"Queens of the Conquest" is a historical novel that vividly captures the challenges and triumphs of powerful women during a significant period. The author skillfully weaves a narrative that brings historical figures to life, offering readers a compelling journey through the complexities of medieval politics and royal dynamics. The character development and attention to historical detail contribute to an engaging and immersive reading experience. Overall, it's a captivating exploration of the lives of queens who left a lasting impact on the course of history.

Medieval Queenship, especially English medieval queens, were my area of study in college. This was a good overview for the casual reader but the historian wouldn't find anything new in this book.

I found a lot to enjoy about this book, particularly the details on how the medieval royalties lived, their diet, their castles, what they did in their spare time, how they went to the bathroom (ha!)..whether they bathed often and so on. The relationships between the kings and queens also made for great reading. Unfortunately I also found myself skipping big chunks. There were just too many in the cast of characters and I often found myself lost and uninterested.

Ms Weir had a huge challenge, especially seeing that Mathilda of Flanders lived almost one thousand years ago!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. So sorry it took so long but this is my honest opinion.

This is really well written and the level of research that went into this book is absolutely stunning. This tells the history of the English queens from the time of the Norman conquest to Henry II. The author uses primary source material to extrapolate the fact from the legends that have emerged in the meantime. I cannot imagine how difficult that must have been. I like that she focuses on the power that they wielded in their own right in addition to the power that they held by association. A lot of their husbands saw nothing strange about leaving them in charge of the country so that they could go off and attend to other matters. She also presents theories as to why Elizabeth I was the first woman to rule England on her own. The entire thing is really interesting and I definitely recommend it.

When I first got back into reading a few years ago, I was at first quite taken by Weir's books. I loved them, and read as many as I could find at my library. But...

Frankly, as I have branched out and read works of the same period by different historians, I am not as impressed as I used to be. The biggest issue I have had with Weir is not the content, she is a skilled historian. But it is her lack of footnotes and citations that have really become apparent as I have become more aware.

On one hand I am glad that Weir has used this format - a biography of multiple queens instead of just one. There is simply not enough known information about these women to justify a full-length biography dedicated to each, and it was a wise decision on Weir's part to flow from one reign to the next. As one would expect, there is a far share of conjecture, as there is so much we simply don't know. I don't mind this when there is a basis for assuming something, some precedent set elsewhere that we know of. But I take a much bigger issue with it when it seems like author-bias. And that is the thing to be aware of with all historians, not just Weir. Historians often write about people they admire, so it is unsurprising that those such people would portrayed in as positive a light as possibly supported by the evidence. I am guilty of it myself when writing of Eleanor of Aquitaine.

The book follows the lives of five queens of England - four of them named Matilda. So as to differentiate a bit, Empress Matilda (daughter of Henry I, mother of Henry II) is referred to as Maud. She is the final queen we meet, following Matilda of Flanders (wife of William the Bastard), Matilda of Scotland (Henry I's first wife), Adeliza of Louvain (Henry I's second wife), and Matilda of Boulogne (usurper King Stephen's wife). Chronicles of the time are relied on quite a bit throughout the text, though readers must keep in mind the bias of those writers as well, in the period they lived and wrote in. This makes some of Weir's statements contradictory then. She addresses the issue of some of these hostile chroniclers and how we can not trust them 100%, but then goes on to state that Adeliza must have been truly beautiful, because the chroniclers all said so. Yeah, that's not really how this works, since nearly everyone queen was referred to this way at some point. No one went around calling queens ugly, so again, the trust/mistrust contradiction comes out at times.

While I do still have issues with Weir's citing, she does seem to include more than the usual amount of information in the Appendices and such. She also included many contemporary sources - letters and chronicles (that again, can not always be trusted with accuracy). Another issue regrading available info is the fact that when there was nothing to speak of for a queen at a certain point in her life, we are told her story through the connection to her (usually) husband, the king. That bothers me.

The most interesting aspect of the book for me were the chapters detailing The Anarchy, as the country descended into a terrible civil war between (usurper) King Stephen and Empress Maud/Matilda. Maud is easily my favorite queen of this bunch, and Weir honestly does not seem to care for her all that much. Stephen was not the rightful ruler; Henry I had made his barons (including that weasel, Henry's nephew, Stephen) swear and oath of loyalty to Maud on a few different occasions, when it became obvious he was going to die without a legitimate male heir - he had plenty of illegitimate male heirs, but his only legit son, William, died when the White Ship sank years earlier. I did not appreciate the obvious comparisons Weir made between Matilda of Boulogne (Stephen's wife) and Empress Maud (Stephen's cousin). One Matilda was 'good' and one was 'bad', even if those exact words were ever used. And see what I am doing right there, how I am also identifying the two in regards to their relationship to a male in their life? It happened a lot in the book too. And honestly, I would have much preferred a shorter book that ONLY focused on what we know about these women, instead of also filling the pages with what the men in their lives were up to also.

