Book Of The Month for May (and June) was The White Ship by Charles Spencer For online Book Clubbers there are some questions below for you to get involved with. Either answer in the comments section or use as discussion points at your next Book Club. If you haven’t read the book check out the Lowdown all about it here.
The White Ship – the blurb
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.
Discussion Points
The following are written with the presumption you have read The White Ship. If you haven’t, bookmark the post and come back to answer the questions later.
- How did reading White Ship by this ‘celebrity’ compare to other books by celebrity authors? Did Spencer’s royal connection make any difference?
- There were a lot of names in the book (how many Matildas!?) How did Spencer manage to make them memorable? Or did he?
- Were you aware of The White Ship prior to reading the book? Its sinking has often been over looked but how key a point oinhistory is it?
- My favorite fact was learning how Plantagenets got their name. What was your favorite fact in the book?
- How different would things have been if Henry’s ship had sunk that day instead of Williams?
Get Involved
Feel free to answer as many of the questions as you want. Post your replies below, discuss with us on social media using @BookSocialUK, or pose some questions of your own. If you enjoyed the questions, have a go at previous month’s Get Involved: The Satsuma Complex.