I have read a good few of Ms Bennett-Connolly’s books and I am in awe of this one, which I have concluded is her best work yet. Covering the time ‘when Christ and all his saints slept’, she covers the historical period known as The Anarchy with the spotlight on the women whose roles were crucial in a variety of ways to the events that took place in the years that Empress Matilda fought her cousin, Stephen of Blois, over who should rule England. The conflict lasted for 19 years, causing the country to fall into chaos and disorder – a very bad time for the peasants of the land who were caught in the middle. Though this is not the emphasis of the narrative, it is the women who are at the heart of the tale.
One of the aspects of the book I enjoyed was reading the accounts of the two Matilda’s. One who was praised for fighting her husband and son’s corner, and the other demonised for fighting for her own right to rule because she was a woman. The author analyses and weighs up the evidence for how women were viewed as being less than but also marking that against those who preferred her to rule rather than a man, simply because her father had ordained it. Was it because she was more capable? Or was it because they felt they could have manipulated her it is difficult to tell, but it is good to see the diversity of thought in Bennett Connolly’s analysis so you can make your own mind up.
Another aspect of the book that I particularly enjoyed – and being a lover of historic battles - I enjoyed the descriptions of the conflicts which were gripping and had me eagerly hooked, an usual gift in a read like this!
Bennett-Connolly specialises in the lives of women who lived with, loved, and sometimes led the men who shaped the medieval history of this great island. She has honed her skill at researching, writing, and publishing their tales over the past 6 years and over 7 books (her latest book Scotland’s Medieval Queens is due out any day now). When writing about women of the medieval period it is impossible not to include the men and drawing out a narrative for the women can be difficult because of the lack of information in the sources, but the author of Anarchy is, by now, well experienced in her craft and not only does she know her stuff, she carefully and magically weaves the women into the accounts in such a way that they stand proudly within the pages of this book.
To conclude, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and was sad when I reached the end because there was so much in there that I just wanted more of. An exciting period of history was brought well and truly to life, keeping the women at the centre without detracting from the story. It is indeed an in depth account of what happened after the sinking of the White Ship, such a terrible tragedy, which set England rolling on a downward spiral.
Sharon Bennett Connolly stands out as one of the finest writers of women in history and will surely go down in history herself for her skill in bringing these women to life on the pages of her book as if by magic.
Sharon Bennett Connolly is the best-selling author of several non-fiction history books. Her latest, Scotland’s Medieval Queens; From St Margaret to Margaret of Denmark, will be released in January 2025. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Sharon has studied history academically and just for fun – and has even worked as a tour guide at Conisbrough Castle. She also writes the popular history blog, www.historytheinterestingbits.com and co-hosts the podcast A Slice of Medieval, alongside historical novelist Derek Birks. Sharon regularly gives talks on women's history, for historical groups, festivals and in schools; her book Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest is a recommended text for teaching the Norman Conquest in the National Curriculum. She is a feature writer for All About History and Living Medieval magazines and her TV work includes Australian Television's 'Who Do You Think You Are?’
Read more of Sharon's work at History, The Interesting Bits
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