The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream

THE #2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ‘As gripping as any thriller. History doesn't get any better than this’ BILL BRYSON ’A brilliant read … Game of Thrones but in the real world’ ANTHONY HOROWITZ PICKED AS A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020 BY THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, THE GUARDIAN, THE DAILY MAIL AND THE DAILY EXPRESS. The sinking of the White Ship in 1120 is one of the greatest disasters England has ever suffered. In one catastrophic night, the king’s heir and the flower of Anglo-Norman society were drowned and the future of the crown was thrown violently off course. In a riveting narrative, Charles Spencer follows the story from the Norman Conquest through to the decades that would become known as the Anarchy: a civil war of untold violence that saw families turn in on each other with English and Norman barons, rebellious Welsh princes and the Scottish king all playing a part in a desperate game of thrones. All because of the loss of one vessel – the White Ship – the medieval Titanic. ‘Highly enjoyable’ Simon Heffer ‘Brilliant’ Dan Jones ‘Fascinating’ Tom Bower The #2 Sunday Times bestseller on Sunday 18 June 2021 The biography of the White Ship disaster, a top Sunday Times bestselling book, delves deep into the maritime conflicts and expeditions of the late 1066-1485 era. Charles Spencer, an acclaimed author, paints a vivid picture of the royalty and the society of Britain and Europe, their military strategies, and the catastrophic consequences of the sinking of the White Ship. For fans of Marc Morris (King John), Helen Carr (The Red Prince), Alison Weir (Elizabeth, the Queen), Robert Jobson (William at 40), and Leanda De Lisle (After Elizabeth).