A history novel about the climactic year of John Plantegent, the last child of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best historical novels ever,
By Sherry Christie (Jonesport, Maine) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Myself as Witness (Hardcover)
Readers who admired "The Lion in Winter," the famous film with Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn in the roles of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, may be surprised to know that the screenplay's author, James Goldman, later wrote a novel about Henry and Eleanor's youngest son, John. Goldman mentions in his foreword to the novel that although he followed historical convention in making "Lion's" John weak and conniving, he came to doubt that the real John Plantagenet was as bad as he was painted. Much like Caligula, who suffers from a similarly bad rep, there are no contemporary accounts of John's reign, only chronicles written many years after his death.
The John of "Myself as Witness" is no sniveling coward: complex and fascinating, he's a warrior who fights beside his men; a husband deeply in love with his beautiful queen, Isabelle; a proud man determined to exorcise the shame of losing Normandy and Brittany by adding all of France to his realm; and a king who must grapple with his rebellious barons to keep civilized England from breaking up into chaos. Throughout it all, he struggles to escape the shadow of his larger-than-life parents. The story is told in entries by a monk who is John's designated chronicler (casting director: think Derek Jacobi), but don't assume that this is a dry read. There's plenty of action and intrigue. I could hardly put the book down, and when I reached the soul-wrenching end, I wanted to read it all over again. I recommend "Myself as Witness" very highly to any reader interested in the early Middle Ages. If you are familiar with Thomas a Becket, William the Conqueror, Richard the Lionhearted, Robin Hood, or the Magna Carta (only the last of which appears here), read this book. You'll learn more about a remarkable era and the ill-starred king who inhabited it, as envisioned by a brilliant writer.
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
My review on the book Myself as Witness,
By A Customer
This review is from: Myself as Witness (Hardcover)
I liked the book Myself as Witness for the most part. This book is about King John of England. It does a very good job of showing King John as a real person. It is also interesting because it is written from the perspective of a former clergyman. Many battles take place in this book, and it is a little difficult to keep track of everything. For the most part it is a very good book.
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
My Review of the book Myself as Witness.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Myself as Witness (Hardcover)
I liked the book Myself as Witness for the most part. This book is about King John of England. It does a very good job of showing King John as a real person. It is also interesting because it is written from the perspective of a former clergyman. Many battles take place in this book, and it is a little difficult to keep track of everything. For the most part it is a very good book.
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