When Christ And His Saints Slept (1996) - Plot & Excerpts
Penman's broad epic scope focuses on the dynastic struggle for the crown of England. This takes place in the early 12th century when Henry I, who had over 20 illegitimate children, loses his one legitimate heir in the White Ship Ordeal (i.e. basically, a chunk of the fleet sank in the British storms). Upon Henry I's death it was settled that Henry's daughter, Maude, would rule. For his barons this was quite unpopular as women were not supposed to rule, which opened the doors for a cousin, Stephen of Blois, to usurp the crown. What followed was an 18 year struggle in which both sides controlled the throne. The interesting aspect of this tale was that both potential rulers had serious flaws which blocked them from truly ruling. Stephen was kind and gentle yet his kindness was sometimes taken as a weakness by his barons. Additionally, his stubbornness at the Battle of Lincoln (i.e. when his vassals urged him to retreat and he refused) almost cost him his life and resulted in his capture. But then, Maude underestimated Stephen's wife, as well as the Londoners, who tossed her out and put her in a precarious position. She then escaped but soon found herself forced to leave her army behind which endangered her illegitimate brother, Robert, and resulted in his capture.Thus, Robert was exchanged for Stephen and the war continued after a truce. Eventual fighting led to Maude's army being confined at Oxford. Matters got so bad for her during this siege that she and three others wore white cloaks and snuck past Stephen's army during a snowstorm (this truly happened historically)!!! Stephen, who eventually captured the castle, was flustered (i.e. during the first battle from long ago he had allowed Maude to leave the castle in an act of gallantry. His barons blamed him for this much later and, even when he tried to capture her, she always managed to slip away).Victories came and went for both sides, and vassals continued to switch sides. Maude lost her main supporter, Robert, who died in the later years of this struggle. Because of this, Maude's vassals could no longer be held together and she was forced to flee across the waters to Normandy (i.e. northern France). Note that during this war Maude's husband, Geoffrey, Duke of Anjou, had managed to seize many of the British territories, giving Normandy to Maude.But kingship for Stephen left a bitter aftertaste. His wife, Mathilda, died and Stephen continued to have problems with the Church and unruly vassals. Meanwhile, Maude's son, Henry, was securing Normandy and ended up marrying Eleanor of Aquitaine, which only made him more powerful by leaps and bounds. In the end, and, in less than two years, Henry landed in England, where he was supported by his own troops as well as British lords. Stephen put up resistance, but the tides of war were against him. Bad omens and war weary vassals eventually convinced him to pass his title to Henry upon his death. And, in the end, Henry II took the throne of England with very little bloodshed.Penman's writing strengths are in her vivid descriptions, her real and varied characters, her build up of conflict and conclusions and, of course, let us not forget that her love stories are pretty good, too. In this particular novel the dysfunctional relationship between Maude and Geoffrey is engaging.Overall, this is sterling silver quality, so read it right away. STORY/PLOTTING: B plus to A minus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: A minus to A; HISTORICAL AUTHENTICITY: A; OVERALL GRADE: A minus; WHEN READ: 2003 (3rd reading in 2011)(revised review end of June 2012).
William the Bastard, the Conquerer (1066-1087) had: William Rufus, King William (1087-1100) who was killed by a hunting arrow. Henry I,(William's youngest son) became king from 1100 -1135. Henry's only legitimate son drowned when the king's White Ship sunk in the English Channel. His daughter Maude (also known as Matilda) was first married to Heirich, the Holy Roman Emperor. After he died Maude married Geoffrey, Count of Anjou, and had a son, Henry II.Stephen, William's grandson, Maude's first cousin, (his mother was Adela, William's daughter) took the throne from Maude and reigned 1135- 1154. Maude and Goeffrey's marriage was a battlefield.Geoffery of Anjou was given the informal last name "Plantagenet" because of his habit of wearing a sprig of broom or planta genesta in his cap.Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitane.(Who had first been married to King Louis VII of France) Two of their sons were kings of England...Richard the Lion Heart and John. Henry II began the reign of the Plantagenets in England, ending with the death of Richard III at Bosworth, in the War of the Roses. Eleanor died at age 82, (1204) surviving Henry (who was betrayed by his own sons) by 15 years.The 19 years of Stephen's rein were years of war as Maude fought for her crown. That period is known as the time "When Christ and His Saints Slept"It was said that Maude would listen to no one and Stephen would listen to everyone. Robert, Maude's brother (one of Henry I's 23 illegitimate children) was her staunchest supporter.In the 12th Century one out of every three children died before the age of five.The Counts of Anjou were said to trace their descent from Lucifer's daughter, Melusine. (Tail of a fish, married a mortal)Sons and Grandsons born after the Conquest did not consider themselves, English. English had negative connotations, a defeated people. Those of Norman-French decent felt vastly superior to the subjugated English.North Wales was known as Gwynedd.Hides soaked in vinegar were used to repel fire arrows.Hasard--- a dice gambling game.Last names were based on the father's first name. Henry's son would be Fitz Henry. The king's son would be Fitz Roy. Henry II called himself Fitz Empress rather than Fitz Geoffrey or Fitz Count.February 2 was the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as Candlemas.June 24, the Nativity of John the Baptist, also known as Midsummer's Day.Red Herring--something done to through another off the trail. In hunting a herring drawn across the trail was said to throw pursuing dogs off the scent.Petronilla was Eleanor's sister.Maude's epitaph (died 1167, at age 66) read "great by birth, greater by marriage, greatest in her offspring. Here lies the daughter, wife and mother of Henry."Henry II said "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?"—a provocative statement which would perhaps have been just as riling to the knights and barons of his household at whom it was aimed as his actual words. Bitter at his old friend Thomas Becket, constantly thwarting his clerical constitutions, the king shouted in anger but possibly not with intent. However, four of Henry's knights, overheard their king's cries and decided to act on his words.On 29 December 1170, they entered Canterbury Cathedral, finding Becket near the stairs to the crypt. They beat down the Archbishop, killing him with several blows. Becket's brains were scattered upon the ground with the words; "Let us go, this fellow will not be getting up again".
