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Women of the Anarchy
The story of the Anarchy from the unique perspective of the two women at the center of the struggle for the crown.
In 1135 Stephen of Blois usurped the throne, stealing it from his cousin, Empress Matilda (Maud), and sparking a 19-year civil war that would become known as The Anarchy, one of the bloodiest periods in English history.
On the one side is Empress Matilda, or Maud. The sole surviving legitimate child of Henry I, she is fighting for her birthright and that of her children. On the other side is her cousin, Queen Matilda, supporting her husband, King Stephen, and fighting to see her own son inherit the English crown. Both women are granddaughters of St Margaret, Queen of Scotland and descendants of Alfred the Great of Wessex.
Empress Matilda was the first woman to claim the throne of England in her own right, but did not gain the support of the barons. When Queen Matilda's husband King Stephen was captured by the Empress’s forces, it was down to her to keep the fight going, and to negotiate for her husband’s release.
Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how these women, unable to wield a sword, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It show how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other.
In 1135 Stephen of Blois usurped the throne, stealing it from his cousin, Empress Matilda (Maud), and sparking a 19-year civil war that would become known as The Anarchy, one of the bloodiest periods in English history.
On the one side is Empress Matilda, or Maud. The sole surviving legitimate child of Henry I, she is fighting for her birthright and that of her children. On the other side is her cousin, Queen Matilda, supporting her husband, King Stephen, and fighting to see her own son inherit the English crown. Both women are granddaughters of St Margaret, Queen of Scotland and descendants of Alfred the Great of Wessex.
Empress Matilda was the first woman to claim the throne of England in her own right, but did not gain the support of the barons. When Queen Matilda's husband King Stephen was captured by the Empress’s forces, it was down to her to keep the fight going, and to negotiate for her husband’s release.
Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how these women, unable to wield a sword, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It show how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other.
- GenresHistory
288 pages, Hardcover
Published April 16, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 7, 2024
In November 1120, when the vessel that was in the process of travelling from Normandy to England sank and claimed the lives of almost all on board, including that of King Henry I's heir, William Aetheling, the royal succession was plunged into a crisis.
Despite having a legitimate daughter, the Empress Matilda, who was the rightful heir to the crown, in the 12th century it was not deemed as desirable to be ruled by a woman and so, in 1135, Empress Matilda's cousin Stephen of Blois usurped the throne, hurling the country into nineteen years of brutal and bloody civil war, later to be known as the Anarchy.
In early history, it is the men who dominated the records that boasted tales of chivalry, battle and kingship. However, Sharon Bennett Connolly has aimed to utilise this book to bring the many women, be they mothers, daughters, sisters, or wives to the foreground as they were as important, or arguably more so, than their male counterparts during this period in time.
While the Anarchy is mostly centred around the pivotal figure of Empress Matilda as she fought for her birthright, we also learn of her female opponent, Matilda of Boulogne, the wife of Stephen of Blois and his most ardent supporter, determined to see their son crowned king. We learn of the women close to the action as the author intricately plots the repercussions upon their lives along with vital figures such as Saint Margaret or Matilda of Flanders who are comprehensively investigated as key inspirations in ruling.
A tale of female premiership during a period of traditional patriarchy, this is a rounded and passionate analysis of the forgotten individuals in which their actions ultimately led to the outcome of the original Cousins' War.
▪️▪️▪️
Thank you so much to @philipjdean1989 of @amberleypublishing for sending me a copy of this fascinating book!
Despite having a legitimate daughter, the Empress Matilda, who was the rightful heir to the crown, in the 12th century it was not deemed as desirable to be ruled by a woman and so, in 1135, Empress Matilda's cousin Stephen of Blois usurped the throne, hurling the country into nineteen years of brutal and bloody civil war, later to be known as the Anarchy.
In early history, it is the men who dominated the records that boasted tales of chivalry, battle and kingship. However, Sharon Bennett Connolly has aimed to utilise this book to bring the many women, be they mothers, daughters, sisters, or wives to the foreground as they were as important, or arguably more so, than their male counterparts during this period in time.
While the Anarchy is mostly centred around the pivotal figure of Empress Matilda as she fought for her birthright, we also learn of her female opponent, Matilda of Boulogne, the wife of Stephen of Blois and his most ardent supporter, determined to see their son crowned king. We learn of the women close to the action as the author intricately plots the repercussions upon their lives along with vital figures such as Saint Margaret or Matilda of Flanders who are comprehensively investigated as key inspirations in ruling.
A tale of female premiership during a period of traditional patriarchy, this is a rounded and passionate analysis of the forgotten individuals in which their actions ultimately led to the outcome of the original Cousins' War.
▪️▪️▪️
Thank you so much to @philipjdean1989 of @amberleypublishing for sending me a copy of this fascinating book!
January 19, 2024
Civil wars, clashes between cousins, are known to be full of battles between men on foot and horseback, with their eyes set on the throne of their desired country. Many stories of civil wars tend to leave out the women who often were left on the sidelines, ready to pick up the pieces. The story of the Anarchy is a bit different than other civil wars as one of the main figures was not a man, but Empress Matilda, the daughter of King Henry I and the rightful heiress of England facing off against the man who stole the throne from her, her cousin, King Stephen. However, it was not just Empress Matilda who defined what it meant to be a woman during the Anarchy. In her latest book, “Women of the Anarchy,” Sharon Bennett Connolly tells the stories of the mothers, sisters, and wives who defined this turbulent period that saw the end of one dynasty and the beginning of another.
