Author:Tracy Borman
Read the thrilling, tempestuous story of the 'first' Queen of England.
Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror, was the first woman to be crowned Queen of England and formally recognised as such by her subjects. Beyond this, however, little is known of her. No contemporary images of her remain, and the chroniclers of her age left us only the faintest clues as to her life. Who was this spectral queen?
In this first major biography, Tracy Borman sifts through the evidence to uncover an extraordinary story. Matilda was loving and pious, possessed strength, ambition and intelligence, and was fiercely independent. All of these attributes gave her unparalleled influence over William. Although Matilda would provide an inspiring template for future indomitable queens, these qualities also led to treachery, revolt and the fracturing of a dynasty.
Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror, First Queen of England takes us from the courts of Flanders to the opulence of royal life in England. Alive with intrigue, rumour and betrayal, it illuminates for the first time the life of an exceptional, brave and complex queen pivotal to the history of England.
Tracy Borman tells this story with a steady eye and a steady hand, tracing what can be known of Matilda's part in the events that were to change the course of English history
—— Helen Castor , Literary ReviewBorman shows that Matilda was a capable regent and political operator... Matilda remains relevant: one legacy is her bloodline, which still rules in Britain today
—— Sunday TimesA richly layered treatment of a stormy reign
—— KirkusBorman moves deftly between the difficult written sources... The often scanty details of Matilda's life are given more rounded form by viewing them in context
—— History TodayBorman has expertly forged an absorbing biography from fragments of her personal history
—— IndependentThe remarkable true story of a love affair between two Soviet citizens ... as much a literary challenge as a historical one: the book can be read as a non-fiction novel
—— TelegraphFiges has achieved something extraordinary ... the gulag story lacks individuals for us to sympathise with: a Primo Levi, an Anne Frank or even an Oskar Schindler. Just Send Me Word may well be the book to change that ... the kind of love that most of us can only dream of
—— Oliver Bullough , IndependentRemarkable ... Figes, selecting and then interpreting this mass of letters, makes them tell two kinds of story. The first is a uniquely detailed narrative of the gulag, of the callous, slatternly universe which consumed millions of lives ... The second is about two people determined not to lose each other
—— Neal Ascherson , GuardianA quiet, moving and memorable account of life in a totalitarian state ... The book often reads like a novel ... captivating
—— Evening StandardOrlando Figes has wrought something beautiful from dark times
—— Ian Thomson , ObserverA heart-rending record of extraordinary human endurance
—— Kirkus Reviews[A] remarkable tale of love and devotion during the worst years of the USSR ... [Figes's] fine narrative pacing enhances this moving, memorable story
—— Publishers Weekly
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