Book Review: "Stephen: The Reign of Anarchy" by Carl Watkins

As you all know, I'm reading a book about each king and queen from Edward the Confessor all the way to Queen Elizabeth II and so far, I will say, so good. The book on Edward the Confessor was called Edward the Confessor: Last of the Royal Blood by Tom Licence and it was really pretty cool. The book on Harold Godwinson was called Harold: the Last Anglo-Saxon King by Ian W Walker and though I didn't enjoy it that much it sure as hell was expansive and informative. The one on William the Conqueror was called William the Conqueror by David Bates and that was awesome along with the one on William II by King Rufus: The Life and Murder of William II of England by Emma Mason was just as brilliant. The one I read most recently before this was entitled Henry I: The Father of His People by Edmund King and though my head is filling with knowledge of the House of Normandy, I really wouldn't have it any other way. I am really quite enjoying myself.

This book is called Stephen: The Reign of Anarchy by Carl Watkins.

At the beginning of this book I was quite surprised that it gives us this quick overview of what actually happened. We go from William the Conqueror's death in 1087 through William II's reign and through to slowing fown into Henry I's reign. We get a short overview of the White Ship disaster and the rise to power of Stephen, looking primarily at his claim to the throne seeing as he was no male heir of the crown.

However, it does also explain how Henry I supported Stephen and his family seeing as they too, were pretty powerful people. When the White Ship disaster struck, Empress Matilda was the only legitimate child of Henry I that could take the throne. Stephen therefore tried to claim his rights to the throne as well seeing as nobody could see the wife to the Holy Roman Emperor become the ruler of England as she was a German princess who ruled by German standard. It was quite different to the English standard of the time.

One of my favourite parts of the book was the fights and wars between Matilda and Stephen with Stephen trying to grab the throne and make his son his heir. When Matilda got to the throne, it was short-lived and Stephen was quickly reinstated as king once again. This back and forth really shows us the politics of the day and shows us exactly what the crown meant for people inside and outside of the immediate family. Whilst Matilda had a claim, she was just too different in her style of rule, whilst Stephen had a claim, it was shaky at best - his intent being the crown for his son Eustace.

But, things didn't go Stephen's way and once he had finally tried to declare peace, he tried to set up his son William to carry on the fight for the crown, something William was unprepared to do. Stephen was a great warrior and the book describes him as a leading soldier of the front lines. But, in the final few years of this civil war with Matilda, Eustace - the heir to Stephen's fortune - died. Stephen then retired to his grave from a problem with his stomach.

So that is the summary to the book. I found it brief but really informative as I hardly knew anything about King Stephen before this apart from the fact that he fought a German Princess for the throne of England. It was a pretty great book - I though, would've liked it to be longer.