Elizabeth Chadwick really outdid herself with this novel about William Marshal, son of the infamous John Marshal, the man behind the “the hammer and anvil” speech. When William was 6 years old his father pledged him as a hostage to King Stephen during a siege. When his father turned sides and broke his word, William’s death was a foregone conclusion. Fortunately for William, King Stephen had no intention of murdering a child and he was spared.

Marshal is penniless and with no land to call his own when he enters the service of King Henry II. He is desperate to earn his rank among the others in King Henry’s retinue – to be more than just the son of John Marshal. Brilliant in the tourney field and loyal to a fault, he quickly wins the attention of Eleanor of Aquitaine. After William gallantly saves her life, she asks him to join her son’s household – to train and teach the heir to the throne of England. Perhaps William’s job would’ve been a bit easier had he served another family – they didn’t call Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine’s children the Devil’s Brood for nothing!

William is the very definition of chivalry and if you’re like me, you’ll fall completely in love with him! I first met William in Sharon Kay Penman’s Devil’s Brood and was intrigued - I was dying to know more about him and see experiences through his eyes. Well, Chadwick has scratched my itch so to speak and I LOVED EVERY PAGE! There’s a little bit for everyone in this novel – fighting, loving, hating, betrayal, loyalty – it’s all there!!!

But wait! There’s more! The Greatest Knight has a sequel…YEAH, more William!!! It’s called The Scarlet Lion and will be released in the US on March 1, 2010. I, for one will be waiting at the doors of my local bookstore that day!

My Rating: 5/5 ( )

This is only the second book set in medieval times that I've read, so I'm still easing into it. It takes me a bit longer to read these books because while I'm interested in the period, I'm not ecstatic about it.

In The Greatest Knight I'm again learning about events I never knew about and reading about someone whose name I never heard of before I heard of this novel: William Marshal.

Chadwick has made this forgotten hero come alive. In The Greatest Knight we're introduced to a brave, loyal, headstrong, morally conscious man. It was clear that this was a man who was going to stick to what he believed in rather than what benefited him.

The attention to detail is insanely good. During the action sequences, I felt like I was there. The research that went into this novel brightly shows. And with the way it ends, there's no way I'm not going to continue with Marshal's story with The Scarlet Lion. I can't wait to get my hands on it ( )

A good blend of history and fiction makes a good read. ( )

I think many of us who read a lot of historical fiction hear about Elizabeth Chadwick. Her books are not available to Americans except through imports, which is a shame, and quite strange considering how popular historical fiction is these days. Anyway, usually the one we hear about most is The Greatest Knight, the fictionalized life story of William the Marshal, one of medieval England’s most fascinating knights. I saw it at the library and just couldn’t resist despite my staggering TBR piles.

As a small child held hostage by King Stephen, William nearly loses his life when his father breaks his agreement with the king and switches allegiances. After all, William is only his fourth son. Stephen, not a strong king nor a hard man, chooses not to kill William and lets him go, but impresses on him the importance of loyalty and honor. At first, an adult William struggles to make himself known, but his extraordinary talent and aforementioned loyalty speak for him and he earns a place in the Plantagenet household, eventually training and serving Henry the Young King, eldest surviving son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. As his star rises, William’s life and fortunes are shaped by this most powerful family.

William the Marshal is a fascinating historical character and I think Elizabeth Chadwick has done him justice here. He certainly stuck with his loyalties in an age where many men switched allegiance to suit themselves; his father is a very good example, as are the sons of Henry II. As such, William truly stands out from the crowd, and he lived an extraordinary life in the shadow of five kings. As a result, in most places Chadwick doesn’t need to embellish the history, it’s a great tale as the chroniclers tell it. So for the most part, she sticks to it. She adds mainly a mistress, as we can assume that most well off knights had mistresses, and some story continuity, which works fairly well. You can still tell a little bit that she got her start in romance when William develops love interests, but this book is clearly beyond that and stands as a really good work of historical fiction. It isn’t the best I’ve ever read, but it is a worthy read.

I’m definitely looking forward to reading the sequel, The Scarlet Lion, which I conveniently enough have on my bookshelf. I would recommend this to other historical fiction lovers, it is a very solid and compelling work.

http://chikune.com/blog/?p=313 ( )

I was familiar enough with William Marshal to know he was a major medieval knight of great esteem, but little else. This book covers most of his life and creates him as a complex and comprehensive character from his youth as a tournament champion to his older years as a devoted husband and magistrate. I have a great deal of respect for the man, especially as he was known for regarding women with respect at a time when that was not regarded as prudent.

Very good, solid historical fiction, and I will be seeking out more of Chadwick's work. ( )