Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England

The truth about a medieval queen

After watching "Braveheart" at home, I decided to find out more about Queen Isabella. Someone at the bookstore recommended that I read this book. Two days later, I was back at the store buying as many of Alison Weir's books as I could and I haven't stopped. Her writing is concise, her citations & sources numerous and well annotated. She brings new "twists" by relating ancient monetary values to modern values, explaining the basic tennants of Catholicism as it related to the medieval world, parenting and other societal issues. What I find the most helpful are the genealogical references, specifically the family trees. Always a strong writer, she is even-handed in her treatment & very objective.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I loved it

Suprisingly I really like how Weir has written Queen Isabella better than her other works, which of course I love as well. Maybe the topic was easy to keep me entertained through the whole book. The real life drama! The empathy you could feel for Queen Isabella, Edward the II and III and the latter's Queen Philippa. The well-you-got-what-was-coming-to-you feelings for Despenser and Mortimer. All because how Weir keeps most personal feelings out of the book, most. This is also one of the few books where Weir mentions herself (I, Me, Personally, etc.) a little more than usuall, but it still doesn't take away from the book.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Another Brilliant history written by Weir

In college I made Tudor History a hobby of mine and this is when I found Allison Weir. Her books do not read like other history books they read more like a story and they are captivating.After I read all the books I could on the Tudor's I expanded on to her other books and haven't been disappointed. Because of her writing she keeps my interested in time periods and people I first had no interest in learning about. Highly recommend all of her books!

I'm usually a fan of Alison Weirs work but this time I"m finding it hard to follow the story. There is so much info about where she and the King moved to that it is difficult to follow any part of the story. Each point has paragraghs of she bought this and moved there and you lose track of the historical point she is trying to make. I think this book is boring.

Very educational

It is good for students of English (England) history.

She-wolf to diplomat

As with other Weir biographies/historiographies, "Queen Isabella" takes a historically maligned, intelligent woman and brings her to life using the objectivity 650-700 years of distance affords. There is a lot of information contained within the book; compared to Weir's other somewhat contemporary subjects, Eleanor of Acquitaine and Katherine Swynford, Isabella is far more present in the historical record because of her role in the history of England. At times, all the information does make Isabella's story bog down in the details (several letters from around the time of the coup are transcribed in their entirety) but you can't fully understand Isabella's motives without information relating to the actions and movements of Edward II, the Kings of France and other contemporary figures. Weir also devotes several pages to the Fieschi letter, sent to Edward III around 1337, containing the startling revelation that Edward II was alive and in Genoa; using the possibility that the letter is authentic, Weir demonstrates how the information may have changed Edward III's perception of his mother and her role in the deposition and murder of his father. Weir's work manages to rehabilitate Isabella from she-wolf Jezebel, adulteress and possible conspirator in regicide to a strong, intelligent, wronged woman who is also a naturally-talented diplomat; if it weren't for the whole affair with Mortimer and subsequent hoarding of grants and lands, Isabella would be downright endearing. This is a great book for anyone who wants to know more about the history of England and how that history intertwines with the political machinations of the monarchy.

Alison Weir has managed to create the perfect reading machine. As a fond reader of novels, Queen Isabella leaves nothing to be desired. The meticulous record keeping during those times by the royals as well as the clergy is a gift to us for years.

Queen Isabella is indeed a remarkable read. Rich in history while allowing the reader to take a clear, deep glance into British and French history. I visited Warwick Castle almost eight years ago and learned the history of the "King Maker". The Earls of Warwick. This book is packed with factual accounts and the description is as good as can be delivered. Reading this amazing tome allows you to actually picture the queen's volley of ships and barges during one of her many trips. Learning how much or how little workers and designers were paid is also interesting. Absorbing this book - Queen Isabella - trades learning for enjoyment. Simply an enthralling book to be treasured forever . I recommend it as a gift for all of your students, be they relatives, friends, or godchildren. The short, quick, but thorough introduction of the life of Piers Gaveston and his demise was fascinating. As young Isabella matures so does the unveiling of her sharp mind and bold personality. This singular blick in history explains much to us as to how decisions are made and also it lets us look into the lives of those early days of Court life and parliamentary decisions. How the Church influenced the court and vice versa. A gleaming mirror of why and how certain people were and are to this day, thrust in certain positiions. Either to balance out for a possible good fight in order to maintain ones wealth and power, or just simply, bad judgement. However, not even a king has absolute power and this is good to know and understand.

Well Done, Ms. Weir

Excellent Reading!

This book is very well researched and very informative. I'm glad to see a different light on Queen Isabella, since she is my ancestor. I give 5 stars. Keep up the good work Ms. Weir

Outstanding Read

I loved this book, it was very informative and well researched. I learned so much about Isabella that I didn't already know. One of the most interesting books I have read.

A reviewer

Enjoyed the book, Actually a very good book. But I felt that it was more about Edward II and Edward III then Isabella. Which I realize that her husband and Son played big parts in her life, but at time I thought I was reading a book about them and not Isabella. Shows a great Picture of how England was during Both Edward II and Edward the III.

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