The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat in Medieval France
Broadway Books, 2005.
Paperback. New. Item #303592
ISBN: 9780767914178
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 squire 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 also leaves 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 a fierce duel, the final one sanctioned by governing powers, 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.
Price: $16.00