Customer Reviews

Isabella and the Strange Death of Edward II

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With an opening prologue espousing the imperial aims of Edwards 1st and focusing on the height of the English mediaeval period of the fourteenth century, Doherty focuses on London's expansion to become a true European capital and how Edward's dreams were thwarted by the Scots. Into the mix came the marriage of his son, the future Edward II and Isabella, the daughter of Philip IV of France
The first half of the book details the history of the couple right up until Edward's somewhat painful death (as reported by Swynbroke) whilst incarcerated at Berkeley. Opening with the political dynastical struggle between Edward and Philip to create future power for their respective countries the two were betrothed in 1299 with what could be seen at the time as a heavily bound contract promising all kinds of dire retribution if any party should renege on the deal. We move swiftly through the sudden death of Edward I in 1307, having some detail on the relationship between the King and the to-be Edward II, Doherty heavily emphasizing Edwards fiercely emotive personality traits. If a fiend you were a friend for life, if an enemy, he never got. This is a trait that is prevalent through Edward II's life and heavily affected his decision making. Two figures leap out as having lived and fallen with him. Firstly, Gaveston who was ultimately elevated to Earl of Cornwall and given such a place of prominence that the nuptials of Edward and Isabella were portrayed in a rather insulting manner to the French nobility. However, given Isabella's age at the time this does not seem to have been too problematic. After Gaveston's exile in 1308 and subsequent `execution' following an English noble revolt headed by Lancaster, Isabella rose in prominence and indeed fortified several treaties between Edward and Philip, whilst Edward eventually rounded on Lancaster and the remaining rebellious lords and had them effectively proscribed. Post-battle of Bannockburn where the Scots crushed the English in 1314 Edward became increasingly emotive in his rulings and Isabella found herself the subject of many plots. It is at this time Hugh de Spencer (or Dispenser as there seems to be some conflict of his name) the Younger rose to favourite under Edward, again to the same degree as Gaveston but this man appears to have been far more brutal. Indeed Doherty tries to suggest that Isabella's ultimate separation and rebellion against Edward in 1326 was due to the suggestion that there ultimately be an `open' relationship amongst the three of them. This in turn, `justifies' Isabella's adultery with Roger Mortimer during he initial self-exile in France and subsequent dealings in England when she returned to invade and execute de Spencer and capture Edward, forcing the coronation of their son, Edward III.
The second half of the book deals with the uncertainty surrounding Edward's death during incarceration, firstly placing his movements during those last few months then his subsequent burial away from Westminster as a `deposed prince'. Doherty gives time to discussing the movements of the body (it took several months to carry out the funeral due mainly to the military expedition in Scotland) before detailing the funeral of Dec 20 1327. After the internment Isabella seems to have forgotten her dead husband, moving swiftly to arrange the marriage of her son and Phillipa of Hainhault. Unfortunately, Isabella appears to have succumbed (with Mortimer) to excessive rapacity and governmental monopolisation resulting in Lancaster plotting rebellion and eventually falling out with her son, Edward III. After Edmund, Earl of Kent's admission that Edward II was not dead but imprisoned at Corfe Castle and there was a plot to free him - in itself a ludicrous turn of events - led to many arrests and death for treason. Nevertheless, by the fall of 1330, Isabella was in exile and Mortimer executed as all they had done was replace Edward's tyranny with their own. It was now the young Edward III decided to act in conjunction with Pope John XXII. Edward's close friend Montague managed to get Mortimer to declare that his word was above the King's and promptly pulled off a coup, imprisoning Mortimer then securing his execution. At the trial of Berkeley we learn that Thomas Gurney, William Ockle and Maltravers were identified as the regicides. All bar Gurney were eventually pardoned, he dying whilst under arrest. Isabella escaped and henceforth no reference was made to her being involved in any of the crimes committed. Doherty skips through the remaining 28 years of her life, noting her piety and charitable goodwill.
Come Chapter 7 the main protagonists are dead and hence Doherty's historical recreation ends. He spends the remaining 60 pages discussing the true events surrounding Edward II's death. He focuses on a letter from the papal notary Fieschi (dated by modern historians to around 1337) who claims to have met Edward II, detailing his life on the run until he ends up at a monastery near Milan. Going through the letter section by section, Doherty firstly seems to pass the letter off as fabrication then comes a more neutral stance is saying that he fundamentally believes that Edward II didn't die, but that Fieschi got his information second hand rather than in a direct interview.
Doherty's account of Isabella and Edward II and III is a good starting point for anyone wishing to gain an instant understanding of the history of England during the early fourteenth century. Immediately accessible to the general reader, it is useful for the pre-university student or for those wishing some standard reading of the subject though it should be noted the quality is nowhere near university standard. For more detailed analysis of the time and the personages involved there are better books out there, but this is not intended to be overly critical. It is a good general overview of the history with some `suggestive' theories that aren't really expanded on, that can leave the reader with questions to which the answers need to be sought elsewhere.

