Thomas Becket - Biography Group Read - Book Discussion

Thomas Becket : warrior, priest, rebel

Let us know what you think of the book. I suspect that discussion will come fairly early this quarter, as our book fits the April HistoryCAT.

The topic for chat about getting and reading the book is http://www.librarything.com/topic/189134. Let's keep this topic for discussion about what we have read.

I am about 80 or so pages in. Not my favorite style of writing. The author seems to be very careful not to make any reckless assertions but also seems to be hinting at something about Becket. I find that part a bit annoying.

Not quite half way, I am really enjoying this. The author makes Thomas's ways of behaving make sense.

>3 MarthaJeanne:, not sure that I am getting the same sense. It seems to me that Thomas was not very savvy politically. I think he starts out as thinking he really is a good friend of the king. I am further along in the book (almost done). So to avoid any spoilers, I will stop there. I should add that biography is not something I like or even seek to read and I am finding it dry. I appreciate the authors intentionality to avoid making suggestions that are not supported by history.

I've finished. Not sure I'll have time today for long commentary, but I really enjoyed it.

I forgot to post here when I finished the book last month. I didn't manage to finish by the end of April. I had to set it aside in May when I was battling viral bronchitis. I just wasn't up to reading anything heavy.

The detailed discussions of politics was tedious reading for me, yet I realize that understanding the politics is important for putting Thomas's life in context and understanding what happened to him. I appreciated the appendix listing all of the early biographical sources in what amounts to an annotated bibliography.

You aren't late. This is a quarter read.