THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Now a major motion picture directed by Ridley Scott starring Matt Damon, Adam Driver and Jodie Comer.
In 1386, a few days after Christmas, a massive crowd gathered at a Paris monastery to watch two men fight a duel to the death. A trial by combat to prove which man's cause was right in God's sight.
The dramatic story of the knight, the squire and the lady unfolds during the tumultuous fourteenth century. A time of war, plague and anarchy, as well as of honour, chivalry, and courtly love.
The notorious quarrel appears in many histories of France, but no writer has recounted it in full, until now.
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'Succeeds brilliantly in combining page-turning intensity with eye-opening insights' Sunday Times
'Suspenseful and well written' Spectator
An award-winning professor of English at UCLA, Eric Jager holds a Ph. D. from the University of Michigan and has also taught at Columbia University. He is the author of two previous books, including The Book of the Heart (a study of heart imagery in medieval literature).
Title: The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France
Author: Jager, Eric
ISBN: 9781787467569
Binding:
Publisher: Cornerstone
Publication Date: 2020-11-19
Number of Pages: 256
Weight: 0.2231 kg
a genuinely suspenseful and well written piece of narrative. * The Spectator *
'succeeds brilliantly in combining page-turning intensity with eye-opening insights.' * Sunday Times *
'Jager knows his territory well; we learn a good deal about medieval armor and weaponry, fashion and custom, the legal system and sexual ideas, court politics and religion. His skilful prose quickly ensnares readers in the web of the characters' invention, allowing no escape until very near the end- Sex, savagery, and high-level political maneuvers energize a splendid piece of popular history.' * Kirkus Reviews *
'A riveting account that will satisfy general readers and historians alike.' * Publishers Weekly *
'As enthralling and engrossing as any [story] about a high-profile celebrity scandal today.' * Booklist (starred) *