Matilda was the wife of William the Conqueror. She had initially refused William's marriage proposal, but it is said she agreed to marry him after he beat her publicly. It was the first of many conflicts in their life together. She tried to grab power as often as she could, and lived a life different than the typical woman of the time. There has been a lot written about William's life, but Matilda has been neglected. Here we can understand the strong woman that Matilda was, and how she greatly helped William conqueror England, and establish his rule.
Tracy Borman works to compile what little evidence we have of Matilda's life. Using artifacts and documents to piece together Matilda's life, Borman provides a new perspective on Queen Matilda. She also discusses later accounts of Matilda's life, and how accurate those portrayals are. I liked that each account was considered and explained why it was accurate or inaccurate, and what information we have to support those claims.
I was eager to read this book when I heard about it, and I am glad I did.This biography held my attention to the end. Borman portrays Matilda as an intriguing person, and I really enjoyed learning about her. I only wish we knew more about this fascinating person. The book did have a lot about William, but most of the documents we still have focus on him, so it was unavoidable. It was still an excellent book about Matilda.
If you are interested in medieval history or women in history I suggest reading this book.
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