The White Ship by Charles Spencer

 

The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I's Dream by Charles Spencer

(2020). London: William Collins

 

Charles Spencer has written an unusual book about KingHenry I. It is unusual because it is unbalanced – the title suggests that it is about the sinking of The White Ship in 1120. In fact, it is a more general study of the whole period. I feel that it would have been more instructive to either adapt the contents slightly and write a whole book about Henry I, who is often overlooked in favour of William the Conqueror or Henry II, or to focus on the events of 1120 more closely. Perhaps the historical sources cannot justify a whole book on the sinking of The White Ship.

For an experienced reader of this period there is little that is new in the first five or six chapters, which explain the coming of the North Men to France and the establishment of Normandy. It also gives time and space to William the Conqueror. It is possible to give too much background information and setting of the scene. William took the crown of England fifty-four years before his grandson drowned in Barfleur.

What is useful is a broad-brush view of all of the stresses placed on the monarch at the time, and how the Normans were too successful for their own good – there were too many pretenders to the throne, and no amount of advance planning could avoid the struggle of the different claimants each time the throne fell vacant. Henry’s race to secure the throne on the death of William Rufus is well described, as are the great lengths that Henry went to try to establish his daughter Matilda as a recognised heir. Even Henry, as an absolute monarch, could not dictate from beyond the grave.

An interesting bit-part player in the drama is WilliamClito, son of Robert Curthouse, who was the strongest direct line descendant of The Conqueror. His early death strengthened the claims of Henry’s children and created the perfect storm of competing factions that led to The Anarchy that followed Henry’s death.

Perhaps there are two books here – one outlining how England became a Norman possession, and giving greater space to the lives of William Rufus and Robert Curthouse – and another that describes The Anarchy of Stephen and Matilda with the sinking of The White Ship as a starting point. As one book, it certainly covers a lot of history briefly.

Charles Spencer writes well on a subject that is potentially a muddle – there are four men named William and several queens and princesses called Matilda, so care and patience are needed to follow. It is handy to have Alison Weir’s guide to Britain’s Royal families to hand to refer to. His scholarship is thorough, and the bibliography extensive. He thanks Arabella Pike at his publisher for a lot of the structuring of his book.

This is a good book for a general reader, and a useful starting point for those interested in reading further.