The Boleyn Inheritance

Book Description

THREE WOMEN WHO SHARE ONE FATE: THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE

ANNE OF CLEVES

She runs from her tiny country, her hateful mother, and her abusive brother to a throne whose last three occupants are dead. King Henry VIII, her new husband, instantly dislikes her. Without friends, family, or even an understanding of the language being spoken around her, she must literally save her neck in a court ruled by a deadly game of politics and the terror of an unpredictable and vengeful king. Her Boleyn Inheritance: accusations and false witnesses.

KATHERINE HOWARD

She catches the king's eye within moments of arriving at court, setting in motion the dreadful machine of politics, intrigue, and treason that she does not understand. She only knows that she is beautiful, that men desire her, that she is young and in love -- but not with the diseased old man who made her queen, beds her night after night, and killed her cousin Anne. Her Boleyn Inheritance: the threat of the axe.

JANE ROCHFORD

She is the Boleyn girl whose testimony sent her husband and sister-in-law to their deaths. She is the trusted friend of two threatened queens, the perfectly loyal spy for her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, and a canny survivor in the murderous court of a most dangerous king. Throughout Europe, her name is a byword for malice, jealousy, and twisted lust. Her Boleyn Inheritance: a fortune and a title, in exchange for her soul.

The Boleyn Inheritance is a novel drawn tight as a lute string about a court ruled by the gallows and three women whose positions brought them wealth, admiration, and power as well as deceit, betrayal, and terror. Once again, Philippa Gregory has brought a vanished world to life -- the whisper of a silk skirt on a stone stair, the yellow glow of candlelight illuminating a hastily written note, the murmurs of the crowd gathering on Tower Green below the newly built scaffold. In The Boleyn Inheritance Gregory is at her intelligent and page-turning best.

Book Description

15 discs/18 hours

Customer Reviews:

The riddle of the Boleyn Inheritance.......2007-10-10

This book is amazing. If you make yourself the question "What is the Boleyn Inheritance?" The author will give you hints through the book, and you can make some guess of which the answer will be. It is just at the very end of the book, that you will find out the answer, which is a breathtaking surprise.

Reign of terror.......2007-10-06

Having just finished the last page of this book, I'm still feeling rather trembly(if that's a word!) and shaken at the picture of complete horror and terrible fear painted so brilliantly by Philippa Gregory. Poor, Katherine Howard was the 5th wife of the murderous Henry V111, a pretty but vapid child of fifteen and as silly and stupid a 15 year old as one could imagine. The poor ditz of a creature was used by her family, the aristocratic and ruthless Howards, who also produced Queen Anne Boleyn, and manipulated into captivating the King who had deteriorated into a madman with a gross, infected and ulcerated body and who had become a complete megalomaniac. The other part of the story which was more interesting to me, was the story of Anne of Cleves who was Henry's 4th wife but who, through dint of cleverness and good luck, escaped the headman's axe by agreeing to the annulment of her marriage. Not much has been written about Anne but she must go down in history as one of the luckiest women in the world. I found this book to be an excellent read and an absolute page turner to the end.

Captivated by the Tudors.......2007-09-19

Having been fascinated by "The Other Boleyn Girl", I was very much looking forward to "The Boleyn Inheritance" and was not disappointed. A sort of sequel, the latter carries forward a character from the first book, Jane Boleyn, and also includes Henry's fourth and fifth wives, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. The story moves forward through alternating accounts of events by the three women. In my opinion, the author does a good job of capturing each one's spirit and voice. In addition, the story is fairly accurate historically, so provided a starting point for additional research on Henry and his wives.

Not the best, but interesting.......2007-09-16

Definitely preferred The Other Boleyn Girl and The Virgin's Lover. I'm reading Earthly Joys. I didn't think the two Boleyn books tied together that well. But the three narrators were interesting and her take on Anne of Cleves was fascinating. I loved the fleshing out of these forgotten and yet so important historical figures. But Jane Boleyn was tough to believe and understand.

