Book Review – The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream
By Charles Spencer – Published 17th of September 2020
The White Ship disaster is certainly one of the more intriguing events in British history. It masterfully explores the unfortunate event that took place in 1120, which ultimately led to a royal succession crisis and eventually civil war. Charles Spencer writes a highly readable piece of work that I just couldn’t put down.
The book is split into three parts, with the first titled “Triumph”. This explores the life of Henry I who was one of William the Conqueror’s youngest sons, a man not destined to become king who did it anyway. He is remembered as one of Europe’s most powerful and influential figures during the early 12th century.
The second part is called “Disaster”, and this goes into detail about the sinking of the medieval ship. It’s definitely one of the more important parts of the book, as it explores the fact that Henry’s only legitimate heir died during the sinking. Charles Spencer writes about the massive effect this had on Henry’s personal life afterwards, as well as articulating the political backdrop of the time that leads into the third part of the book.
The third part of the book is “Chaos”, which is about the turmoil that England was plunged into after Henry’s death in 1135. These events became known as The Anarchy, a period of civil war that almost ripped the country apart as Henry’s daughter Empress Matilda and his nephew Stephen of Blois pitted against each other for the crown.
The events of the book are in chronological order, making for easy readability and a piece of historic non-fiction that is easy to follow – not always the case when it comes to history books. The second part goes into vivid detail about the actual disaster – the White Ship was supposed to be one of the most seaworthy vessels of the time, and the crew were confident they could beat the rest of the royal fleet back to England from France in 1120. Henry I was initially going to travel aboard the ship, but he changed his mind at the last minute. They set sail in the evening, and many aboard were drunk and merry, too drunk it seems to avoid the rocks as they made their way out of the harbour. There is only one known survivor of the shipwreck and everyone else aboard drowned, including Henry’s heir William Atheling, among other notable family members and magnates.
This is a heart-breaking and spectacular event that changed the course of British history forever, leading to a difficult time for England and giving a more clear understanding of the consequences the disaster had during the time period.
Charles Spencer delivers an absolute masterpiece that will delve deep into the hearts of anyone who loves the Middle Ages, his vivid descriptions of the time period and masterful knowledge of the people involved make for a book that will leave you wanting to read it again and again.
Buy it here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/White-Ship-Charles-Spencer/dp/0008296804
paperback, 352 pages, william collins