Customer Reviews

Margaret of Anjou: Queenship and Power in Late Medieval England

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First off, let me say that this book is not a biography of Margaret of Anjou (1492-1549). What this book is is a look at what it meant to be Queen of England in the Middle Ages, and how Margaret worked within and around the roles of woman and queen. The book defines the queen's prescribed roles as bringer of political advantages, impartial intercessor with the king, and bearer of an heir to the throne. The author shows that Margaret was careful to live up to these roles, to the best of her ability, and only found herself forced out of them by the power politics surrounding her husband's incapacity and the subsequent War of the Roses.

Overall, I found this to be a good book, but not a great one. The author does not give any unnecessary background on any of the people she discusses, and indeed the academic analysis nature of the book gives it a choppy, uneven feel. The lack of background means that you *must* be familiar with the history of Margaret of Anjou, or you will quickly find yourself lost amid the analysis. Also, as this work is written as a scholarly analysis, it is very dry and makes poor bedtime reading.

So, if you are looking for a history of Margaret of Anjou, then I recommend that you look elsewhere. But, if you know about Margaret and want to understand her better as Queen of England, then you should read this book. Overall, I give this book a rather guarded recommendation.

Married off at fifteen to the weak-minded and ineffectual Henry VI, Margaret -- daughter of the glittering Duke René of Anjou -- was one of the most powerful (and complex) personalities of the period called the "Wars of the Roses." Shakespeare's depiction of her as the "she-wolf of France" probably was closer to the truth than many of his characterizations. But in addition to explaining the details of her life, Maurer is interested in exploring the motivations that drive a woman placed in power by circumstances -- and she's careful to distinguish "power" from "authority," for Margaret's world depended on hierarchy and rank; public power wielded by a woman required subtlety, even in a queen. A first-rate, thoughtful analysis of the circumstances under which "queenship" becomes "kingship."