The Boleyn Inheritance.......2007-09-13

The Boleyn Inheritance was a great novel. I did like The Other Boleyn Girl a little better. However, I liked the way Philippa Gregory wrote this book with three narrators. This book is worth reading!

Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey

Average customer rating:

A Compelling Tale of Grandeur, Betrayal, and Innocence
Queen Jane 'the Nine Days Queen': a pawn in the hands of others,
Unlucky Lady
Weir should stick to nonfiction
Disappointed

Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey
Alison Weir
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0345494857
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Book Description

I am now a condemned traitor . . . I am to die when I have hardly begun to live.

Historical expertise marries page-turning fiction in Alison Weir’s enthralling debut novel, breathing new life into one of the most significant and tumultuous periods of the English monarchy. It is the story of Lady Jane Grey–“the Nine Days’ Queen”–a fifteen-year-old girl who unwittingly finds herself at the center of the religious and civil unrest that nearly toppled the fabled House of Tudor during the sixteenth century.

The child of a scheming father and a ruthless mother, for whom she is merely a pawn in a dynastic game with the highest stakes, Jane Grey was born during the harrowingly turbulent period between Anne Boleyn’s beheading and the demise of Jane’s infamous great-uncle, King Henry VIII. With the premature passing of Jane’s adolescent cousin, and Henry’s successor, King Edward VI, comes a struggle for supremacy fueled by political machinations and lethal religious fervor.

Unabashedly honest and exceptionally intelligent, Jane possesses a sound strength of character beyond her years that equips her to weather the vicious storm. And though she has no ambitions to rule, preferring to immerse herself in books and religious studies, she is forced to accept the crown, and by so doing sets off a firestorm of intrigue, betrayal, and tragedy.

Alison Weir uses her unmatched skills as a historian to enliven the many dynamic characters of this majestic drama. Along with Lady Jane Grey, Weir vividly renders her devious parents; her much-loved nanny; the benevolent Queen Katherine Parr; Jane’s ambitious cousins; the Catholic “Bloody” Mary, who will stop at nothing to seize the throne; and the protestant and future queen Elizabeth. Readers venture inside royal drawing rooms and bedchambers to witness the power-grabbing that swirls around Lady Jane Grey from the day of her birth to her unbearably poignant death. Innocent Traitor paints a complete and compelling portrait of this captivating young woman, a faithful servant of God whose short reign and brief life would make her a legend.

“An impressive debut. Weir shows skill at plotting and maintaining tension, and she is clearly going to be a major player in the . . . historical fiction game.”
–The Independent

“Alison Weir is one of our greatest popular historians. In her first work of fiction . . . Weir manages her heroine’s voice brilliantly, respecting the past’s distance while conjuring a dignified and fiercely modern spirit.”
–London Daily Mail

Customer Reviews:

A Compelling Tale of Grandeur, Betrayal, and Innocence.......2007-10-04

The story of Lady Jane Grey, the tragic Nine Days Queen, is well known to most people familiar with the Tudor period. Nevertheless, she exerts a powerful attraction because she was kin to Henry VIII's children and became a pawn through no fault of her own, coming to the fore during a crisis in the Tudor succession following the death of Edward VI.

"Innocent Traitor" - acclaimed historian Alison Weir's entry into the historical fiction arena - brings Jane Grey to life in a unique and vibrant way. Through a medley of voices, including Jane's own, that of her mother Eleanor of Suffolk, her devoted nursemaid, and even Jane's royal cousin Mary Tudor, we experience the maneuverings and intrigues of life at court through various perspectives and opinions. We also come to know Jane as an emotionally abused child of gifted intelligence; as a young woman of staunch faith and honor; and as a reluctant queen whose pure reformist vision cannot overcome the depredations of her father-in-law and his ruthless associates. Helpless to stem the forces moving against her, Jane records her fate with stoic dignity and a keen eye.