What do You think about When Christ And His Saints Slept (1996)?
If I could sum up this book with one word, I think it would be "sad". As one of the barons says early in the book, the choice is between a queen who listens to no-one, and a king who listens to anyone. It's a terrible choice, made worse by the newness of the Norman-French aristocracy which is still settling into control of England over a restive populace. Leading magnates switch sides with alarming frequency, and the ones who suffer worst of all are the poor caught in the middle. Penman does an excellent job with a sprawling cast, drawing good characterisations that clearly differentiate the characters -- John "I have Icewater For Blood" Marshal and the intriguingly villainous Earl of Chester stand out in my mind as particularly good examples. It did have a tendency to run on at times, which I suppose is a cost of doing business when covering The Anarchy, which lasted 19 years and some-odd months. I was recommended onto this by some Dorothy Dunnett-type resource, but while the latter is fiction set in a historical context, this is merely retold history with some fictional elements (one of the main characters, notably). Consequently it had some failings in holding my interest since I already knew the broad strokes of what would play out and how individual characters would fare. For those totally new to the subject though, I imagine that would be less of a problem. The book was quite long, almost 700 pages, and that was kind of daunting as well...though again, I don't know how you could trim it down and still do the period justice. I'm curious to see what else this author's got going, though, so in that sense I guess the book was a success.
—Ryan Groesbeck
"Why did a crown complicate matters so?" So true, Stephen, so true. This simple thought says it all. Why people think that being a ruler gives you more power and freedom is beyond my comprehension. A king is his people's as much as they are his. It is one of the most dangerous and complicated partnerships ever. So many people whose will you are dependent upon. And different people have different desires and principles. It is a really tricky and harsh buisness to be able to balance between others's differences.Being a king gives you more protection and more enemies to be protected from. You're always where the crossfire is, you're always a target.It takes away your right to act according to your conscience, because mercy often is a weakness for a ruler and it often backfires. Your life stops being about you. Instead, it's all about the kingdom. You are always vulnurable, always in the public eye. Where are the power and freedom in this? It takes away much more than it gives. All former kings and queens have my sincerest empathy.
—Vessy
You will look at this book and find the 742 pages daunting, but I will relieve your mind on that score. The book reads fast. Penman keeps the pages moving bringing history to life and putting flesh on the bones of a vast array of characters. Despite the plot involving so many historical figures I never found myself to be lost. I have read quite a bit about the Plantagenets and that may have helped me to decipher the where, why and what more easily, but I do think a reader with less background of the period will still find themselves swept up in the plot and left at the end of the book with a burning desire to know more about the Plantagenets. In fact I fully intend to read the other two books in the trilogy in the very near future. The trouble, you see, all starts with the White Ship. The legitimate heir to the throne of England, William the only son of Henry the first drowns in a tragic shipwreck. Many English lives would have been spared if William had survived. Henry I dies after a meal of lamprey eels. On his death bed he forces his most ardent supporters to swear fealty to his daughter and only legitimate heir Maude. Some of his supporters do end up supporting Maude, but a majority of them go over to Stephen, her cousin, and he becomes king of England. This is one of those points in history where legitimate and illegitimate blood lines become such a factor. Robert of Gloucester, a competent, well respected illegitimate son of Henry I displaying all the characteristics of a man that would have made a good king is kept from the throne by law. If Robert had been allowed to be crowned king many thousands of English lives would have been spared in the more than a decade of civil war that followed the coronation of Stephen, for Maude did not go quietly in the night. Maude married Geoffrey of Anjou, a handsome, dynamic, powerful man who got more than he bargained for in his marriage to a King's daughter. She married him for military support and he married her with that thought that a son of his would one day sit on the throne of England. Their marriage was stormy and it is a miracle that they ever managed to compromise long enough to sire a son. One of the reasons why Maude had difficulty in gaining support was of course first and foremost because she was a woman, but secondly she was too imperial with her subjects. She exhibited a coldness that kept all, but her key people at a distance. Stephen on the other hand was very charming and personable to a fault. He wanted everyone to love him and as the war continued that became his Achilles Heel. He was unwilling to execute and destroy those that opposed him. Qualities today that we would find commendable, but in the twelfth century was perceived as a weakness. As the civil war continued supporters blew with the wind, sometimes changing sides three or four times. By the time Henry, oldest son of Maude and Geoffrey, became old enough to become involved in the conflict the war was nearly over. Stephen, after the untimely death of his son Eustace (another deadly meal of eel),named Henry as his successor thus ending the conflict. I have been so enthralled, for good reason, with the reign of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitane that I knew very little about Stephen and Maude. I had always known more about their weaknesses than their strengths and Penman did a wonderful job giving me a more balanced perception of both Stephen and Maude.
—Jeffrey Keeten
