William Marshal
6 total works
'An author who makes history come gloriously alive' The Times
'Stunning' Barbara Erskine
***Elizabeth's new novel TEMPLAR SILKS is OUT NOW in hardback, ebook and audio, and available to pre-order in paperback.***
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Normandy, 1167
A penniless young knight with few prospects, William Marshal is plucked from obscurity when he saves the life of Henry II's formidable queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. In gratitude, she appoints him tutor to the heir to the throne.
However, being a royal favourite brings its share of conflict and envy as well as fame and reward. William's influence over the volatile, fickle Prince Henry and his young wife is resented by less favoured courtiers who set about engineering his downfall.
In a captivating blend of fact and fiction, Elizabeth Chadwick resurrects one of England's greatest forgotten heroes, restoring him to his rightful place at the apex of the Middle Ages.
Praise for Elizabeth Chadwick
'Enjoyable and sensuous' Daily Mail
'Stunning grasp of historical details... Her characters are beguiling and the story is intriguing and very enjoyable' Barbara Erskine
'Meticulous research and strong storytelling' Woman & Home
'A sumptuous ride' Daily Telegraph
The early twelfth century is a time for ambitious men to prosper - and royal servant John FitzGilbert is one of them. But when the old king dies and his successor is appointed, John's position at court is weakened and his wife, the pious, pliant Aline, is hopelessly unequipped to deal with a life lived on the edge.
John knows the only way to protect his lands and his children is to divorce Aline. He meets his match in new wife Sybilla, daughter of his enemy Patrick of Salisbury, as she possesses a strength and courage that equals his own. But when Sybilla's son, William, is seized by the king, John is forced to make a terrible sacrifice. Sometimes keeping your honour means breaking your word . . .
William Marshal's prowess and loyalty as a knight in the English royal household has been rewarded by marriage to Isabelle de Clare, heiress to great estates in England, Normandy and Ireland.
But their contentment and security is shattered when King Richard dies and is succeeded by his brother John, who takes the Marshals' sons hostage and seizes their lands. Now William must face the conflict between remaining loyal or rebelling against these injustices - and the struggle threatens to tear his marriage apart. Fiercely intelligent and courageous, Isabelle too must come to terms with what the future holds . . .
The Scarlet Lion is the final novel in an unforgettable standalone trilogy about William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, Regent of England - and one of the country's greatest forgotten heroes.
A King's passion, a young man's love - and a girl's tragic choice
The young Roger Bigod, heir to the powerful earldom of Norfolk, arrives at Henry II's court to prove his worth and wrestle his inheritance from the arms of his half-brothers. While there, he encounters the pretty and gentle Ida de Tosney, young mistress to the King. A victim of Henry's seduction and the mother of his son, Ida knows the fickle sparkle of her current life is beginning to fade, and sees in Roger a chance to escape her life of manipulation for security and affection.
They begin a careful courtship, but the King's anger soon catches them up. Forced into a corner, Ida's decision will carry an agonising price.
Based on a never-before-told true story, critically acclaimed author Elizabeth Chadwick brings the twelfth-century world blazing to life.
From acclaimed novelist Elizabeth Chadwick comes a story of huge emotional power set against the road to Magna Carta and the fight to bring a tyrant king to heel.
The privileged daughter of one of the most powerful men in England, Mahelt Marshal's life changes dramatically when her father is suspected of treachery by King John. Her brothers become hostages and Mahelt is married to Hugh Bigod, heir to the earldom of Norfolk. Adapting to her new life is hard, but Mahelt comes to love Hugh deeply; however, defying her father-in-law brings disgrace and heartbreak.
When King John sets out to subdue the Bigods, Mahelt faces a heartbreaking battle, fearing neither she, nor her marriage, is likely to survive the outcome . . .
Winner of the RNA Historical Novel Award 2011, TO DEFY A KING is magnificent in scope and detail, with characters that leap off the page - this is historical fiction at its finest.
To save his soul William Marshal takes the perilous road to Jerusalem, but the greatest danger he faces there is losing his heart.
England, 1219
Lying on his deathbed, William Marshal, England's greatest knight, sends a trusted servant to bring to him the silk Templar burial shrouds that returned with him from the Holy Land thirty years ago. It is time to fulfil his vow to the Templars and become a monk of their order for eternity.
As he waits for the shrouds' return, he looks back upon his long-ago pilgrimage with his brother Ancel, and the sacred mission entrusted to them - to bear the cloak of their dead young lord to Jerusalem and lay it on Christ's tomb in the church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Jerusalem, 1183
In the holiest of all cities, the brothers become embroiled in the deadly politics, devious scheming and lusts of the powerful men and women who rule the kingdom. Entangled with the dangerous, mercurial Paschia de Riveri, concubine of the highest churchman in the land, William sets on a path so perilous that there seems no way back for him, or for his brother. Both will pay a terrible price and their only chance to see home again will be dependent on the Templar shrouds.
In this glorious adventure, bestselling author Elizabeth Chadwick sweeps the reader to medieval Jerusalem in a story perfect for fans of Ken Follett and Philippa Gregory.