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 Sinking Of The White Ship Is One Of The Greatest Disasters In English History. Here, Sunday Times Bestselling Author Charles Spencer Tells The Real Story Behind The Legend To Show How One Cataclysmic Shipwreck Changed England's Course. In 1120, The White Ship Was Known As The Fastest Ship Afloat. When It Sank Sailing From Normandy To England It Was Carrying Aboard The Only Legitimate Heir To King Henry I, William Of Atheling. The Raucous, Arrogant Young Prince Had Made A Party Of The Voyage, Carousing With His Companions And Pushing Wine Into The Eager Hands Of The Crew. It Was The Middle Of The Night When The Drunken Helmsman Rammed The Ship Into Rocks. The Next Day Only One Of The Three Hundred Who Had Boarded The Ship Was Alive To Describe The Horrors Of The Slow Shipwreck. William, The Face Of England's Future Had Drowned Along With Scores Of The Social Elite. The Royal Line Severed And With No Obvious Heir To The Crown, A Civil War Of Untold Violence Erupted. Known Fittingly As 'the Anarchy', This Game Of Thrones Saw Families Turned In On Each Other, With English Barons, Rebellious Welsh Leaders And Scottish Invaders All Playing A Part In The Bloody, Desperate Scrum For Power. One Incredible Shipwreck And Two Decades Of Violent Uncertainty; England's Course Had Changed Forever. The sinking of the White Ship on the 25th November 1120 is one of the greatest disasters that England has ever suffered. Its repercussions would change English and European history for ever. King Henry I was sailing for England in triumph after four years of fighting the French. Congregating with the king at the port of Barfleur on that freezing night was the cream of Anglo-Norman society, including the only legitimate heir to the throne. By 1120, Henry was the most formidable ruler in Europe with an enviable record on the battlefield, immense lands and wealth and unprecedented authority in his kingdoms. Everything he had worked for was finally achieved, and he was ready to hand it on to his beloved son, William AEtheling. Henry I and his retinue set out first. The White Ship - considered the fastest afloat - would follow, carrying the young prince. Spoilt and arrogant, William had plied his comrades and crew with drink from the minute he stepped aboard. It was the middle of the night when the drunken helmsman rammed the ship into rocks. There would be only one survivor from the gilded roll call of passengers .. 'A terrific book ... written like a thriller ... Once you start reading it you're completely gripped' BILL BRYSON 'Here is the story, marvellously told, of the post-Conquest kings – and one almost-queen – of England: unpredictable, violently dramatic, and never less than compelling' HELEN CASTOR, bestselling author of SHE-WOLVES The sinking of the White Ship on the 25th November 1120 is one of the greatest disasters that England has ever suffered. Its repercussions would change English and European history for ever. King Henry I was sailing for England in triumph after four years of fighting the French. Congregating with the king at the port of Barfleur on that freezing November night was the cream of Anglo-Norman society: three of his children, including the only legitimate male heir to the throne, as well as the flower of the aristocracy, famous knights, and mighty courtiers. By 1120, Henry was perhaps the most formidable ruler in Europe, with an enviable record on the... **THE #2 __SUNDAY TIMES__ BESTSELLER** ## ’A brilliant read ... __Game of Thrones__ but in the real world’ ANTHONY HOROWITZ 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. ‘Highly enjoyable’ **Simon Heffer**\ \ ‘Brilliant’ **Dan Jones**\ \ ‘Fascinating’ **Tom Bower**