。 。。。more
Henrietta Reade
，
A fascinating read on a period of history that I know very little about （more now！）。 It would have 5 stars but for the struggle with all the Williams and Matildas - a family tree would have been helpful！ Also the tone was a little “removed” from events， but otherwise very informative。
Ash
，
L
K。J。 Charles
，
This is basically an overview of 1066-the accession of Henry II， and the switch from the Conqueror's bloodline to the Plantagenet dynasty。 The pivot of that is obviously the White Ship disaster but it takes up maybe ten pages in the actual telling here。 This is a bit odd when you consider I've read more detailed accounts of the White Ship in books that were not called The White Ship。It's a good intro to the period， told in a lively and very readable way， and I'd absolutely recommend it if you ha This is basically an overview of 1066-the accession of Henry II， and the switch from the Conqueror's bloodline to the Plantagenet dynasty。 The pivot of that is obviously the White Ship disaster but it takes up maybe ten pages in the actual telling here。 This is a bit odd when you consider I've read more detailed accounts of the White Ship in books that were not called The White Ship。It's a good intro to the period， told in a lively and very readable way， and I'd absolutely recommend it if you happen to be on an early Angevin kick *side eyes self* but 'a book about the White Ship' it is， basically， not。 。。。more
Fiona Howells
，
Well written non-fiction account of the sinking of the White Ship， in 1120。 It’s the story of how the period of English history now known as the Anarchy came about。 At the beginning of the 12th Century – 60 years after the Norman conquest， William the Conqueror’s youngest son Henry I is on the throne and ruling over a stable kingdom， with the succession secure in his 17 year old son William Ætheling。 In November 1120， both King Henry， William and their entire retinue of hundreds of nobles and cl Well written non-fiction account of the sinking of the White Ship， in 1120。 It’s the story of how the period of English history now known as the Anarchy came about。 At the beginning of the 12th Century – 60 years after the Norman conquest， William the Conqueror’s youngest son Henry I is on the throne and ruling over a stable kingdom， with the succession secure in his 17 year old son William Ætheling。 In November 1120， both King Henry， William and their entire retinue of hundreds of nobles and clergy were in Barfleur in northern France， getting ready to set sail back to England。 The King and a smaller party went ahead， while the heir to the throne William set sail the following day on the White Ship with two of Henry’s illegitimate children， and a huge party of young nobles。 The ship sank as soon as it was out of the harbour with only one survivor。 The loss of the heir to the throne， threw England into turmoil， the contenders for the throne being Henry’s only surviving legitimate child， a daughter Matilda and his nephew Stephen （who was due to sail on the White Ship himself， but disembarked at the last minute as he was unwell）。 Before his death some 15 years later， Henry demanded his noblemen swear an oath that they would support his daughter Matilda to be Queen in her own right。 When Henry died， Matilda was in France and before she could return to England， Stephen seized the throne。 The years that followed were known as the Anarchy and England was at war with itself。 It was only brought to an end when Stephen recognised Matilda’s son Henry as his heir when his own son Eustace died。 Matilda’s son Henry became Henry II and ruled for 35 years。 A good history book， well written and interesting。 It could have benefited from a family tree （I was on Google a lot）， and it would have been helpful if not every woman of significance was called Matilda！ A good read though。 。。。more
Dedmanshootn dedmanshootn
，
writing almost entertaining like a novel。 enjoyed the read and timeline info
Kathleen
，
Well written history of England after the Norman conquest thru the ascension of Henry II。 Lays out with great detail and excellent footnotes how the death of Henry I's legitimate son and heir and the young lords and ladies died on the White Ship （ leaving France and sailing to England） created a void and destroyed most of Henry I's legacy。 Well written history of England after the Norman conquest thru the ascension of Henry II。 Lays out with great detail and excellent footnotes how the death of Henry I's legitimate son and heir and the young lords and ladies died on the White Ship （ leaving France and sailing to England） created a void and destroyed most of Henry I's legacy。 。。。more
Chris Stott
，
This really is historical non-fiction at its finest。 Spencer goes beyond a mere presentation of the facts of this chaotic period in the English monarchy by bringing to life the key personalities， turning them from remote medieval figures into authentic， flesh-and-blood people with motives， passions， strengths and failings。 He also navigates the reader through what could have been an overwhelmingly bewildering mass of names， dates， events with clarity and assurance。 I came away with a secure unde This really is historical non-fiction at its finest。 Spencer goes beyond a mere presentation of the facts of this chaotic period in the English monarchy by bringing to life the key personalities， turning them from remote medieval figures into authentic， flesh-and-blood people with motives， passions， strengths and failings。 He also navigates the reader through what could have been an overwhelmingly bewildering mass of names， dates， events with clarity and assurance。 I came away with a secure understanding of the period and its people， and wanting to read on。 。。。more
Toni Kely-Brown
，
