Customer Reviews

The Paladin

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As a general rule, I prefer to read straight History, rather than Historical Novels. But I make an exception for the medieval novels of George Shipway. Why? Because his four novels located in Normandy and England, in the period after the Conquest and during the Anarchy - "The Paladin"; "Knight in Anarchy"; "Wolf Time"; and "Free Lance" - are meticulously researched; brilliantly crafted, with believable characters; and, I think, genuinely help to convey the complexities of survival in an era of weak government and uncertain loyalties. Moreover, Shipway was himself a horse-cavalry soldier: when he writes about fighting on horseback, he writes from experience, not merely imagination.

It is a great pity that most of Shipway's works are now out-of-print, and therefore difficult or expensive to find in good condition.

George Shipway (1908-82) was an excellent British historical novelist, whose strengths include a strong realism, and whose cavalry background made him well qualified to write about military matters. Not for Mr. Shipway the romance of chivalry; the nasty, brutish and short side of life in the Middle Ages is presented plainly.

"The Paladin" is the first part of the story of Walter Tirel, reputed killer of William Rufus. Impeccably researched, beautifully written and told in the first person, it's like reading his autobiography.

The sequel is The Wolf Time.

This is the second book I've ready of Mr Shipway's on this period. His attention to detail and historical backround accuracy are second-to-none. Although the characters may not always be liked, the reader cannot but help to empathize. Simply excellent historical fiction.

What a story. This book got me involved in my own search for the cause of William II's death