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Bezig met laden... Daughters of Chivalry: The Forgotten Children of King Edward Longshanksdoor Kelcey Wilson-Lee
Morphy Pick! (20) Bezig met laden...
Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. This book was all right. It presents the lives of Edward I of England’s daughters, who are not often considered to be of significant influence, or even really considered as being of interest. Wilson-Lee describes how they lived and demonstrates how they could wield a great deal of power, or at least far more than the average woman, by virtue of being the progeny of the king. The book also examines how their grasp on power changed with the ascension of Edward II, who notoriously displayed a preference for Piers Gaveston over his own wife, Isabella. The details are lavish, and there are visible endnotes for people who are interested. I did find it occasionally irritating to read sentences that tried to be narrative but couldn’t be because we don’t know what people actually did: for example, saying one princess’s eyes “probably flicked up to look at” something on the wall. I was on the fence about statements such as “this princess would likely have been mortified by this person’s behaviour” or “it must have been upsetting”… your tolerance for such suppositions may dictate how much you end up enjoying the book. I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from reading it if it interested them, though. geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
"Revealing the truth behind the life of a royal princess in medieval England, the colorful story of the five remarkable daughters of King Edward I. Virginal, chaste, humble, patiently waiting for rescue by brave knights and handsome princes: this idealized--and largely mythical--notion of the medieval noblewoman still lingers. Yet the reality was very different, as Kelcey Wilson-Lee shows in this vibrant account of the five daughters of the great English king, Edward I, often known as Longshanks. The lives of these sisters--Eleanora, Joanna, Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth--ran the full gamut of experiences open to royal women in the Middle Ages. Living as they did in a courtly culture founded on romantic longing and brilliant pageantry, they knew that a princess was to be chaste yet a mother to many children, preferably sons; meek, yet able to influence a recalcitrant husband or even command a host of men-at-arms. Edward's daughters were of course expected to cement alliances and secure lands and territory by making great dynastic marriages, or endow religious houses with royal favor. But they also skillfully managed enormous households, navigated choppy diplomatic waters and promoted their family's cause throughout Europe--and had the courage to defy their royal father. They might never wear the crown in their own right, but they were utterly confident of their crucial role in the spectacle of medieval kingship. Drawing on a wide range of contemporary sources, Daughters of Chivalry offers a rich portrait of these spirited Plantagenet women. With their libraries of beautifully illustrated psalters and tales of romance, their rich silks and gleaming jewels, we follow these formidable women throughout their lives and see them--at long last--shine from out of the shadows, revealing what it was to be a princess in the Age of Chivalry."-- Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)942.03History and Geography Europe England and Wales England Plantagenet 1154-1399LC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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The book is not boring or dull by any means. It moves along with gripping speed and holds you spellbound as life for a princess in medieval England is described. I loved every sentence.
Highly recommended. ( )