Francis Leary

This book is a combination of history and historical novel. I can see where it might be a good read for someone who wants a grand sweep of history and isn't too particular about facts. I could see it inspiring a movie.

The author has taken historical facts, intermittently documented, and recounted in literary language, and fleshed out with dramatic imaginings. It is not always clear what it a fact and what imaginary; has someone really left an account of the breasts of Joan of Arc? I found the language a bit off-putting as well, especially in the first section dealing with Joan of Arc. So flowery and convoluted was in that it got in the way of keeping track of all the facts and players. Leary referred frequently to one man as "Gorgeous Georges", but I had forgotten who that was and never found it again. I consider putting down the book several times. I actually preferred the more straightforward appendices. Yet, within this confusion, Leary manages to give us a moving account of Joan of Arc's ordeal, that remains after extraneous verbiage is forgotten.

The second section, dealing with René of Anjou and his daughter Margaret, was easily the best section. Here the mixture of novel and history was the most successful, and the personalities came alive. I still have caveats about some of the facts, but I enjoyed the section. Margaret of Anjou was a difficult person, but Leary portrays her with considerable sympathy and a feel for her many difficulties, although she is a trifle white-washed. In the appendices, Leary has a very interesting take on the complicated and ruthless motives of Louis XI.

It is possible that I have simply read too much about Richard III. This section was more readable that the Joan of Arc section, but I became bored again and considered dropping the book. It was here that I most felt the lack of documentation. This certainly isn't an outstanding history, and would be best read by someone who is already knowledgeable. They might enjoy the dramatization, and pondering Leary's ideas, but perhaps they will find it too thin. I did like his speculations about the strategies and motivations of Elizabeth Woodville. Again, the appendices were actually more interesting than much of the main work.… (mehr)