If your knowledge of Edward II is as sketchy as mine was, you'll think that the strange death in the title of Paul C. Doherty's book refers to the gruesome manner in which Edward was supposedly assassinated. Edward is widely thought to have been killed by, in the translated words of a contemporary chronicler, "a red hot poker being thrust up into his bowels."

Certainly that is a strange death, but Doherty finds evidence that there is much more strangeness in what happened after Edward's downfall. Doherty agrees with most historians up to the point where Edward is captured, imprisoned in Berkeley Castle, and forced to abdicate in favor of his son, Edward III. Only fifteen years old, Edward III would be subject to his mother's control, and that of his mother's lover, Roger Mortimer.

Accepted history says that Edward II tried to escape from Berkeley Castle in 1327, was quickly captured, then killed by agents of Mortimer. Doherty thinks Edward's escape was successful and that Isabella and Mortimer buried a look-alike to prevent attempts to reinstate Edward II. He offers several possibilities about what happened to Edward II after escaping, but comes to no definitive conclusion other than that he was not murdered at Berkeley Castle and is probably not buried in the tomb that bears his name in Gloucester Cathedral.

Isabella and the Strange Death of Edward II is a short book, only 262 pages including footnotes, bibliography, and index. Doherty explains everything lucidly enough so that I was swept up right into history without knowing much about the characters beforehand. He explains the sources and their biases, and how he came to his conclusions. If you enjoy Doherty's book, you may also like Alison Weir's Queen Isabella (2005), in which Weir goes a step beyond Doherty, and decides that Edward II not only escaped, but ended up a hermit in Italy until he died in 1341.

With such interesting subject matter, I had high hopes for this book. However, it is so sluggish I can hardly get through it. The language and writing style is faux-scholarly and circuitous. As a result, the story doesn't "flow" and I find myself forced to reread several parts. The author glazes over the juiciest bits as well. There must be a better telling of this story somewhere out there!

I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written, logically formatted book. Unlike many non-fiction works covering this period in history, the auther manages to provide a great many pertinent facts without confusing the reader. Mr. Dougherty's hypothesis is that perhaps Edward II was not killed and may well have escaped his imprisonment and lived out the rest of his life abroad in exile. Could it be that the body contained in a tomb in Gloucester Cathedral does not belong to King Edward II? The arguments in this regard are convincing, reasonable and thus, most interesting to ponder. The absence of photographs was a slight disappointment but they are not integral to the understanding of this very good book.

This book considers Queen Isabella's role in the infamous alleged murder of her husband and deposed king of England, Edward II, in September 1327. Most historians accept the murder as factual, ordered to eliminate possible opposition to the seizure of power by Isabella and her lover, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March. Doherty, however, believes that Edward was not murdered but escaped and fled abroad. He also believes that Isabella's and Mortimer's strenuous efforts to paint Edward's death as accidental and to cover up their own roles in it were actually directed at covering up the former king's escape. Preceding these theories is a workmanlike job of describing Edward II's calamitous marriage and disastrous reign.

Isabella, daughter of King Phillip IV of France, was married to Edward for political reasons in 1308, becoming Queen Consort of England at age twelve. Edward, who spectacularly mistreated and insulted Isabella throughout their marriage, was a feckless king, probably the worst of the long Plantagenet line. He alienated his nobles, reversed his father's success in Scotland, turned the government over to personal favorites who acted only to aggrandize themselves, risked war with France because of his treatment of Isabella, and presided over a general breakdown of peace and order in England. This produced two successful rebellions, one successful invasion (by Isabella), the forced abdication of Edward II and his murder or flight.