It's to be expected that any book by Ms. Weir will be full of intimate details about life in the era; nevertheless, she does not overwhelm the narrative but rather expertly seasons it with facts that display her painstaking commitment to authenticity. In addition, she imbues even such unpleasant characters as Jane's parents with foibles and vulnerabilities of their own, giving them flesh-and-blood dimension. Jane's mother in particular dominates with her leonine pride in her royal blood, her rapacious ambition and her lusty marriage to a man who is her intellectual inferior. A true survivor of her time, she does not concede defeat, bending to obstacles when she cannot mold them to her will.

Readers of historical fiction should not miss this compelling debut by one of England's foremost authorities on the Tudors - a tale of grandeur, betrayal and innocence, framed by one woman's journey from throne to scaffold.

Queen Jane 'the Nine Days Queen': a pawn in the hands of others,.......2007-09-19

Alison Weir writes a wonderful novel about Lady Jane Grey.

While the novel is sympathetic to Jane Grey, it is not sentimental about her fate. As the pawn of ambitious parents and those who held power while Edward VI reigned, her uncrowned reign was both opportunistic and, I believe, unlawful.

This was not her doing, though, and it is hard to not to feel considerable sympathy for an intelligent young woman who was only 17 when she was beheaded.

Mary I really had no choice, but it is difficult to see that she took any great joy in executing her 'misguided' cousin. The 'real' villains are Lady Jane's parents and the Duke of Northumberland.

Highly recommended to those who would like some insight into the tragically short life of Lady Jane.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Unlucky Lady.......2007-09-19

"A beautiful daughter, my lady," announces the midwife uncertainly. "Healthy and vigorous." I should be joyful, thanking God for the safe arrival of a lusty child. Instead, my spirits plummet. All this-for nothing.

So begins the story of Lady Jane Grey. Historian and gifted author Alison Weir, in her first foray into the realm of fiction, has brought the world of Tudor England vividly alive in her version of the events that took place after the death of Henry VIII. Through first person narratives by Jane herself and a number of the other central characters, Jane's brief, tragic life unfolds. Known today as the Nine Days Queen, this maltreated girl was the innocent, unwilling pawn of her parents' political ambitions and victim of the vicious religious conflict that tore England apart during the 16th century. All the pageantry, plotting, and maneuvering of the royal court swirls around Jane as she grows, until the age of 15 when she is horrified to find that she has been declared Queen of England in place of the rightful heir, the Catholic (soon to be "Bloody") Mary. Vibrant characters, a plot that's hard to believe but true, and accurate period detail make this first novel an enthralling page-turner.

If Jane had been the hoped-for son , would her fate have been different? Would her brother's? Somehow, with the the Marquess and Marchioness of Dorset as parents, that's doubtful. The dearth of male heirs was a plague on the house of Tudor.

Weir should stick to nonfiction.......2007-09-13

Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Gray, is the story of Lady Jane Gray. Raised alternately by her overbearing and ambitious parents, who wanted her to marry King Edward VI, and by Katherine Parr and Thomas Seymour, she became Queen of England after her cousin's death, only to be executed nine days later. The narrative is told through the eyes of Jane, her mother, Katherine Parr (Henry VIII's sixth wife), John Dudley, and others.

I read her book on Mary, Queen of Scots and thought that that book was well done--great research and writing. But sadly, even though Innocent Traitor is well-researched, it felt as though I was reading nonfiction as told through a first-person narrator--it was simply a recitation of dry facts. I had a problem with the narrative being told in the present tense, and I also thought it was a good idea that the reader was reminded constantly of how old Jane was, otherwise I would have thought that the story was being told by an adult. For example, I found it hard to believe that a ten-year-old Jane would fully grasp the significance of the political and sexual intrigue of the time, her intelligence notwithstanding. Also, I was glad of the headings that told us who was talking, otherwise I would have thought that the story was all told by one and the same person.

I agree with the previous reviewer, who said that historical fiction of this caliber is best left to writers such as Philippa Gregory--at least Gregory brings her characters to life in ways that Weir wasn't able to in this novel.

Disappointed.......2007-09-07

Let me begin by saying that I love Alison Weir. I've read most of her non-fiction historial works and found them to be well-written, engrossing, and instructive. However, I think that in order to tell Lady Jane Grey's story, she should have stuck to her forte--dealing in facts.

