About this title: Set during the Hundred Years War, this is the gripping, atmospheric true story of the "duel to end all duels" in medieval France: a trial by combat pitting a knight against a squire accused of violating the knight's beautiful young wife.
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Description: Acceptable. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. 0767914163 Former library item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned. Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. read more
Description: Fine. 0767914163 Slight creasing along upper edge of dust jacket. All else is fine. Appears unread. Your satisfaction is of course guaranteed. We ship the same or next day. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Broadway Books, New York
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780767914161ISBN:0767914163
Description: Very Good/Very Good. 0767914163 Bookplate on first endpaper with name scratched out; brief inscription on Half-title page, else a near fine copy. Jacket has scant rub at inner flap top edge. 252 pages. Appendix. Notes. List of Sources. Index. read more
Edition: First Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Broadway Books, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780767914161ISBN:0767914163
Description: Fine/Fine DJ/Fine. 0-7679-1416-3. read more
Edition: First edition. Illustrated.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Broadway Books
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780767914161ISBN:0767914163
Description: Fine in fine dust jacket. Near fine, minor bumps to the fore edge corners. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. 242 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
Description: Fine. No dust jacket as issued. Like new. Slight shelf/edge wear. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 243 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Broadway Books., New York
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780767914161ISBN:0767914163
Description: First edition in hardcover with dust jacket. 242 pp. Illustrations, appendix, notes, sources, index. Small store stamp on front pastedown otherwise Fine/Fine. read more
Description: Good. Ships from the UK. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Your purchase also supports literacy charities. read more
Edition: First Edition/First Printing
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Broadway Books, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780767914161ISBN:0767914163
Description: Fine in Fine jacket. A square solid tight clean un-read copy. read more
Description: New. No dust jacket as issued. 203 p. Audience: General/trade. ARC, new, never read. A true story of crime, scandal, and trial by combat in medieval France. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Broadway Books
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780767914161ISBN:0767914163
Description: New in new dust jacket. 100% satisfaction guaranteed. No Remainder Mark, No Damage. Ship twice daily. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 256 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
I was surprised how difficult the process was to have a judicial duel approved in France. I haven't done much research on how it occurred in other countries but it probably wasn't any easier elsewhere. Guess my expectation was of two men secretly meeting in the woods to resolve their differences. The judicial duel, however, was anything but a private affair. Perhaps its public nature helped to determine the process; if the accused and the defendant demanded to resolve their differences in front of the entire populace via a duel, it had better be for a damn good reason.
The ambiguity of the case is also very interesting. The case relied on the testimony of a very small number of people with almost no witnesses outside of the parties immediately involved in the matter. Also, the mindset of the time period heavily influenced what evidence would be allowed, particularly that which was gained (and sometimes not gained) through torture.
Finally, I was intrigued by how the duel's story has changed throughout the years to fit each historian's own agenda. In one of the final chapters of his book, Jager presents several different opinions of the case, some of which question whether "the crime of crimes" even existed. If anything, I would have liked to get a bit more information about these different views of history. However, I suppose that would have been outside of the scope of this entertaining and informative book."
"This remarkable text describes all the court intrigue and unscrupulousness which results in the last "true" duel fought in a monastery in 1386 between two proud knights. Each following an unbending code of chivalry, they and the thousand who have come to watch, will use lance and club to kill the other, under God's protection for he who is right. As amazingly exciting as it is fascinating."
"A readable, well researched, and balanced book on trial by combat in medieval France. This is not a dull history textbook but reads more like a novel, even though it is a superbly narrated and researched work on the last trial by combat (officially anyway) within the political boundaries of France. The history of both nobles and their families is well constructed in such a way that the reader gains a brief overview of Normandy as a whole during that time period. The exploration of the medieval view on justice and innocence are explored here in a interesting and highly enlightening book that covers a wide range of subjects in a readable and well written account. Recommended."
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