Biographers of William Rufus have to get used to being challenged, "Prove it!"

The reign of Rufus, the son of William the Conqueror, raises a lot of difficult questions. Was he homosexual? (Probably, but we don't have the direct evidence.) Was he murdered? (Probably, but we don't have the direct evidence.) Did his father really designate him as his successor in England while making his older brother Robert heir of Normandy? (Probably, but we don't.... you get the idea.)

The lack of sources makes things difficult. This is visible even on the cover of the paperback edition, which shows a picture of William II from British Library MS. Cotton Claudius B VI. It's not contemporary, but it's about all we have. And the face is grey-brown, not pink or another flesh color. The white lead used to paint it has gone dark.

And so have most of the sources. We know even less about Rufus than about his father; the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle doesn't have as many details as we would like, the Domesday Book is completed, the household records haven't started yet -- and the church just plain didn't like Rufus, and either ignored or blackwashed him. It makes life very difficult for a biographer.

Frank Barlow's book does all it can to clear that up. He sorts through all kinds of sources -- not just chronicles and charters but saints' lives and faint hints in literature and non-English writings. It's hard to imagine someone wringing much more out of the data.

Sadly, Barlow's writing skill did not match his research skills. His books tend to be ponderous, and even though this one involves a truly interesting subject, he hasn't managed to produce a particularly good read. As a scholarly work, this ranked very high. As a piece of writing, it stands somewhat below the average of the English Monarchs series. Still, if you want to know about this period of English history, this is a must-have book.

And that statement hardly requires proof. ( )