When Christ and His Saints Slept: A Novel
A.D. 1135. As church bells tolled for the death of England's King Henry I, his barons faced the unwelcome prospect of being ruled by a woman: Henry's beautiful daughter Maude, Countess of Anjou. But before Maude could claim her throne, her cousin Stephen seized it. In their long and bitter struggle, all of England bled and burned.
Sharon Kay Penman's magnificent fifth novel summons to life a spectacular medieval tragedy whose unfolding breaks the heart even as it prepares the way for splendors to come—the glorious age of Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Plantagenets that would soon illumine the world.
Sharon Kay Penman's magnificent fifth novel summons to life a spectacular medieval tragedy whose unfolding breaks the heart even as it prepares the way for splendors to come—the glorious age of Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Plantagenets that would soon illumine the world.
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Community Reviews
Magnificent!!
Just, bloody brilliant!
As always SKP has outdone herself with all her meticulous research. She absolutely gives you complete immersion into the feudal middle ages of England and Normandy. And hallelujah a little peek into some more Welsh history and her people. Her book Here Be Dragons is my all time favorite and I honestly didn't think she could top that, but she comes so dag-gone close.
She has such a way of bringing real historical figures to life rather than just simple characters on a page. I was aware of who King Stephen & Maude were but had no knowledge of their fight for the crown and the 20 year Anchary that ensued in England. I also loved the little glimpse we got of young Henry II and Eleanore of Aquitaine. I am so ready to jump into the next, but because all her books are around 800+ pages I am going to wait just a little while so I don't possibly become burnt out, however, I find that highly unlikely.
I highly recommend ALL her books! You will not be disappointed.
Just, bloody brilliant!
As always SKP has outdone herself with all her meticulous research. She absolutely gives you complete immersion into the feudal middle ages of England and Normandy. And hallelujah a little peek into some more Welsh history and her people. Her book Here Be Dragons is my all time favorite and I honestly didn't think she could top that, but she comes so dag-gone close.
She has such a way of bringing real historical figures to life rather than just simple characters on a page. I was aware of who King Stephen & Maude were but had no knowledge of their fight for the crown and the 20 year Anchary that ensued in England. I also loved the little glimpse we got of young Henry II and Eleanore of Aquitaine. I am so ready to jump into the next, but because all her books are around 800+ pages I am going to wait just a little while so I don't possibly become burnt out, however, I find that highly unlikely.
I highly recommend ALL her books! You will not be disappointed.
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