I want to thank Amberley Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. I have enjoyed Sharon Bennett Connolly’s previous books that I have read, “Ladies of the Magna Carta,” “Silk and Sword,” “Defenders of the Norman Crown,” and “King John’s Right Hand Lady.” When I heard that Connolly was writing about the women who were involved in the Anarchy, I was excited because it is one of my favorite conflicts in history to study. I wanted to see what new information Connolly would present in her book.
Connolly begins by explaining how the conflict around the Anarchy arose and how Empress Matilda and Queen Matilda became the female faces of opposing sides of this civil war. Empress Matilda, the daughter of King Henry I, was the wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V. However, her life took a dramatic turn when her only legitimate brother William Aetheling died on November 25, 1120, when the ship he was on, the White Ship, sank after a night of drunk sailing. As King Henry I’s last living legitimate child, Empress Matilda was the rightful heir to the English throne, even though she was a woman and she was willing to fight with everything in her power to sit on the throne. On the other side of the conflict was Queen Matilda of Boulogne, the wife of King Stephen. Although Queen Matilda or Empress Matilda could not wield a sword in battle, they showed that they were capable of fighting in their own unique ways.
Empress Matilda and Queen Matilda had grandmothers and mothers who showed them what it meant to be a queen and a mother who was willing to fight for their family. Women like Matilda of Flanders, Saint Margaret of Scotland, Matilda of Scotland, and Adeliza of Louvain showed the two Matildas how to help their husbands run a country while maintaining their strong identities as women rulers. However, Connolly does not stop just at the two Matildas when discussing royal women who had to navigate the Anarchy. We are introduced to interesting characters like Isabel de Vermandois, Ada de Warenne, Lucy Countess of Chester, Ela de Talvas, Mary of Boulogne, Isabel Countess of Warenne and Surrey, culminating with the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine.
While other books focus on the Anarchy, by focusing on the two Matildas and other women affected by this conflict, Connolly brings something fresh to this story that is centuries old. It shows how their actions to protect their families brought forth change in England through the birth of the Plantagenet dynasty. This book is rich in details and is so well written as Connolly takes the time to distinguish between the Matildas, which there are quite a few in this book, and explain how the conflict started and finally how it was concluded. I think if you want a fabulous book about the Anarchy and the women who defined this period, I highly recommend you check out, “Women of the Anarchy” by Sharon Bennett Connolly.
I want to thank Amberley Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. I have enjoyed Sharon Bennett Connolly’s previous books that I have read, “Ladies of the Magna Carta,” “Silk and Sword,” “Defenders of the Norman Crown,” and “King John’s Right Hand Lady.” When I heard that Connolly was writing about the women who were involved in the Anarchy, I was excited because it is one of my favorite conflicts in history to study. I wanted to see what new information Connolly would present in her book.
Connolly begins by explaining how the conflict around the Anarchy arose and how Empress Matilda and Queen Matilda became the female faces of opposing sides of this civil war. Empress Matilda, the daughter of King Henry I, was the wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V. However, her life took a dramatic turn when her only legitimate brother William Aetheling died on November 25, 1120, when the ship he was on, the White Ship, sank after a night of drunk sailing. As King Henry I’s last living legitimate child, Empress Matilda was the rightful heir to the English throne, even though she was a woman and she was willing to fight with everything in her power to sit on the throne. On the other side of the conflict was Queen Matilda of Boulogne, the wife of King Stephen. Although Queen Matilda or Empress Matilda could not wield a sword in battle, they showed that they were capable of fighting in their own unique ways.
Empress Matilda and Queen Matilda had grandmothers and mothers who showed them what it meant to be a queen and a mother who was willing to fight for their family. Women like Matilda of Flanders, Saint Margaret of Scotland, Matilda of Scotland, and Adeliza of Louvain showed the two Matildas how to help their husbands run a country while maintaining their strong identities as women rulers. However, Connolly does not stop just at the two Matildas when discussing royal women who had to navigate the Anarchy. We are introduced to interesting characters like Isabel de Vermandois, Ada de Warenne, Lucy Countess of Chester, Ela de Talvas, Mary of Boulogne, Isabel Countess of Warenne and Surrey, culminating with the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine.
While other books focus on the Anarchy, by focusing on the two Matildas and other women affected by this conflict, Connolly brings something fresh to this story that is centuries old. It shows how their actions to protect their families brought forth change in England through the birth of the Plantagenet dynasty. This book is rich in details and is so well written as Connolly takes the time to distinguish between the Matildas, which there are quite a few in this book, and explain how the conflict started and finally how it was concluded. I think if you want a fabulous book about the Anarchy and the women who defined this period, I highly recommend you check out, “Women of the Anarchy” by Sharon Bennett Connolly.
February 21, 2024
The Women of the Anarchy
A very interesting book centering on the lives of important women living in the Twelfth Century. Most histories of that time focus on the kings and their supporters and the women are mentioned but not their influence. It can get a bit confusing with some of the ladies sharing the same name, Matilda. I really enjoyed it.
A very interesting book centering on the lives of important women living in the Twelfth Century. Most histories of that time focus on the kings and their supporters and the women are mentioned but not their influence. It can get a bit confusing with some of the ladies sharing the same name, Matilda. I really enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews