Customer Reviews

A Place Beyond Courage (Paperback)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I picked up this novel with some trepidation. How could the father of William Marshal (newly ensconced in my personal gallery of heroes) possibly be as interesting as his son? How could the maker of the infamous `hammers and anvils' speech possibly be a hero? Still, I was confident that if anyone could make this work it would be Elizabeth Chadwick. The painstaking research that made William Marshal come to life for me would surely do the same in respect of his father.

I wasn't disappointed. I didn't expect to like John FitzGilbert as much as I did. But in the process of reading Ms Chadwick's novel I obtained an appreciation, admiration and respect for John that took me by surprise. In this novel, Ms Chadwick managed to make the man himself human without ignoring the apparent cruelty of the `hammers and anvils' speech. I devoured this book in a few short days.

I know the broad history of this period so knew where most of the major turning points were and which directions events would take. But what I did not have, and what Ms Chadwick has so ably infused into the mixture was a sense of the people themselves and the impacts on their lives of the choices they needed to make.

John Marshal doesn't quite displace his son in my gallery of heroes, but he certainly joins him. Thanks, Ms Chadwick, for making another relatively obscure and heroic figure come to life.

Highly recommended to all who love well written medieval fiction.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I am so pleased to see this novel available for review on Amazon US. It is indeed one of the best historical novels available today and should definitely be open to a much wider audience.

Elizabeth Chadwick's historical novels never fail to engage from the first word, and A Place Beyond Courage is yet another excellent example of first-rate history brought to life. The story of The Greatest Knight's father, John Marshal, A Place Beyond Courage treats us to the equally full and engaging life of a man who knew his own mind and lived his life with gusto and fortitude.

Ms. Chadwick begins her tale with John's early years as Marshal to Henry I, King of England, and follows him through the tumultuous period of warring factions for the crown after the king's death. John is shown to be very adept at achieving his goals and maintaining his own fortunes as he switches sides between Henry's daughter Matilda and Henry's nephew, Stephen; his personal life, however, leaves him feeling cold as his marriage to the mouse Aline dwindles into random meetings in the hall. Enter Sybilla, the sister of the Earl of Salisbury, and equal in fire and spirit to John; the hapless Aline is set aside as a love of deep understanding and desire develops between the two. Chadwick does an outstanding job of balancing the romantic aspect with the historical; never once does the novel steep into the vein of overblown romance as she shows the commitment between the two.

Following the steps of John Marshal through history is as well-told by Chadwick as it can possibly be. As I finished the predecessor to this novel, The Scarlet Lion, I'd thought I loved William Marshal. If that was the case, I'm now in love with John Marshal. Don't miss out on one of the best historical novels I've read in a very long time. It just doesn't get better than this.

Nice to see this book is finally listed on Amazon US and I hope Jenny and Tammy join me in posting their reviews of this wonderful book as well.

This is a prequel of sorts to The Greatest Knight, and is the story of John FitzGilbert, the father of William Marshal. The story takes place amidst the backdrop of England's civil war between Henry's daughter Matilda and her cousin Stephen who usurped her crown, as John tries to juggle his perilous position between the two rivals for the crown.

John's first marriage to Aline (the best he could make at the time in his position) does not fare well as she is weak of mind as well as spirit, and when he chooses to side with Matilda he makes a more advantageous marriage with Sybilla, who bears John several children including William. The characterization of John started from a cat that always lands on his feet to a loving husband and father, facing the most difficult decision of his life. The author did a marvelous job of bringing John, Aline and Sybilla to life, and most especially young William. I was totally entranced at the way William was portrayed, from his exuberant first word to his innocent knowledge of the danger he was in whilst being held hostage by King Stephen.

While this is not a page turning, sit on the edge of your seat, action filled novel, I was thoroughly entertained throughout. As always with Chadwick's books, the way she brings the medieval period to life in such a graceful and effortless way, be it the sights, sounds, smells, food, clothes and battles is just awesome. As quoted on some of her book jackets, the next best thing to time travel. Five stars.

A Place Beyond Courage is a novel of John FitzGilbert (John Marshal). In the year 1130 John is a royal marshal to King Henry I - young he may be, but through his courage and cunning he earned his stripes and respect and men knew not to mess with him. As royal marshal, John was the gate-keeper to the king - if you wanted to see the king, you needed to get past John first. He was also in charge of the court's living arrangements, the horses, the dogs and hawks - there was nothing John didn't have his hand in, including the approval and upkeep of the court whores. This last part did have it's perks, as John says...

"Where would the court be for information, madam, without the digging of prostitutes and priests?"

When John gets to the point in his life where his thoughts turn to marriage and the begetting of an heir, he thoughts are to the practical, not romantic. He marries the daughter of an acquaintance, Aline - a nervous girl, afraid of her own shadow. These two could not have been more imperfectly matched. Despite all the time John was away on court business and all the time Aline spent praying on her knees, they did manage to produce two sons, thus securing the FitzGilbert name.

So, things are going well for John...an heir with one to spare at home, the owner of many estates, a pretty, young wife - so what if she passes out at the sight of blood or gives all his money to the church - she's loyal and fertile, what else could you ask for? Then King Henry has to go and screw things up by dying without naming a successor, throwing the court into chaos and beginning the fight over the throne of England between the king's daughter, Mathilda, and the king's nephew, Stephen.

As sides are chosen and loyalties are made, John has to tread carefully, as he has haters on either side that would like to see him knocked down the ladder a bit. He realizes that the only chance of securing his lands would be to align himself with his enemy, Patrick of Salisbury, who was his neighbor. And what better way than to marry Salisbury's sister, Sybilla. The little matter of getting rid of Aline is quickly dealt with and John is just as swiftly married to Sybilla. Even though you know Sybilla is a much better match for John, you can't help but feel for the cast off Aline, who was quite unsure as to what it was she had done wrong to be so treated, then had her children taken away from her and packed off like an unwanted guest. But, neither could you not like John's new wife, Sybilla, who was quite the opposite of his first. John had finally met his match in this fiery, strong woman and in doing so, fell deeply in love.

The dynamic relationship of John and Sybilla was a pleasure to read, Chadwick excels at capturing love and describing it well. John saying that "if he lost Sybilla, he would be like a boat with a hole torn in it's keep and the sea bleeding in to sink it". They had many children together, including the famous William Marshal of Chadwick's novels The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion (he was the kid in the famous "hammer and anvil" speech made by his father). It was interesting to see this event through the eyes of John, a side I'd never been privy to and one which absolves him of being the heartless bastard he came across as. I also had wondered about what William's mother was going through when William was a hostage and now I know...hoping that her husband's intuition that Stephen would be too soft to really follow through with the threat would prove true, but bracing for the worst. Those were some heart wrenching scenes!

Yet again, another of Chadwick's novels has been given another five star rating from yours truly. No one can do medieval like Chadwick; she brings the people and the places alive and it's pure enjoyment to read her novels. I liked John a lot more than I thought I would and am so pleased that Chadwick chose to write about him, he most definitely earned his place in the history books. Very much recommended.

After reading The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion, Elizabeth Chadwick's two recent novels about that medieval hero, William Marshal, I was very curious to find out more about his parents, especially his father, John Marshal, who is best known to students of medieval legend for his famous comment about 'hammers and anvils.' It was a statement that implied that parents of that time period didn't care very much about their children.

When the novel opens, John Marshal is at Henry I's court in England. He is, as his name states, a marshal - a person responsible not for just the king's safety and security, but also for transporting the king's many servants and belongings. He's already proved himself a skilled fighter, defeating one man who has challenged his right to the job in battle, and he's well-respected and not a little feared by his peers and subordinates. But his most unusual duty is that of selecting the prostitutes that service the king and his courtiers. Lest the reader think that John is just a pimp, it's a logical problem - are the women attractive enough, can they entertain a sophisticated audience, and are they skilled in bed? And these women know quite well that it is John that they have to please, and in return he expects information.

With his skills and good looks, John also has gathered quite a few enemies among the powerful. So far, he's managed to survive, and while he hasn't married yet, he expects to be rewarded some day with an heiress with lands. That heiress is Alien Picard, and as we discover, precisely the wrong woman for John to marry, especially when the king dies, and a bitter civil war erupts across England and Normandy.

John at first serves Stephen, a cousin of the old king's who has seized power because he is a man, and has already tested his mettle in battle. Another faction supports Matilda, Henry's daughter, and it is thought, who has the stronger claim. But England in the twelfth century is very much a man's world, and many of the lords and knights won't follow a woman, even if she is the rightful Queen of England.

But John has a powerful enemy in the sons of the Earl of Salisbury, and with a wife who is afraid of her own shadow; he is risking disaster with every day. When the new Earl of Salisbury offers his young sister Sybilla as a potential wife to John, not only will he gain security but also a powerful ally.

All he has to do is give up his wife -- and his allegiance to King Stephen...

This is one of the most intense novels of the middle ages that I have read. John Marshal is complicated, a honourable man who sometimes has to do things he doesn't agree with for survival. Ms. Chadwick gets right into his head, and lets us see what makes him tick. Unlike most of the heroes to be found in historical fiction, there's a lot that isn't perfect about John, but that just made me like him all the more. He's a ruthless man, but not a cruel one, and I think that a great many of the same men of his class and station must have found themselves in a similar position in that time.