It was a good idea to indicate which character was speaking at the beginning of their respective narratives, because there were no defining characteristics between each of the players. Each one had the same voice, the same level of self-awareness, and the same manner of speaking. Perhaps the novel would have been stronger if narrated by a third person.

Ms. Weir is a great historian, but the historical novels are best left to Philippa Gregory or Sharon Kay Penman.

Average customer rating:

Not worth reading
A heart-warming and inspiring tale
It was just OK...
Two and a Half Stars Please
Pleasant Reading ...

The Constant Princess
Philippa Gregory
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0743272498

Book Description

"I am Catalina, Princess of Spain, daughter of the two greatest monarchs the world has ever known...and I will be Queen of England."

Thus, bestselling author Philippa Gregory introduces one of her most unforgettable heroines: Katherine of Aragon. Known to history as the Queen who was pushed off her throne by Anne Boleyn, here is a Katherine the world has forgotten: the enchanting princess that all England loved. First married to Henry VIII's older brother, Arthur, Katherine's passion turns their arranged marriage into a love match; but when Arthur dies, the merciless English court and her ambitious parents -- the crusading King and Queen of Spain -- have to find a new role for the widow. Ultimately, it is Katherine herself who takes control of her own life by telling the most audacious lie in English history, leading her to the very pinnacle of power in England.

Set in the rich beauty of Moorish Spain and the glamour of the Tudor court, The Constant Princess presents a woman whose constancy helps her endure betrayal, poverty, and despair, until the inevitable moment when she steps into the role she has prepared for all her life: Henry VIII's Queen, Regent, and commander of the English army in their greatest victory against Scotland.

Download Description

"I am Catalina, Princess of Spain, daughter of the two greatest monarchs the world has ever known...and I will be Queen of England.""

Customer Reviews:

Not worth reading.......2007-10-10

I liked the Other Boleyn Girl...and I was intrigued when I found her book about Katherine of Aragon...

...sadly this book is not worth the time. Kathrine charecter comes off as whiney and overall without any depth. Katherine's charecter had little depth. I was very disappointed.

A heart-warming and inspiring tale.......2007-08-30

Like every other Philippa Gregory novel that I have read, "The Constant Princess" is yet another example of how delicious this author writes. This book does not disappoint. A wonderful story that is filled with fun, romance, and inspiration, "The Constant Princess" is about Queen Katharine of England (Henry VIII's first wife.)

The best part of Philippa Gregory's writing (at least what I have read so far) is that her stories are well seasoned with historical facts and characters. While this is an artistic take on historical events, it is still pure enjoyment to devour and I was left with a deep respect for Katharine the real person in addition to Katharine the character in this novel.

The first half of the book is delicious and romantic. My heart was singing and I forgot all about what really happens to our dear heroine because I was so wrapped up in the first part of her story (about her first marriage to Arthur.) Suddenly the story turns from romance to defining why the book is titled "The Constant Princess." Reading about her struggles, her near-misses, and ultimately to see her bring her goal to fruition was what made this a fantastic book.

If you enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl and/or The Boleyn Inheritance, I am positive you will also enjoy this book. Add it to your collection of Philippa Gregory novels today!

It was just OK..........2007-08-29

As someone who thoroughly enjoys historical fiction and the Tudor time period in England I was really excited to pick up this book on Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife.

Gregory, covers Katherine or Catalina's childhood in Spain, her first marriage to Arthur (Henry's older brother), her agonizing wait for 7 years before she became Henry's wife, and then the first few years of marriage.

I thought the first half of the book somewhat interesting up until Arthur dies and she schemes to marry Henry, his younger brother. I also found the first years of Henry and Katherine's marriage somewhat interesting.

However, what takes away from this book in a big way is Gregory's repetitiveness throughout the book (as many others have cited). It really takes away from the progress of the story as you feel you're just stuck reading the same thing over and over again. Then Gregory glosses over Katherine's shining moment as Queen - holding back the Scots, skips 13 years of their reign together (during which Anne Boleyn enters the picture and convinces Henry to marry her) and ends the book abruptly. As the reader you almost get the sense that Gregory just got tired of writing about her because it didn't feel finished and complete.