Doherty argues that no murder occurred. He outlines an escape theory that relies on conspiracy, a doughty outlaw band supplied by disaffected nobles and determined to liberate Edward and a complicated cover-up not only by Mortimer and Isabella but by Edward III and others. The theory seems too complicated and with too many players with differing interests to be credible. Edward was probably duly murdered.

The book has two drawbacks. First, the prose was dull in the narrative sections. It achieved greater heights only twice: In Doherty's impassioned discussion of his theory of Edward's escape and in his demolition of a rival theory based on the famous Fieschi letter. Second, I felt that Doherty lost objectivity in dealing with Isabella's actions against Edward. He uses her legendary nickname ("the she-wolf") in two chapter headings and seldom loses an opportunity to paint her in the darkest colors. Doherty also dislikes Mortimer but seldom attacks him as bitterly as he does Isabella; and Mortimer was probably the driving force in the regency. In narrating the rest of Isabella's life Doherty casts no unusual aspersions and even evidences some sympathy for her.

Overall the book has an interesting viewpoint but is by no means a "must read."

Compared to Alison Weir's biographical work on Isabella, this book, as the title would suggest, is concentrated mostly on the events surrounding her husband's death. As such, I think the book does a very good job of describing the generally accepted version of events, while exploring less-supported, though quite possible, alternate theories.

What I liked most about the second half of the book was that the author analyzed numerous parts of significant documents almost line by line, which helps the reader develop his or her own conclusions about the likelihood of certain events. Also, the main text is just over 200 pages, which is very digestible. In other words, non-history fanatics will be able to take something away from this book.

The book is definitely not sympathetic toward Queen Isabella, which is a large contrast with Weir's work (I don't mean to make Weir's book the standard, but it is probably the only other modern and well-circulated book on these events). At the same time, the book is not overly critical of her, either. While there are several references to Isabella as feigning the "grieving widow," following Edward II's death, I think most readers would assess that as a fair interpretation of her anyway.

Overall, if you are mostly interested in the "main event" in the marriage of King Edward II and Queen Isabella of France, you will not be disappointed by this book. It is a good, quick and informational read. I'd also recommend Alison Weir's book "Queen Isabella" which includes more information on the couple's earlier years.

I just finished reading this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think alot of the book reviews on Amazon.com reveal more about the reviewers than the books.

My opinion of this book is based on what I was looking for when I bought it. I love history but I don't have time anymore for an in-depth historical study, I'm not an history professor. I just want a book that gives the main facts in a logical sequence and adds a few interesting details. I just wanted to know what the basic story of Edward II and Isabella was in an easy to read style and that's what this book gave me.

I don't have time to read books that detail me to death or get so far off track that you keep wishing the author would just get back to the main subject. I don't like authors who can't convey a simple concept in a simple paragraph that is easy to follow. This book is guilty of none of those flaws.

One reviewer said the book was dull, how could it be when the subject is described in 236 pages and covers a fairly eventful story? I thought the author was very judicious in deciding what to put in and leave out.

Another reviewer said the author made some factual errors; they are minor errors I can live with (if they really are errors?, I didn't research them). I think when it comes to events that occurred around 700 years ago and the primary sources are usually written by people with agendas we can't be 100 percent sure of anything except maybe a basic outline of events and the dates of the events themselves, maybe? This reviewer also said the author used "de Spencer" in error instead of "le Spencer", or whatever, I mean come on, get a life. Does a factual error like that really detract so much from the story or hinder most peoples ablility to enjoy it? If I decide to be a scholar on this subject someday then I'll worry about if the minute details are in error or not.

I also enjoyed the authors description of the mystery surrounding Edward's death, some think he got away and a body double put in the King's place. I doubt it myself but the author gives the basic facts in an objective way and lets you decide for yourself.

If you want a book that just gives you the basic story of Edward II and Isabella written in an easy to read style then this is the right book for you.