The two women who become John's wives are as different as day and night. Aline Pipard is a religious, rather timorous woman who does her duty, and is more in love with God than with her husband. I kept wanting to give her a good shake or slap, especially when she would just cave in every time there was even the hint of danger. On the other hand, I couldn't be angry with her, as her nature wasn't malicious, she just couldn't do any better. Sybilla is pure fire to Aline's milkiness, she has the backbone to stand up to John, she's very competent, and a very likeable character. True, very strong willed, smart women are a hallmark of Elizabeth Chadwick's novel, but I don't have any complaint with that.

This time around the writing is very vivid. One scene has John trapped in a burning church tower, and it sent chills right down my spine. And yes, the consequences were just as Ms. Chadwick states, and I found myself nodding in agreement as John adjusts to new circumstances. While some might think from the cover that this is a romance novel, it's not. There is certainly plenty of passion between John and the various women in his life, but it more of the psychological drama and the details of life in the middle ages that makes this novel work so well.

Elizabeth Chadwick is one of those writers who is constantly working to improve her skills, and it shows with each successive novel. I've yet to read anything truly bad by her, and I'm continuing to enjoy each new release. For those who demand quality from their historical fiction, and want a thrilling tale as well, this is an author to seek out and savour -- she doesn't just write for a living, she has made it her calling and it shows.

Along with the story, there are several genealogical charts showing the kings of England, and the Marshal family, maps of France and England, and an author's note at the end, that makes for good reading. She also includes a list of sources for those who are curious to read some more of the history of the civil war between Stephen and Matilda.

A Place Beyond Courage is the third Elizabeth Chadwick novel I've read, after The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion. In those books, Chadwick tackled the life of William Marshal; in this one, she fictionalizes the life of his father, John Fitzgilbert. Like a lot of readers, I'd really only known about John Fitzgilbert through his "hammer and anvil" speech, so I was curious to find out what Chadwick would do with her subject.

I wasn't disappointed; Chadwick makes John almost as likeable a character as his son. John's life was fascinating because he was involved with so many of the major political events of the 12th century: he served as Henry I's marshal and then became embroiled in the civil war between Stephen and Matilda. He married a local heiress, Aline, but the pair were completely unsuited to one another, and John divorced her and married Sybilla, sister of his rival. Chadwick does a fantastic job in this novel, as with all her books, of bringing characters that have been dead for 800 years to life on the page. She's especially adept at playing up or down the relationships between each of the characters. The story moves at a rapid pace, and I look forward to reading more of Elizabeth Chadwick's novels in the near future.

I usually give stars in relation to other books I've rated: otherwise this one would have rated 5 stars. The main difficulty I think is that this is a story built on a few known episodes with little information to flesh it out. Therefore Marshall seems perhaps too much the romantic hero, while Sybilla's near perfection becomes a bit annoying. But it's a fine story about one of the most intriguing figures in the Stephen-Maude-Henry wars and at least fleshes out a man hitherto defined only by his rather wild military accomplishments.

Previous apparaisals of John Marshall as an unfeeling monster have always seemed somewhat off the track. Once he made the jump to Maude Marshall was at least loyal, and that's more than can be said of the uncontrolled madness and unreliable loyalty of men such as the Earls of Essex and Chester.

A discussion of the contents, of course, is not an appraisal of the quality of the book. It's a good read with a fascinating main character, portrayed with considerable sympathy and compassion.

The book follows John Marshal, before and during England's Civil War between Stephen former Count of Mortain and usurper of the English throne, and the Empress Matilda, rightful heir to her father's kingdom. In order to survive John has to make agonizing and dangerous decisions, some of which have been condemned through out time as mad, heartless, the actions of a lunatic. From having half of his face melted off while trapped in a burning church, to allowing his 5 year old son to be hung for his own "traitorous" behavior, to the more mundane things like trying out all the court prostitutes to make sure they were fit for service, this was an amazing, breath-holding page-turner. Although I well knew the Marshal's story long before I read this book, Elizabeth Chadwick is that rare sort of story-teller that makes you believe you are reading the story for the first time. I gave this book 5 stars, but it really deserves 10.

This is a typical Elizabeth Chadwick book. It holds true to her reputation as one of the best writers of historical fiction. I love to juxtapose her books with those of Sharon Kay Penman -- both write about the same historical time frame, and it is very entertaining and informative to see the same events from their different perspectives. Elizabeth Chadwick develops her characters and embodies them with very real human emotions. History becomes real and alive in her books, and this one is no exception.

Elizabeth Chadwick at he best as usual. She breathes life into people that lives over a thousand years ago.
incredible reading