Sometimes in life and often completely at random, we stumble onto an item or situation that profoundly affects out tastes, mindset and even personal choices. Such a thing happened to me when I came upon the marvelous writings of Ms. Elizabeth Chadwick.
As author specializing in the Plantagenet dynasty of the Middle Ages, Chadwick crafts spellbinding tales woven through with wonderfully rich and historic detail. One day I saw her book at Barnes & Noble and decided to try it. By the end of that summer, I was completely hooked.
The Greatest Knight tells the story of William Marshal, an English-born low-ranking nobleman who won great renown through his considerable skill at arms, but also through his many years of service to nearly all the members of the royal family in the second half of the 12th century. A model of integrity and chivalrous behavior, William's steadfast character earns him as many enemies as it does friends, and multiple times he must draw on all his strength and sense of honor in order to prevail.
Chadwick draws heavily on both historical commentary and primary source material (according to her "Author's Note", William Marshal was the first Englishman about whom a secular biography was written) to create a story unparalleled in richness and beauty. One that has earned her numerous accolades from some of today's most prominent historical and literary critics.
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