E. B. Fryde

I’ve been interested in the rise and fall of the de la Pole family for a few years now. The William de la Pole of this book is where the family’s rise began.

Unfortunately, most of what’s known about him is in relation to his loans, particularly to Edward III. Of course, his financial activities are the main purpose of this volume, but I did find it tedious to read passage after passage about how much money Pole lent on this date, and how much on that date, etc.

Although details on how much Pole loaned to whom and when he lent it occupies much of the book, it also delves into conditions in England during the 1300s, and gives a reasonable portrait of what Pole was like. It’s fair to say that he was remarkable in his business practices, yet at the same time unscrupulous.

William de la Pole is an interesting character, though how interesting you’ll find this book will depend on how much you like reading exhaustive financial accounts. In retrospect, I feel this works better as a reference book, rather than a standard biography.

The author’s style is good. It’s not like reading a textbook, which I’m thankful for.… (more)