Charles Spencer’s The White Ship plunges readers into one of England’s greatest maritime disasters and its far-reaching consequences. The book captures the essence of a pivotal moment in medieval history with the same intensity as a contemporary thriller.

On the fateful night of November 25, 1120, the White Ship, carrying Henry I’s only legitimate heir, William Ætheling, set sail from Barfleur. Laden with the crème de la crème of Anglo-Norman society, the ship’s journey ended in tragedy when it struck rocks, leading to the death of nearly everyone on board. This catastrophe not only wiped out the future king but also set off a chain of events that plunged England into a civil war known as the Anarchy.

Spencer’s narrative is not confined to the sinking alone; he masterfully weaves the tale of the Norman dynasty from William the Conqueror to the chaotic years following the disaster. The author explores the personal histories and political machinations of the era, offering readers a vivid portrayal of a time when the quest for power was unrelenting and brutal.

One of the most striking aspects of The White Ship is how it parallels modern-day power struggles. The civil war that ensued after the shipwreck is reminiscent of a real-life Game of Thrones, where familial bonds are tested, alliances are forged and broken, and the fight for supremacy is relentless. Spencer’s portrayal of Matilda’s battle for recognition as the rightful heir highlights the gender dynamics of the time, raising questions about the evolution of female power in the centuries that followed.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

When I first got this book, I was curious how the author was going to get an entire book out of one shipwreck and be able to keep everyone's attention the entire way through - which I quickly discovered was a stupid question. I was HOOKED very early on, and drawn into the story.
The author begins by taking us through William the Conqueror's story, the following kings, the hardships that followed through the kingdom, and winding up with Henry - who had worked hard to ensure that the monarchy was secure. His son, William, was destined to take the throne after his father, but after years of warfare, hard-earned respect, and finally recognition from France, it seemed that everything was complete - bring on the golden years! Cue, the White Ship.

The youth aboard the White Ship was jovial, partying along with the crew, and celebrating. As they waited to embark on their short voyage to England, drinks were flowing, and the crew, unfortunately, was just as drunk as the passengers. Instead of waiting for the following morning, the Captain decided to sail anyway, forgetting about the dangerous rocks at the beginning of the harbor. What happened would crush the aristocracy of England, taking some of the best and brightest of the future generations, tearing families apart, ending families, and destabilizing the monarchy itself.
After the tragedy, there was nothing good waiting for England, which after the death of the king, quickly was realized. While Henry had ensured that his daughter, Matilda, was sworn to be his heir after his death, her cousin, Stephen of Blois, raced to claim the crown instead. What followed were decades of warfare, tearing the country apart. When it seemed that Matilda finally had the crown in her hands, she alienated her support. She had to finally realize that she needed to fight for the rights of her son, not herself, and therein the tides of war changed. Stephen was finally forced to recognize the young Henry Fitzempress as his heir, finally bringing peace and harmony to the country.

I was absolutely blown away by this book, and hate that it took me so long to get through it. I enjoyed the breakdown of the history, the backstory of what led to the tragedy, and the unfortunate endings of the lives of so many promising youths.
For those who love history, this is one book that you need to read. Medieval history at its finest!

Very good read! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

I love reading about England and have ready many books in college and on my own. I have never head of the White Ship. This book was everything I had hoped it would be. The story of Henry I and his tragedy was so interesting. The story read like fiction and kept my attention throughout. I could actually picture the horror of the people on the ship as they realized they would drown. This was a very emotional scene. I feel that the author did a very thorough job in laying out Henry's life and misfortunes. i would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves British history.

The White Ship by Charles Spencer is an excellent history of England in the years between the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 and the ending of the Civil War by the Treaty of Westminster in 1154. The book begins by laying out the background of the territories and personalities (and especially the ever changing alliances) that will become involved in the coming action. Then, on the heels of Henry I's great success in re-taking Normandy, he returns triumphant in 1120 to England which he has helped to usher into a period of peace and prosperity after a history of Viking raids and following the weak and corrupt ruling by King William Rufus. Henry has ensured that this peace will last by clearly designating his son, William, as his heir. However, in one night with the sinking of the White Ship, the future of England after Henry's death is thrown into uncertainty by the death of William. Although Henry survives for another 15 years, he is unable to father another legitimate son to secure the continued stability of the country. When Henry eventually does die, his worst fear comes true as the kingdom is thrown into a civil war lasting 19 years which tears the country apart in the bloodiest anarchy that England has ever suffered.