Overall, this book was just OK.

Two and a Half Stars Please.......2007-08-28

While "The Other Boleyn Girl" was richly imagined in great detail, most of this book was repetitive and generalized. It did give me the barest background on Kathryn, for which I was grateful, but I expected mastery and got averageness.

Pleasant Reading ..........2007-08-15

If you are like me ~~ a historical fiction fan ~~ you'll pick this book up and snuggle down on the couch for a cozy reading. I can guarantee that this is a cozy reading and you'll finish the book in a short time ~~ but it is not the best historical fiction I've picked up. After reading Jean Plaidy's books, I am hard pressed to even compare Gregory in the same genre ~~ while riveting, the writing style is just not the same. You also get the feeling she is taking great liberties with historical facts. Plus, in this one, Katherine (whom I have always wanted to know more about) is just not all that winning of a character.

Katherine or Catalina is an Infanta of Spain. She is the daughter of two of Spain's most notorious rulers (I am not going to say that they are the greatest because they did a lot of harm to a lot of people of different faiths). From birth, she was betrothed to marry Arthur, the prince of England and the future king. That alone gave her an inflated sense of self-worth. She comes to England as a spoiled young child and eventually falls in love with her husband. Tragically, he died. But on his deathbed, she promised to fulfill his wishes for an united England. She goes on to marry Henry after waiting seven long years of poverty and unwanted by either her parents and by Henry the Seventh, whom she spurned his marriage proposal. Then it goes on to where she conquers Scotland while Henry was fighting in France. That's it. Gregory skipped entirely the Boleyn affair, Mary's birth and all those details that I would love to read more in depth (especially since I am a fan of the new Showtime series, "The Tudors").

While it is entertaining, there are some things that did drive me nuts as a reader. One thing, Katherine keeps repeating to herself that she's born to be a queen. Ok, I get that, and understand that, but come on, after fifteen times of saying that, I really get it and that alone starts to turn me off of the character. (I was like, NO WONDER Henry went after other women!) I do agree with the author's assessment that Henry is a spoiled young boy who hasn't been tried by war or treasonous friends or whatever. But eventually, he does become to be a ruler in his own right and a very dangerous one at that.

The constant reference to being God's chosen people and following God's will ~~ it is annoying but that is how people think back then and still do. Katherine took it to a new art. I found her first miscarriage very interesting, her love affair with Arthur very sweet and tragic ~~ and her subsquent marriage to Henry interesting. It is a very interesting novel to read ~~ as long as you keep in mind that it is fiction and it is entertaining. It is not as good as "The Queen's Fool" or "The Other Boleyn Girl" ~~ those two novels I just loved. But it is entertaining and written well ~~ definitely better written than "The Queen's Lover" ~~ which is my least favorite of the Tudor series.

So go ahead and snuggle on the couch and read ~~ you will be carried back into time where danger and intrigue are the way of life. That I can guarantee you of.

8-15-07

Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell: Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia

Average customer rating:

Outstanding woman, mediocre biography.
This book needed an editor
Insightful Read
Desert Queen: The extraordinary Lief of Gertrude Bell
If Only Washington Leaders Would All Read This Book

Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell: Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia
Janet Wallach
Manufacturer: Anchor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Political | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1400096197
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Amazon.com

A biography of the woman who, indirectly, was the catalyst for many of the troubles in the Middle East, including the Gulf War. In 1918, Gertrude Bell drew the region's proposed boundaries on a piece of tracing paper. Her qualifications for doing so were her extensive travel, her fluency in both Persian and Arabic, and her relationships with sheiks and tribal and religious leaders. She also possessed an ability to understand the subtle and indirect politeness of the culture, something many of her colonialist comrades were oblivious to. As a self-made statesman her sex was an asset, enabling her to bypass the ladder of protocol and dive into the business of building an Empire.

