Cross-posted from my more detailed review at Lexlingua.co

Alleyne Edricson has been raised by the monks at Beaulieu, as per the wishes of his deceased father. At the age of twenty, he ventures out into the big bad world to make his own living. He is a sensitive young man, devout, principled, and not very happy to see the sins of his fellow men.

We are talking of the 1360s, when France and England had officially made truce (after the the Hundred Years’ War), but in reality still were at loggerheads. Events conspire in such a way that Alleyne ends up joining a band of mercenaries, known as White Company. He certainly travels a long way from a monk to warrior!

Along the way, Alleyne makes many friends, both among the lords and the brigands, and each adventure exposes him to villainy and high-handedness. But through it all he retains his integrity. It’s wonderful that Doyle respects his sensitivity and his empathy, even at a time when “manliness” had a very different connotation.

There’s also a romance, as Alleyne falls in love with Lady Maud, the daughter of Sir Nigel Loring. Alleyne is squire to Sir Nigel, so obviously there’s a class gap, but Alleyne proves himself valiantly at the Battle of Navarrete and wins the fair lady’s hand. It’s not a major plotline, but the two get some striking scenes in the book.

In many ways, White Company is Conan Doyle’s answer to the Robin Hood legend. There are good friars and corrupt ones, tyrannical aristocrats, and brigands with hearts of gold. We also get to see how the economics of war played out back in the medieval ages. Then, as it is now, “peace” is risky business.

All-in-all, a rollicking good historical adventure. Recommended for fans of Robin Hood, Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe, and medieval English history.