Once the initial background was laid, the book read like an action adventure story! The author did a fantastic job of both explaining how history prior to the Conquest led to these events and, even more so, how these events led to the future of England that we know from history and current events. It might seem outlandish to claim that historical events of some 900 years ago contribute significantly to current events, but the author does a fine job of exactly this. This book is an excellent foundation to begin understanding English history.

One of my favorite aspects of this story involved the gender issues involved in the Civil War dispute between Matilda (the rightful heir) and Stephen (the usurper). It is amazing to look back with contemporary views on gender equality to the struggle for recognition that Matilda lost. It leads one to contemplate how these events impinged on the recognition of future English Queens. How was Mary's claim to the throne in 1553 successful, though it was in similar circumstances? Would Mary have been recognized as monarch if Matilda had not fought a similar battle 400 years before? What had changed in that time?

The White Ship is, essentially, not only the story of Henry I's loss of his only legitimate son and the apparent end of his legacy, but also of the subsequent civil war between Matilda, Henry I's daughter and Stephen, his nephew. I have an MA in Medieval history, and though not the specific time period of my specialization, my interest is largely in the history of Britain to about 1500, so I was still very much interested in reading it.
I might suggest that perhaps the title is somewhat misleading, as the content covers a good deal of the personal history of William the Conqueror and his sons (one of which of course being Henry I), discusses William Aethling for a short time relative to the length of the book, and continues on to the civil war. This didn't put me off necessarily; it simply wasn't what I was expecting to read.
That said, It was wonderfully written and seemingly well research. The style was pretty narrative, so even for the length (it was a chunky guy), it was very smooth presentation and very easy to read. Would read it again, and would certainly recommend to any of my friends with similar interest.

A masterful piece of historical scholarship!

“The White Ship,” a book about the retelling of the sinking of the craft by the same name in 1120 is not just about that catastrophe but also about the history of the Anglo-Norman rulers of England before and after that. Because of the completeness of this story, we can clearly see just how devastating this accident was to England and Normandy. This sinking wiped out the heir to the kingdom and most of the ruling, land-owning class. It opened up the kingdom to 19 years of bloodshed and devastation.

Author Charles Spencer does a thorough job profiling all involved in royalty and the nobility with footnotes and extensive endnotes. There is a large and interesting bibliography at the end of the book. All assertions are supported. Also, this is one of the best-edited pre-publication galleys I have had the pleasure to review. This was a very fast read for me because of the exceptionally high-quality of the text. Efficient and to-the-point, the writing is very readable.

Author Spencer introduces all of the players in such a way that you know who and more importantly, what they are. I felt like I truly got to know the big players of the time. I certainly have never understood this period of history as well. As I am (supposedly) a descendant of some of the royals mentioned, this was extremely interesting for me to know what they did and why.

Thank you to Harper 360, William Collins; Charles Spencer; and NetGalley for allowing me to read this pre-publication galley. My opinions are my own and I did not receive anything for my review.

Strongly recommend for history aficionados of this period.

It’s refreshing to read a history title that is engaging and pulls the reader in like fiction. Definitely worth the read, even if you aren’t normally interested in nonfiction titles.

The White Ship by Charles Spencer is a truly thorough novel. It looks back at William the Conqueror establishing himself as sovereign, and then pitches forward through the successive battles and strife before settling upon Henry I, his son, thus setting the scene for the title of the book. I found it a very gripping read; sometimes historical novels are, to put it as kindly as one can, rather dry, but this one was absorbing and fascinating, and did a thorough job at showing how Henry I worked so hard to establish peace and consolidate power only for it all to be undone in one fatal, catastrophic accident.

There were quite a lot of names, many of them the same or similar, which may confuse or overwhelm the average reader, but the detail and fleshing out of the innerworkings of the marriages and loyalties performed by the author should help to alleviate misgivings in anyone wary of picking up historical books.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! It was so well written and full of lots of historical things that I didn't know about!
William the Conquerer, his children,his grandchildren, Stephen and Matilda. S9 much detail.
Highly recommend this book!

This event in history has always fascinated and horrified me. The sinking in 1120 of the fastest ship afloat at the time and the deaths of most of the current social elite and most importantly: the royal heir of Henry I. With William's death by drowning, civil war and a race to take over the crown led to a period of history likened to a Game of Thrones. Families pitted against families, and civil war tore the land. The Scots, the Welsh, the Britons, and more were thrown into the turmoil. This is a dense time of European history, but for a lover of all things Anglo-Saxon or British, it will be a delightful read about a largely unknown event here in the states.

