The Empress Matilda: Queen Consort, Queen Mother and Lady of the English

This is the sigle best book about the period that has been written to date. Historically accurate and the result of meticulous research, the book offers a look at many facets of this remarkable woman. Chibnall manages to give a wide view of the world in which Matilda lived and offers what appears to be an unbiased view of who this remarkable woman really was.

Full of historical interest and information. Not a dull history book, but very readable.

I found this book fasinating. The beginning is a bit jumbled, hard to follow, but soon it launches the reader into the world of Empress Matilda. The author has done an excellent job of bringing the empress, her father and sons back to life for me espcially, she and son Henry are my ancestors. What better way to get to know them!

Meticulous, compelling, beautifully written by the leading scholar of this period.

Very well done. Some long odds guesses. In any case well worth a read for any English history buff worth his salt.

I had heard of The Anarchy before reading this book, and I knew the cliffnotes version of the battle between Stephen and Matilda for the English Crown. However it wasn't until I read The Empress Matilda that I got a fuller view of the conflict and the woman who was central to the conflict.Marjorie Chibnall used impressive research to write an easy to read biography of the mother of the Plantagenet dynasty, who for a time was also the crowned Empress(-consort) of the Holy Roman Empire. Chibnall's attempted to give the reader a full view of Matilda and her actions, though soon speculation is offered due to the lack of sources surrounding a particular event Chibnall does does offer evidence based on previously presented sources.Overall this is an good biography and I recommend it.

This is a great book about a wonderful woman, who got lost in the shuffel. As there isn't very much written about Matilda, the first almost English Queen in her own right, the author deserves applause for their ability to put together such a checkered past. The thrown was stolen out from under her by her cousin Stephen, and they began the civil war that English people discribed as the time when "Christ and his saints slept." Speaking of which, if you like this book, you'll love "When Christ and His Saints Slept" by Penman.

Just what was needed

A lovely clean copy of this book arrived at my home well within the expected delivery date. Thank you very much.