This title will be great for any library looking to build a better collection in women studies and women's history. An interesting read overall.

I had a little trouble getting into this at first. Alison Weir has done well at giving a lot of information in a clear manner, but at times the book feels dense. This helps to flesh out all of these historical characters even with some of the shaky information that can the only source for events and happenings. It was well researched and I enjoyed the way she unfolded the story of these 5 queens.

Alison Weir continues her histories of the queens of England in The Queens of Conquest. Meticulously researched on the original sources, the chronicles of Norman England and letters to the Queens, the book covers the Queens Consort from Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror to Maud, the wife of Stephen with the addition of Empress Matilda who failed in her attempt at the Crown of England. Each queen's powers, marriage relations, children, piety and relations with the magnates of the times is detailed chronologically. Fascinating reading for any history buff.

This is a great overview of the first three queens, plus the Empress, of post-1066 England, all named Matilda. It is well-researched, full of footnotes and maps, and each chapter is only a few pages, making it a very readable book. I look forward to the next installment, which I anticipate will pick up with Eleanor of Aquitaine.

I have Weir to thank for my love of nonfiction. A few decades ago I devoured her book on Eleanor of Aquitaine and have been a fan of her work ever since. Her work is consistently well-researched and thorough. She has a way with words so that the reader feels submerged in the world she is recreating. This book is not the exception. A historical page-turner about medieval queens that is hard to put down.

A fascinating and entertaining look at a group of people you don't often read about in the history books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an e-ARC of this newest title by Alison Weir. I love reading Royal history, but it has to keep a narrative for me to remain interested. This is especially true when we are dealing with multiple people. This book started in 1066, carrying along through Empress Maud. I enjoyed this book a great deal, and if you like British history, want to read about women in history, or just want a good read, I'd highly suggest this title.

I have developed a bit of an addiction for Alison Weir's books and I am on a quest to read all of them. I love how she goes into a deep dive about a person (or in the case of this book, persons) and by learning about them you expand your knowledge about the time period and other people involved. Medieval English history is a bit of a passion of mine, pretty much the majority of the books I read anymore are about this subject, and I really love how Alison Weir's books are long while being interesting.

I also really appreciate that these books stick pretty solidly to the subject of each section, the only one that seemed to focus on other figures was the section of Adeliza of Louvain, but that might just be for lack of information about her and more of a focus on some of the other ladies who will have a seemingly much larger impact on British politics. I did really enjoy finding out that where her predecessor, Matilda, was a great patron on religion, Adeliza was more of a patron on the arts.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and cannot recommend it enough, if you are a person who loves British history, famous queens, and deep dives into the culture and politics of the Medieval era then definitely pick this book up.

Although I have always been interested in British history, I have only recently discovered Alison Weir's books. This one, Queens of the Conquest, is the first of a four-volume series the author has planned. Weir does extensive research of each of her subjects, in order to provide exhaustive detail for the reader, and this volume is no different. While not a textbook, Queens of the Conquest contains information for serious study of the time period.

Lovers of British history will enjoy this all-encompassing account of the queens during the time of the Normans, beginning with with the story of Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conquor, and continuing with Matilda of Scotland ("Edith"), first wife of Henry I, and Adelaiza of Louvain, second wife of wife of Henry I, Matilda of Boulogne, wife of Stephen, and the Empress Maud (also named Matilda) who was chosen by her father, Henry I to succeed him, but was rejected because she was a woman.

I wrote about the tragic story of Maud in the historical fiction book, The Fatal Crown, whose author admits to taking some liberties with the calendar and a few obscure facts to make a more interesting story. Weir, however, writes non-fiction, and, therefore, conducts extensive historical research. The book is quite lengthy, but if you are a history lover as I am, you will enjoy every page. I am already looking forward to the next volumes in this series. Look for me online as The Grumpy Book Reviewer.

If you enjoy non-fiction books about English history, this is a must. Alison Weir's "Queens of Conquest" is so well done, I really had a hard time putting it down. Now, that is hard to say about non-fiction, especially ones filled with so much detail, but this book is a treasure of information.

