Fortune's Knave: The Making of William the Conqueror : A Novel [Hardcover]

Mary Lide (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1993

Brings to life the legendary historical figure of William the Conqueror, beginning with his turbulent childhood as the illegitimate son and only heir of the Duke of Normandy. By the author of Command of the King.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The perilous youth of a leading historical figure yields an absorbing narrative in Lomer's ( The Seascape ) vivid portrayal of 11th-century European life for both the high- and low-born. Seven-year-old William, bastard and only son of Robert, Duke of Normandy, is heir to his father's lands and titles. After Duke Robert's death on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, however, ambitious relatives try to cast William's claim aside on the grounds of his illegitimacy. The boy and his mother take brief refuge with France's weak king, Henry I, who wavers in support of William, torn by gratitude for Robert's loyalty and suspicion of the boy, who is prophesied to be a conqueror, possibly of France itself. When William returns to Normandy, his cousin Ralph de Gace, arranges the assassination of most of his protectors. Escaping with his mother's brother, William lives among peasants for a year before beginning to gather his supporters, who are drawn by the generous and charismatic young man. Entwined is the story of his awkward but successful wooing of the prickly and intelligent Matilda of Flanders.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The author of The Sea Scape (St. Martin's, 1992) here offers a tale of William the Conqueror. Taunted as a low-born oaf and called The Bastard since boyhood, William, Duke of Normandy, later called The Conqueror, learned early to endure his enemies' contempt. When Duke Robert dies in 1035, he leaves eight-year-old William practically defenseless--a boy trying to protect a much-coveted duchy. A conspiracy close to home forces William to flee with his Uncle Walter, both disguised as peasants. Although William despises the duplicity of the French court, it is there that he meets Matilda of Flanders, an unconventional woman who matches him in determination and strength of will. This novel tells of young William's struggles to take control of his Norman lands and to reestablish his title as he crosses swords with the petite Matilda. These two legendary individuals come alive in this finely crafted novel, which is recommended for most fiction collections.
- Maria A. Perez-Stable, Western Michigan Univ. Libs., Kalamazoo
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 269 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st U.S. edition (June 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312092938
• ISBN-13: 978-0312092931
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,894,492 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hard to believe an author can make William of Normandy boring..., March 27, 2010

By 

Misfit (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Fortune's Knave: The Making of William the Conqueror : A Novel (Hardcover)

...but unfortunately Lide's managed to do it. Known to history as William the Conqueror, this book covers William's life before his conquest of England. When his father dies unexpectedly whilst returning from pilgrimage to the Holy Land, an illegitimate William inherits the Duchy of Normandy. Beset on all sides from rival claimants, he is forced into hiding when an attempt is made on his life. The rest of the book details his efforts to raise forces to regain his duchy, as well as his relationship and marriage to Matilda of Flanders.

*yawn*

There is nothing worse than an author who takes a fascinating bit of history and makes it dull as dirt and I only managed to finish this by skimming a great deal. William, known as a formidable and ruthless warrior comes off more like a limp wet noodle in this one, and while I'm not generally a fan of highly detailed battle scenes these were just tedious. As for his relationship with Matilda? No, we don't really know much about that but there were sure a couple of WTF moments for me. Sneaking out and meeting up with William in the stables? Her attendant leaves her alone to pray in the chapel and William's able to get her off to a side room and they engage in some very heavy petting when they aren't even betrothed?

Oh that's right - I'm supposed to remember it's all just FICTION and look the other way. Not. I still expect a good story and one that keeps me entertained while being educated at the same time, and this book most definitely does not do that. Perhaps I'm forever spoiled by Helen Hollick's Harold the King and Valerie Anand's Gildenford trilogy, but Lide's William just bored me to tears. Not recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The making of a king, June 20, 2004

By 

S. E. Kennedy "ocinnedeagh" (Minnesota, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fortune's Knave: The Making of William the Conqueror : A Novel (Hardcover)

Fortune's Knave begins when William of Normandy is 8 years old. The bastard son of Duke Robert and his peasant lover, William is adored by the Duke's men and is growing up a bit oblivious to the turmoil surrounding his very existance. His father leaves on a quest to the Holy Land and intends to return and marry his lover to make William the legitimate heir to the duchy. When Robert dies, William and his amazingly intellegent and strong-willed mother begin a quest of their own - to keep William alive to succeed his father as Duke of Normandy.
The book begins fairly well, but the true excitement begins when William first flees for his life - to live among the peasants and wait for the time to make his survival known.
As William grows you are introduced to a cast of characters vying for the dukedom...pay attention to the family tree generously provided by the author - it will help you sort out the similar names and claims. You will also meet Matilda of Flanders - an interesting character herself. William certainly had a way of attaching himself to amazing women.
I knew going in that the book was only about the making of a conqueror - and it does leave you far short of the entire tale of William's life and conquests. For further reading on this topic, I highly recommend the trilogy by Valerie Anand - beginning with Gildenford and ending with the Disputed Crown.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really good historical novel, January 25, 2003

By 

Dana Wooten (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fortune's Knave: The Making of William the Conqueror : A Novel (Hardcover)

I thought this was one of the best books I've ever read. Good storytelling, exiting plotline and well-developed characters. I would highly recommend it, as I already have recommended it to my mom, sister and aunt.

I read a previous 1992 edition from Headline Books which had a very high number of typographical errors, which annoys me when I'm immersed in the story. Hopefully those circa 50 typos were spotted and corrected for this 1993 edition from another publishing house.