Othon de Grandson: Edward I’s Loyal Knight of Renown
By John Marshall
Pen & Sword Books
ISBN: 978 1 39903 962 8
Othon de Grandson was one of the leading household knights of Edward I of England. This biography traces Othon’s career, from his military service in Wales to his participation in crusading expeditions to the Near East and his later work as a diplomat in continental Europe.
Excerpt:
Not only was Othon de Grandson a skilled diplomat and envoy but he was a knight and soldier who had managed to survive numerous battles from the Menai Strait to the Holy Land. He led Edward’s amries at the siege of Dolforwyn Castle, along the coast to Flint, the ill-starred Battle of Moel-y-Don and then from Angelsey by way of Caernarfon, Castell-y-Bere and Harlech to Conwy.
As a crusading knight he twice ventured to the Holy Land, seeing off an assassin’s attempt on Edward’s life, and then decades later leading the English knights in the heroic but doomed defence of Acre. It may well even have been Othon that wrote that treatise on how to conduct future crusades that never came. In this long military career Othon de Grandson was a knight, and if we are to believe the Templar of Tyre a brave and courageous knight of great renown. That Grandson lived some nine decades amid such danger is testimony to a knight skilled with the sword as well as diplomatic wits.
Who is this book for?
This biography examines the life of Othon (or Otto) de Grandson (c. 1238–1328), who held several posts within Edward I’s government and may be counted among the king’s closest and most prominent associates. Divided into 17 chapters, the book concentrates chiefly on Othon’s years in Edward’s service, while giving relatively little attention to the final two decades of his life. An appendix provides texts and translations of several sources relating to key events in his career, and the volume is supported by more than a hundred pages of endnotes.
Full-length biographies of high-ranking medieval nobles remain relatively uncommon, making this a welcome contribution. It will be especially valuable to those studying the reign of Edward I, as well as readers interested in the Welsh wars and England’s role in the later Crusades. Scholars of English government and diplomacy more broadly will also find it a useful work.
“The writing style is vivid and accessible, striking a balance between academic rigour and narrative appeal. While Marshall admires his subject, he doesn’t shy away from nuance—acknowledging, for instance, local unrest in the Channel Islands under Othon’s rule. Some may find the tone occasionally celebratory, but the overall portrait is well-evidenced and avoids mythologising.” ~ review by Luciano Anastasi in HistoryMedieval
Othon de Grandson: Edward I’s Loyal Knight of Renown
By John Marshall
Pen & Sword Books
ISBN: 978 1 39903 962 8
Othon de Grandson was one of the leading household knights of Edward I of England. This biography traces Othon’s career, from his military service in Wales to his participation in crusading expeditions to the Near East and his later work as a diplomat in continental Europe.
Excerpt:
Not only was Othon de Grandson a skilled diplomat and envoy but he was a knight and soldier who had managed to survive numerous battles from the Menai Strait to the Holy Land. He led Edward’s amries at the siege of Dolforwyn Castle, along the coast to Flint, the ill-starred Battle of Moel-y-Don and then from Angelsey by way of Caernarfon, Castell-y-Bere and Harlech to Conwy.
As a crusading knight he twice ventured to the Holy Land, seeing off an assassin’s attempt on Edward’s life, and then decades later leading the English knights in the heroic but doomed defence of Acre. It may well even have been Othon that wrote that treatise on how to conduct future crusades that never came. In this long military career Othon de Grandson was a knight, and if we are to believe the Templar of Tyre a brave and courageous knight of great renown. That Grandson lived some nine decades amid such danger is testimony to a knight skilled with the sword as well as diplomatic wits.
Who is this book for?
This biography examines the life of Othon (or Otto) de Grandson (c. 1238–1328), who held several posts within Edward I’s government and may be counted among the king’s closest and most prominent associates. Divided into 17 chapters, the book concentrates chiefly on Othon’s years in Edward’s service, while giving relatively little attention to the final two decades of his life. An appendix provides texts and translations of several sources relating to key events in his career, and the volume is supported by more than a hundred pages of endnotes.
Full-length biographies of high-ranking medieval nobles remain relatively uncommon, making this a welcome contribution. It will be especially valuable to those studying the reign of Edward I, as well as readers interested in the Welsh wars and England’s role in the later Crusades. Scholars of English government and diplomacy more broadly will also find it a useful work.
“The writing style is vivid and accessible, striking a balance between academic rigour and narrative appeal. While Marshall admires his subject, he doesn’t shy away from nuance—acknowledging, for instance, local unrest in the Channel Islands under Othon’s rule. Some may find the tone occasionally celebratory, but the overall portrait is well-evidenced and avoids mythologising.” ~ review by Luciano Anastasi in HistoryMedieval
The Author
John Marshall is an independent historian and founder of Association pour l’histoire médiévale Anglo-savoyarde. This is his third book related to the connections between Savoy and England, which also includes Welsh Castle Builders: The Savoyard Style. You can read an interview with John from History…the Interesting Bits
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
You can buy this book on Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
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