This book focuses on four of England's Medieval Queens and how they helped shaped the history of their country. The scope of Weir's research is wonderful, she has buckets of references (which I find great in a non-fiction book). As with all history this old, and especially about women, there sometimes isn't a lot of information to go with, or the information can be biased from a patriarchal society. In this work, Weir presents the facts, but also includes "myths" and "stories" about the women, noting the history of the information and how reliable it may be. This book covers many aspects of the queen's lives from the clothing they wore, to how they ran their household, to how they handled diplomacy and intimate affairs of the heart.

Of course, a novel about queens will undoubtedly include information about their spouses and children. Although the main focus of the information is on the lives these women led, you have to get the grander picture, which includes their royal marriages and the history of the spouses. Because the historical facts of these great women, although today is seen as incredibly important, didn't really concern the scholars of the day, there are a lot of gaps and assumptions that have to be made based on what the royal court was doing at certain times of the year. This is really common with subject matter this old, especially in areas of the world where few could read and write.

A beautiful, well written book. I am going to add it to my collection of medieval history. You don't have to be an expert on English history to enjoy this book, but you may get a little lost with all the names and dates. My suggestion is to take your time, and even do a little internet research to get a bigger picture of the family lineages and to see the notable places Weir mentions. My only advice is to get the hardback copy if you are interested in maps or tables. Weir works out the family trees of these women, but it is a bit hard to follow on a e-book. Of course, you can look everything up online if you do decided to get the e-book.

Weir's characteristic attention to detail and interpretation of original sources make this a revealing and captivating read.

Alison Weir's new book, Queens of the Conquest, is great at dispelling the myths that medieval women were all downtrodden, meek, and insignificant. That might have been true among the peasants (although I have my doubts about the meek part), but it certainly wasn't true of royalty. These women were powerful, fascinating, and have stories we're only just beginning to tell. It's about time that scholars gave these women their time to shine. Thanks for the chance to read it..

A great thank you to Ms. Alison Weir, Ballantine Books, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
I'm ecstatic about Weir's new Queen series with the first two novels released: Katharine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. So when I heard of a new nonfiction release book one in a series I jumped at the chance to review it. Weir is s touchstone of British history, with in depth research and a fluid narrative style. All of her books I have read, both fiction and nonfiction, have been written with meticulous care of the facts as well as a high entertainment value.

So starting out I’m reminded that everyone is named Matilda. I’ve always found this era so confusing and rarely read about it. But Weir does a stellar job at separating the queens to minimize this effect. Although the timelines, of course, do overlap it’s easy to tell everyone apart by distinction. The majority of the book delves into the Anarchy period, mostly, I’m sure, because that’s the heaviest documented.

This was an exceptional educational experience for me. I knew little about the Anglo- Saxon queens. This was perfectly researched and written in a narrated style, so it was easily enjoyed. I didn’t want to put the book down. I look forward to the next in the series.

For those like reading detailed history of The Queens of the Conquest is an interesting read.

My first and only other book I have read by Alison Weir is Elizabeth of York (Henry the Eighth's mother). She was a very passive queen. As a group the medieval queens were much involved in governing. While they would not have been seen as men's equals, they were influential. They were very literate in an age when many Kings could not read. They acted as regents when the kings were away at war. They built churches and founded charities. There is a long bloody civil war where one woman (Maud) wants to become the ruling queen of England and is fighting Stephen for the throne where Stephen’s wife plays a key role in keeping the war going. Thus in this civil war two women played leading roles on opposing sides.

As an American, I feel a cultural barrier sometimes when reading about English history before Henry the Eighth written by British writers. My knowledge of this period is very scantly. (For example it was only in the past couple of years that I found out that the Normans were decedents of the Vikings; I did not realize that ethnically they were Scandinavian not Latin. I was taught that the English were invaded by the French). Many British writers, I think are writing on the assumption people have a greater knowledge of British history than what I was taught in the states. These writers sometimes assume a knowledge of British history that does not get caught in the states.

The book is very detailed; some readers may find it slow. I was surprised at the amount of information that exists about some of these rulers. The book is for someone who is a determined reader. However for history buffs this book is a worthwhile read.

In Queens of the Conquest, we are introduced to five lesser-known medieval queens. Alison Weir has given us a meticulously researched and exceptionally readable book. The amount of primary sources she has pulled together is quite astounding as women in medieval times are so often "also rans" as opposed to main characters. She used a great deal of correspondence from the time which I love. I also love that the focus is on strong, unique women. Historically speaking, women's stories are quite difficult to disentangle from the men who surrounded them and she has done that admirably. If you are a fan of her Tudor Queens series and also enjoy historical non-fiction I think you will really enjoy this. An Alison Weir book is a must-read for me and this one only continues that trend.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.