Book Description

Turning away from the privileged world of the "eminent Victorians," Gertrude Bell (1868—1926) explored, mapped, and excavated the world of the Arabs. Recruited by British intelligence during World War I, she played a crucial role in obtaining the loyalty of Arab leaders, and her connections and information provided the brains to match T. E. Lawrence's brawn. After the war, she played a major role in creating the modern Middle East and was, at the time, considered the most powerful woman in the British Empire.

In this masterful biography, Janet Wallach shows us the woman behind these achievements–a woman whose passion and defiant independence were at odds wit the confined and custom-bound England she left behind. Too long eclipsed by Lawrence, Gertrude Bell emerges at last in her own right as a vital player on the stage of modern history, and as a woman whose life was both a heartbreaking story and a grand adventure.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding woman, mediocre biography........2007-08-23

As has been mentioned by others, I too wonder at the literary excesses of this book. "She sensed his profound hunger....". "....her heart pounding, her cheeks burning hot, and as his blue eyes burned with desire, he took her in his arms".
Gertrude Bell, an outstanding woman, deserves a better, a more maturely written biography. Thankfully, they are out there.

This book needed an editor.......2007-08-05

I began to read this book with anticipation. I was a put off by the sort of breathless tone more worthy of a bad romance novel.

About twenty pages in, I was surprised by a reference to the Ottoman Empire expanding since the 13th century from Constantinople. The Ottoman Empire expanded around Constantinople from the 13th to the 15th centuries, until they finally took the city in 1453, and promptly renamed it Istanbul.

I soldiered on, until I was informed that British were fighting Germans in the Boer war in the late 1890s. The Boers, descended from Dutch colonists, would have been surprised to hear themselves described as German.

These two mistakes, obvious to anyone with a decent knowledge of history, ruined my willingness to accept anything else in the book. I put down the book, never knowing if Miss Bell was able to overcome her lost early love.

Gertrude Bell's life seems to be worthy of a good biography. This isn't it.

Insightful Read.......2007-07-04

A book which skilfully interweaves historical facts with the anecdotes and day-to-day life of a woman struggling to find her place in the Middle East.
Was left with a sense of awe from her accomplishments and the beginnings of an inkling as to the political and religious turmoil and troubles of this region based on the history retold by Janet Wallach.

Desert Queen: The extraordinary Lief of Gertrude Bell.......2007-03-09

I only wish George W and Chaney would have read this book before entering into War with Iraq. The history of British rule and their failure to solve the Tribal problems at the establishment of Iraq as a new State after the breakup of the Otterman Empire. This only proves that History can repeat itself.

If Only Washington Leaders Would All Read This Book.......2007-01-23

Yes, I would venture to say that anyone who reads this book as well as Lawrence's "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" would be better qualified to shape US foreign policy in the Middle East than those who are now doing that... When will we ever learn?

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Chinese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Japanese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Doctors & Medicine | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Lawyers & Criminals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Love, Sex & Marriage | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Historiography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

French | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Victorian | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Epic | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

German | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Russian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Chinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

War on Drugs | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Science | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Online Research | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books

Native American | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Sailor Moon | Popular Characters | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Pilates | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Very informative..
History made interesting
The perfect storyteller.
Loved this book!
Great account of history

The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Alison Weir
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0802136834

Book Description

The tempestuous, bloody, and splendid reign of Henry VIII of England (1509-1547) is one of the most fascinating in all history, not least for his marriage to six extraordinary women. In this accessible work of brilliant scholarship, Alison Weir draws on early biographies, letters, memoirs, account books, and diplomatic reports to bring these women to life. Catherine of Aragon emerges as a staunch though misguided woman of principle; Anne Boleyn, an ambitious adventuress with a penchant for vengeance; Jane Seymour, a strong-minded matriarch in the making; Anne of Cleves, a good-natured and innocent woman naively unaware of the court intrigues that determined her fate; Catherine Howard, an empty-headed wanton; and Catherine Parr, a warm-blooded bluestocking who survived King Henry to marry a fourth time.