Thank you to Harper 360/William Collins publishers and NetGalley for the advanced digital reading copy of THE WHITE SHIP.

Loved the cover. This book covers the history of the King of England who lost his heir when the White Ship sank with no survivors. The author researched the history and gave rich details about the Royal family of England at that time in history.

As much as I enjoyed the book, I needed to consult the genealogical family charts of the King and his relatives so that I could keep track of who was who.

Highly recommended for students of English history. I can see this book used in English history classes at University.

This was an absolutely fascinating book on one of Medieval England's most tragic events. Spencer accomplishes the task of telling the story of the "White Ship" which greatly affected the British royal family through the eyes mainly of Henry I who lost the his successor to the throne in this horrific accident. In vivid detail we are taken on the road leading up to this event as Henry I struggles to the throne competing with family and other outside forces who wish to contend with one of William the Conquerers' children. I would highly recommend this work for those who may wish to see what lead to the rise of the Plantagenet Dynasty and overall the evolution of the royal family in the Middle Ages.

An very interesting book on the turmoil in the succession of William the Conqueror and the impact of the loss of the white ship which carried the heir to the throne. The intrigue and political in fighting was very detailed and informative. A great read for the happy story fan.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"The White Ship" by Charles Spencer is the rare pop history that isn't about one of the big "names" of European history. This work takes us to Henry I's England and his efforts to gain the throne and create a lasting dynasty--and, of course, the civil implosion that happened in his wake.

What's good: Lesser-discussed rulers in mainstream history are front and center here. Stephen and Matilda, here we go!

What's iffier: The book's title refers to the sailing, and sinking, of a ship carrying Henry's heir to the throne. The author shows, quite easily, that the loss of the heir to the throne proved a massive game changer for European politics, since a legitimate male heir, ready to inherit, would have likely forestalled the warfare upon Henry's death. But this isn't a book that is just about the White Ship, despite the first words of the cover, and so if you're here just to learn more about the ship and its wreckage, and the Earl's efforts to find it, you're not going to get what you want.

I received The White Ship as part of a NetGalley giveaway.

The White Ship disaster, an 1120 wreck that killed the only legitimate son of King Henry I and many of the leading figures of Anglo-Norman nobility, changed the course of England's development forever. In this exploration of the history and aftermath of the sinking, Charles Spencer details the unique circumstances that brought Norman control in England to (and eventually back from) the brink of destruction.

Right off the bat: Spencer really, really, really likes Henry I, or at least has an admiration for the uncompromising, warrior king that he was. It is what it is, but probably best to be aware going in that this isn't the most evenhanded portrayal of the man. Similarly, for being titled The White Ship, a relatively small amount of the book (you can argue one chapter out of the 18) is actually devoted to the disaster itself; the rest is extended prologue (the reigns of William the Conqueror through Henry I) and epilogue (the Anarchy). I know enough about the period that I didn't need quite that much exposition, but newer readers might appreciate the context. I love reading about medieval history, and this was a slice of history I was eager to delve into again--in some ways it was very enjoyable, but I think it's best for people who are less familiar with the events contained in it.

I recently completed my examination of an ARC of Charles Spencer's "The White Ship" ( to be published under the Harper 360 imprint). I am pleased to report that it is a thoroughly engrossing read offering even the reader with only a passing acquaintance with Medieval European History a way in to an understanding of the complex world of Normandy and its relationship to Norman England in the turbulent times after the Conquest. At its center is the the White Ship itself (a vessel lost with many prominent aristocratic followers of the King as well as the Crown Prince near the end of Henry I's reign). The text is a very readable account of the events following the Norman Conquest and leading in to the troubled years after William the Conqueror died. The author has a knack for taking the reader into the characteristically complex world of the Middle Ages in a way that often highlights such important side issues as the struggle between the Papacy and the various secular regimes of the time as well as the relationships between men and women and political power. I suspect many readers will be startled at just how many social, cultural and religious constraints played out in the struggles for political power amongst the various families and the complex web of relationships which bound them together (feudalism). Too often, the modern reader's experience of our world with states able to create and sustain overt and more subtle versions of authoritarian and totalitarian states causes us to conflate modern systems with medieval ones. This book is eye opening even if that is all it offered, and it offers so much more!

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This is a great read if your a royalty fan this is a must read.