I was disappointed with this。 The title says the "The White Ship" quite clearly on the cover， yet besides a brief prologue it is half-way through this book before we even get to the White Ship！ Instead it was Anglo-Norman history。 I understand the need for context but did Charles Spencer have to go all the way back to Rollo！ Even when we get to the White Ship I felt like he was talking about everything but it！ I found it hard at times to see the link between the content of the book and its title I was disappointed with this。 The title says the "The White Ship" quite clearly on the cover， yet besides a brief prologue it is half-way through this book before we even get to the White Ship！ Instead it was Anglo-Norman history。 I understand the need for context but did Charles Spencer have to go all the way back to Rollo！ Even when we get to the White Ship I felt like he was talking about everything but it！ I found it hard at times to see the link between the content of the book and its title。 If this had been presented as general Anglo-Norman History （including The White Ship） I would be more forgiving！ 。。。more
William
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An excellent view of Henry I's life， though I thought the Anarchy would take centre stage。 An excellent view of Henry I's life， though I thought the Anarchy would take centre stage。 。。。more
Oliver
，
Empress Matilda is one of the most underrated figures in history！
Cathy
，
I just really enjoyed this。 Well written， engaging and I believe well researched this looked at the White Ship disaster， what came before and the ramifications of the disaster itself。 A great read all round。
Steven Batty
，
Another well written book by Charles Spencer。 Knew very little on the White Ship disaster。 This book has changed that with it's excellent research。 Another well written book by Charles Spencer。 Knew very little on the White Ship disaster。 This book has changed that with it's excellent research。 。。。more
Shannon Vincent Nelson
，
I heard Charles Spencer discussing his book on the BBC History podcast and picked it up due to his sheer enthusiasm for the topic。 I found the book to be really engaging and readable， and Charles Spencer did an excellent job of making such a remote time period feel really interesting and relevant。 The book covers more than just the White Ship - covering the period of Normal rule in England - which serves to really show the tragedy of the White Ship disaster。 Spencer also really brings the remote I heard Charles Spencer discussing his book on the BBC History podcast and picked it up due to his sheer enthusiasm for the topic。 I found the book to be really engaging and readable， and Charles Spencer did an excellent job of making such a remote time period feel really interesting and relevant。 The book covers more than just the White Ship - covering the period of Normal rule in England - which serves to really show the tragedy of the White Ship disaster。 Spencer also really brings the remote historical characters to life and doesn’t shy away from sharing detailed information about their lives and death （even if gruesome）。 If you are interested in the Normans or English history in general， this is a really great book to add to your shelf。 。。。more
Matt
，
Enjoyable read about the sinking of the White Ship and its effect on the Anglo-Norman realm of Henry I。 There's a lot of good background information about the rise of Henry's ancestors from Rollo to William the Conqueror and Henry's own fraught ascension to the throne before tackling the sinking of the White Ship and the succession crisis thereafter。 Tends to veer off into the weeds somewhat at times with an addiction to context， most notably through the middle portion of the book， as the author Enjoyable read about the sinking of the White Ship and its effect on the Anglo-Norman realm of Henry I。 There's a lot of good background information about the rise of Henry's ancestors from Rollo to William the Conqueror and Henry's own fraught ascension to the throne before tackling the sinking of the White Ship and the succession crisis thereafter。 Tends to veer off into the weeds somewhat at times with an addiction to context， most notably through the middle portion of the book， as the author seeks to explain the background around everyone mentioned even the most minor of characters。Still it's a well told and ultimately interesting read 。。。more
Han
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One suggestion: Add a family tree line to refer to and a timeline with important dates
Grace-Elisa
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3。5*。 A good account of events leading up to and surrounding a catastrophic period of English history。 Thanks to the author for sifting through the historical archives and presenting the information in a readable way。 I felt it was a little stilted and dry in parts， however， it is a work of non-fiction and fanciful embellishments were probably unnecessary。
Shell
，
A very readable book which describes events leading up to and the following consequences of the sinking of The White ship in 1120。 There is little known about the actual event as there was only one survivor， so the sinking itself is a very small part of the story。 However， the Royal tragedies and feuding prior to the disaster read like a soap opera。 And Charles Spencer describes vividly the long reaching effects of the death of England's only legitimate heir to the throne in great detail。 A very readable book which describes events leading up to and the following consequences of the sinking of The White ship in 1120。 There is little known about the actual event as there was only one survivor， so the sinking itself is a very small part of the story。 However， the Royal tragedies and feuding prior to the disaster read like a soap opera。 And Charles Spencer describes vividly the long reaching effects of the death of England's only legitimate heir to the throne in great detail。 。。。more
Ian
，