King Stephen and The Anarchy

“[The] epic story of the struggle for the throne and the woman who was almost the first queen of England . . . historically accurate . . . entertaining.” —Tudor History

The Anarchy, the protracted struggle between Stephen of Blois and the Empress Matilda for the English crown between 1135 and 1154, is often seen as a disastrous breakdown in one of the best-governed kingdoms of medieval Europe. But perhaps the impact of the conflict has been overstated, and its effect on the common people across the country is hard to judge. That is why Chris Peers’s fresh study of this fascinating and controversial era is of such value. He describes each phase of this civil war, in particular the castles and sieges that dominated strategic thinking, and he sets the fighting in the context of the changing tactics and military systems of the twelfth century. His fresh account of this pivotal episode in the medieval history of England will be absorbing reading for anyone who is keen to gain an insight into this period of English history and has a special interest in the practice of medieval warfare.

“Brings alive a fascinating period when chivalry and the church reduced battlefield fighting to a necessary minimum . . . a good story, well told.” —Clash of Steel