Greatest Knight, The: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal, the Power Behind Five English Thrones

- Blurb -

The twelfth and thirteenth centuries saw a period of turmoil and transformation, as the West emerged from the Dark Ages and teetered on the brink of modernity. We are offered a glimpse of this world through the eyes of William Marshal, a celebrated knight who was personally acquainted the leading figures of the day and played a leading role in events that shaped a critical phase of medieval history - from the Third Crusade to the Magna Carta. Marshal was born into a fractious and fractured medieval society dogged by civil war. He began life in relative obscurity - the fourth son of a minor noble but his star was to rise following schooling in Normandy in the art of becoming a knight. He emerged as one of Europe's most feted warriors, finding service with the royal family of England and became a star of the vibrant tournament circuit. His own life reflected the tumultuous backdrop of the time - he spent time in captivity and then exile before undertaking the 2,000 mile journey to the Holy Land as a crusader.Upon his return to the West, his steadfast unbreakable loyalty saw him become a leading retainer to four Kings of England: Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, King John and Henry III, serving as warrior and military commander, confidante and advisor. Thomas Asbridge presents a compelling new account of Marshal's career, offering an insight into the training and rituals of knighthood, developments in arms armour and fighting methods and an exploration into the codes of chivalry and courtliness that shaped everyday life during the rise of the Plantagenet dynasty.