Name: The Last Duel
ISBN: 9781407070971

Eric Jager

Soon to be a major motion picture directed by Ridley Scott. 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. _______________________________________________________________ 'Succeeds brilliantly in combining page-turning intensity with eye-opening insights' Sunday Times 'Suspenseful and well written' Spectator

A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France

The Last Duel

chloe rae

This book was insanely interesting! It definitely felt a little drawn out and that may be my own fault for taking so long to read it. But the set up felt far more intriguing than the actual duel. I think my favorite part of the book though was the Epilogue and the following chapter about the aftermath. How historians have spent literal centuries refusing to believe a women was telling the truth about her abuse, or stating with hardly any evidence that she was persuaded by her husband to make false claims. It’s just baffling, and of course I found her story, Marguerite’s, to be the most gripping and heartbreaking. Overall, a fascinating read!

altlovesbooks

"Ai-je fait mon devoir?" (Have I done my duty?)

This was a really interesting glimpse into medieval law proceedings from the 1300s (such as they were), but unfortunately not much else. The story at the center of this book involves a squire and a knight's ongoing feud, where one party wrongs another party (or not?), and the wronged party demands satisfaction in the form of a formal duel. Legal proceedings are held, lots of testimony is given on both sides indicating how innocent each side thinks they are, but eventually things can only be settled one way. The duel is held, one party wins, and thus the feud is settled for the victor because God wants it that way. We never find out who actually did what, because it happened in the 1300s after all, but I still find it a bit unsatisfying. 

I also felt like the author really stretched things a bit to create this narrative story. Each of the main characters felt like a predefined role in a story -- the person who clearly was in the right, the person who clearly was the villain, the poor wronged wife, etc. History is rarely that clear cut, so it feels like a lot was narratively spun to create a cohesive story from beginning to end. I feel like there's good material here for a Historical Fiction book, but as a Nonfiction book things ring a bit false.

Lydia White

Definitely a change of pace for me, but a solid, well researched historical read about a topic that is still painfully relevant centuries later. 

Looking forward to seeing the movie adaptation!

Udit Desai

Kevan Lee

A. D. Knapp

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE - "A taut page-turner with all the hallmarks of a good historical thriller."--Orlando Sentinel The gripping true story of the duel to end all duels in medieval France as a resolute knight defends his wife's honor against the man she accuses of a heinous crime In the midst of the devastating Hundred Years' War between France and England, Jean de Carrouges, a Norman knight fresh from combat in Scotland, returns home to yet another deadly threat. His wife, Marguerite, has accused squire Jacques Le Gris of rape. A deadlocked court decrees a trial by combat between the two men that will also leave Marguerite's fate in the balance. For if her husband loses the duel, she will be put to death as a false accuser. While enemy troops pillage the land, and rebellion and plague threaten the lives of all, Carrouges and Le Gris meet in full armor on a walled field in Paris. What follows is the final duel ever authorized by the Parlement of Paris, a fierce fight with lance, sword, and dagger before a massive crowd that includes the teenage King Charles VI, during which both combatants are wounded--but only one fatally. Based on extensive research in Normandy and Paris, The Last Duel brings to life a colorful, turbulent age and three unforgettable characters caught in a fatal triangle of crime, scandal, and revenge. The Last Duel is at once a moving human drama, a captivating true crime story, and an engrossing work of historical intrigue with themes that echo powerfully centuries later.

The Last Duel A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France

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