Edmund King

This entry in the Penguin Monarchs series showcases the life of Henry I, who succeeded to the throne of England after his brother William Rufus died in a hunting accident. Henry is known for his administrative prowess and for the fact that his daughter Matilda ended up being his successor (thanks to a combination of lots of illegitimate sons and Henry’s heir being killed in the White Ship disaster). Henry’s story is told cleanly and without fuss, with reference to contemporary sources and not too much speculation. Facts are presented where known and doubt highlighted where it existed. (And it doesn’t use the word “evidently” five times in two pages, unlike the book about Cnut in this series.) There are also colour plates in the middle with highly relevant images. This book was a solid read that met my expectations.… (mehr)