King Rufus: The Life and Mysterious Death of William II of England

Decent Book, Boring King

I feel like I should have liked this book more than I did: Emma Mason's treatment of King William II (aka, William Rufus) was well researched, clearly written, and provided about as much information as I thought I wanted about this king. However, I found myself struggling to finish it. I think part of the reason is due to the fact that, at least in comparison to his father William the Conqueror, his life was far less interesting and his reign much shorter. Additionally, the title of the book implies that Mason would spend lots of time on Rufus' mysterious death while hunting in the New Forest in 1100, but only the last dozen pages or so are devoted to it. I would only recommend this book if you have a special interest in Rufus or want to read biographies on all the Norman kings. If you only have a more general interest in the time period, find a more general book on the Norman monarchs to get a summary of Rufus' reign (suggestion: The Struggle for Mastery: The Penguin History of Britain, 1066-1284, by Carpenter).