The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat

US: Crown, 2005. Paperback. Very Good. A copy that has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE • "A taut page-turne r 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 Engla nd, Jean de Carrouges, a Norman knight fresh from combat in Scotland, retur ns home to yet another deadly threat. His wife, Marguerite, has accused squ ire Jacques Le Gris of rape. A deadlocked court decrees a trial by combat b etween the two men that will also leave Marguerite's fate in the balance. F or if her husband loses the duel, she will be put to death as a false accus er. 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.