Matilda cover art

Matilda

Empress, Queen, Warrior

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Matilda

By: Catherine Hanley
Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
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About this listen

A life of Matilda - empress, skilled military leader, and one of the greatest figures of the English Middle Ages.

Matilda was a daughter, wife, and mother. But she was also empress, heir to the English crown - the first woman ever to hold the position - and an able military general.

This new biography explores Matilda's achievements as military and political leader and sets her life and career in full context. Catherine Hanley provides fresh insight into Matilda's campaign to claim the title of queen, her approach to allied kingdoms and rival rulers, and her role in the succession crisis. Hanley highlights how Matilda fought for the throne and argues that although she never sat on it herself, her reward was to see her son become king. Extraordinarily, her line has continued through every single monarch of England or Britain from that time to the present day.

©2019 Catherine Hanley (P)2019 Tantor Europe Great Britain Medieval Politicians Politics & Activism Royalty Women England Middle Ages Inspiring Biography United Kingdom Tudor British Memoirs

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really interesting story and a complex and interesting woman living through extremely challenging times. bring to life both the complexities of the story but also the issues and barriers and expectations relating to women in the 12th century. given the common view of the time was the only place a woman could rule was on the behalf of men applies to her and to some her antagonists and brings you light all the superb women who have been overlooked by history.

amazing story well told

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well researched, very interesting , reads a bit like a thriller. loved it. worth reading.

Not to be side-lined as a woman

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I didn't know anything about this Matilda, I don't remember how I came to this audiobook (it came up in my suggestions or in my boyfriend's), and discovering more about this queen that didn't reign felt like something I needed to do.
The book is long, and at the beginning I struggled to follow it, but it is because I am not good at history, and even less at British history (being a Spaniard), but after deciding to use each chapter as a podcast episode that I could break down in even smaller pieces helped.
The fact that the book does remind you when they have already mentioned a person or an event before was really useful, and the small references to what was happening in other parts of Europe (like Spain) helped to contextualise too.
The conclusion was a perfect round up, with the explanation on why Matilda is so important, as a historical figure cannot be studied or analysed only within the context of their time, as the author says, but we also need to look into their influence in history.
The narrator was a big plus to this audiobook.

Very instructive, entertaining, and interesting

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Detailed book about one of the pivotal figures of the Plantagenet dynasty of England. Narrator took some getting used to.

informative

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One of British history's lesser known, but vitally important figures, Empress Mathilda is often consigned to a secondary character in the Kinds and Queens of England. This book goes a long way to redressing that and puts her front and centre of England's history as the daughter of Henry 1st and mother of Henry 2nd. This book places Steven in context: King of England by chance, but with no lasting legacy, yet Mathilda was never Queen of England, her legacy comes down to us today. The narration is imperfect, the narrators voice is harsh and not pleasant which does detract a little from the overall book, but the story itself is compelling enough to get over that. This book is unashamedly a history of a woman, by a woman, putting her in the context of her time, a Queen in all but name in a totally patriarchal society. If you are a student of early medieval English history this is a book for you.

Fascinating but flawed

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