The Rise and Fall of Medieval Family is a useful study of one of the most controversial families of late Medieval England. It follows the fortunes and key figures in the family from Hugh Despenser Senior or "the Elder” (d. 1306) the father of Edward II's notorious favourite to the “last” Despenser, Isabelle, the only surviving daughter and heir of Thomas Despenser and Constance of York (d. 1439).

Their political and military careers, marriages and any contributions to history are examined. As a great family, The Despensers were companions of Kings and couriers, and many of them married into the royal family, and a branch of the family did survive although Despenser became their title instead of their family name.

Kathryn Warner has given us another interesting biography of a Medieval Family to place alongside her book on Hugh Despenser the Younger and Sharon Bennett Connolly’s book on the Du Warrene family.

NetGalley, Joanna Arman

As featured by

Battlefield, Autumn 2022

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I absolutely enjoyed this book a lot! I highly recommend it for people who are into this period of history.

NetGalley, Heather Michael

Kathryn Warner's books are always delightfully written and this one is no exception. She tells the story of the Despenser family with skill and verve, giving readers a taste of the bloody, dangerous Middle Ages. Highly recommended to everyone who loves this period, but especially to those who romanticise the past.

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GoodReads, ConstantReader

This has been a very enjoyable read. It's not only a great reference work for anyone studying the noble families of late medieval England. To anyone genuinely interested in this era, looking for an immersion into the nitty gritty details and the genealogy of one of the important noble families, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
However, if you prefer a popular history narrative (Dan Jones, Ian Mortimer, etc.) and are not really willing to get into a slightly drier read and dive much deeper you should probably look elsewhere.

I love the way Kathryn Warner always handles the subjects in her books. The seemingly compulsive attention to detail, the thoroughness, the need to leave absolutely nothing out that may be of interest to the reader...this speaks of her great love for her craft. I really appreciate that.
It also helps to structure my thoughts in a way, as I'm both a bit of a control freak and a scatterbrain. Somehow reading a Kathryn Warner book feels like a match made in heaven for me. I really enjoyed it and learned so much.

NetGalley, Esther H

This book intrigued me as I had heard about Hugh Despenser the Elder and Hugh Despenser the Younger from watching a TV series and through some books where they were mentioned. I was aware of their reputation but wished to learn more.

The Despensers rose and fell in favour over many generations and Warner tells their story of how they found royal favour on more than one occasion but also faced disgrace and execution. I had no idea the family was so influential through so many years.

This book is meticulously researched and if you genuinely want to learn more about this family I would definitely recommend it but would note that it is not light reading. There are so many people with the same name it can become a little confusing, this is of course no fault of Warner, who has done a fantastic job of detailing the dramatis personnae at the beginning of each chapter so you are aware who is who in each chapter. I found this extremely helpful as someone so new to learning about the family.

It was extremely interesting to read about the marriages the Despensers made, some for advancement and some for love.

Initially I wanted to know more about the Despensers I had heard of but found myself becoming fascinated with the family and all the generations.

I think this is a book I will read again in future or refer back to when reading more about this fascinating family who successfully rose from the ashes after complete disgrace.

NetGalley, Amy McElroy

This book is exceptionally well researched and a true chronological treat for those who love to dive into the intricacies of medieval families. If this sounds like you, check out, “The Rise and Fall of a Medieval Family: The Despensers” by Kathryn Warner.

NetGalley, Heidi Malagisi

The family that everyone loved to hate...

The Despenser family was one that wielded quite a bit of power during medieval times, but the fortunes wheel does forever turn. What goes up, must come down. The Despenser family learned that with their rise, they could also fall. Hugh the Elder and Hugh the Younger were both in high positions of power, and through their greed came their fall. It was only after their fall that it was realized how much they actually held - and some of that took many years to discover.

The Despenser family did not end with Hugh the Younger - in fact, many did survive - albeit with some initial punishments, and then the family just continued to blend into the fabric of England.

I really enjoyed reading through this book and finding many things that I was not aware of. I knew of the overreach of Hugh the Elder, but I was not aware of the extent, nor was I aware of the different members of the family who managed to rise from the ashes, to bring honor back to the Despenser name. A great read - with lots of information!

NetGalley, Rebecca Hill

The Despenser family is on the pages of any history book about medieval England. I've known their names for ages, but never read a book specifically about them. I'm glad that I read this one because it goes through the whole Despenser line to see their impact on history. Some of these books tend to focus a lot on other players -- such as the royals -- but I felt this had a great balance between giving history to ground readers in what was going on while maintaining the focus on the Despensers. Overall, a great history book that I'd definitely want for my shelves.

NetGalley, Caidyn Young