The Last Duel

In 1386, Jean de Carrouges, a Norman knight, fought a duel with his former friend and fellow knight, Jacques Le Gris. This was no normal duel - it was a trial by combat with the life and reputation of Jean's wife Marguerite (and her unborn baby) at stake. Marguerite claimed that while Jean was away fighting in France, Jacques took advantage of his absence to rape her. To make matters worse, Marguerite is now pregnant with her first child, whose father is supposedly Jean. Not surprisingly, there are doubts about the child's paternity. Jean supports his wife, even though Jacques accuses her of lying and insists on his innocence. Jacques is wealthier and has better connections than Jean, and the odds are definitely in his favor. When the court is deadlocked, it is decided that the matter will be handled with trial by combat. If Jacques loses, he dies. If Marguerite loses, she will be executed for making false accusations. This case was notorious in its day due to the alleged crime, the legal complications, and the trial by combat, which was already considered dated in the late 14th century.

Eric Jager does an excellent job of chronicling this tragic affair based on original sources. He traveled to Normandy and Paris, where he researched chronicles, legal records, and other documents. My common complaint about history books is that they can often be dry and boring. The authors stick to the facts, but do not how to convey those facts in an interesting and accessible manner, which is what Eric Jager does in this book. I had read about this episode in a history book many years ago, but there were few details and no mention of who won the duel or what happened to the survivors. Therefore, I went into this without knowing exactly what had happened. "The Last Duel" kept me interested until the very end. It is a short book and I read it in one evening.

Recommended.