Customer Reviews:

Very informative.........2007-10-06

Very informative book! Weir manages to give us a detailed description of the personalities of each of these six queens. What makes this book such a success is that its very easy to read making it impossible to get bored!

History made interesting.......2007-09-17

I haven't been a big history buff in the past (no pun intended) but after seeing a glimpse of a documentary on Henry VIII, I was curious. This book was GREAT! I simply couldn't put it down and lugged the big book with me on the bus, on planes, etc. In fact, it inspired me to continue reading up on the Tudors. Highly recommended!

The perfect storyteller........2007-08-24

Impeccably researched, fantastically written, wonderfully enthralling. Anyone interested in British history, monarchs in general, the tudor period, politics, or anyone who just plain likes gossip will love this book. It was really great.

Loved this book!.......2007-08-14

A friend recommended some of Philipa Gregory's books to me. After reading "The Other Boelyn Girl" I decided to try non-fiction. I would have never dreamed that I would enjoy a big, thick, historial, non-fiction book about 16th century England. However, "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" was fantastic! I could not put this book down! I have ordered Ms. Weir's other books about Lady Jane Grey, Henry VIII's court and Elizabeth. After reading this book, you will look at the Tower of London, Hampton Court, Hever Castle, etc. in a completely different way when in London. You have to hand it to the Brits; they have the most interesting and fascinating history of all.

Great account of history.......2007-08-12

If you're in the market for a book that gives a thorough account of each wife of Henry VIII, then this is the book for you. Over 600 pages long, this packs together history and great writing. It's written chronologically, from Henry's days before his betrothal to Katherine of Aragon, up to the death of his last wife, Katherine Parr. It flows together perfectly. It's easy to read, to boot. I think my favorite parts were the quotes taken from personal letters, and hand-written accounts by those closest to the royals themselves.

Average customer rating:

Recommended
A Fool No More
How can I like this more than Philippa Gregory's Boleyn stories??
The Queen's Fool: A novel
WONDERFUL

The Queen's Fool: A Novel
Philippa Gregory
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0743246071

Book Description

A young woman caught in the rivalry between Queen Mary and her half sister, Elizabeth, must find her true destiny amid treason, poisonous rivalries, loss of faith, and unrequited love.

It is winter, 1553. Pursued by the Inquisition, Hannah Green, a fourteen-year-old Jewish girl, is forced to flee Spain with her father. But Hannah is no ordinary refugee. Her gift of "Sight," the ability to foresee the future, is priceless in the troubled times

of the Tudor court. Hannah is adopted by the glamorous Robert Dudley, the charismatic son of King Edward's protector, who brings her to court as a "holy fool" for Queen Mary and, ultimately, Queen Elizabeth. Hired as a fool but working as a spy; promised in wedlock but in love with her master; endangered by the laws against heresy, treason, and witchcraft, Hannah must choose between the safe life of a commoner and the dangerous intrigues of the royal family that are inextricably bound up in her own yearnings and desires.

Teeming with vibrant period detail and peopled by characters seamlessly woven into the sweeping tapestry of history, The Queen's Fool is another rich and emotionally resonant gem from this wonderful storyteller.

Customer Reviews:

Recommended.......2007-09-14

This is the first Philippa Gregory novel I've read, and I chose this one because of the slight fantasy of the main character's "sight" that she uses to foretell events. This aspect I would have enjoyed had the author used it more; however, then it would be even more of a fantasy than historical fiction. Regardless, the story held my interest and I liked the characters.

A Fool No More.......2007-08-27

Another drama of the Tudors by Philippa Gregory. I enjoyed this one more than "The Other Boleyn Girl" because the main character had spunk and independence, unusual for a girl in those days. Although a vassal to a Lord with his own agenda, she developed a deep love for Queen Mary and was a loyal friend to her through all her suffering. For the first time, I got a clear picture of the conflict between Mary and Elizabeth before and after the death of their young brother the King. Both made huge mistakes but were strong women to be reckoned with. Hannah serves both but is still her own woman. Very exciting events unfold as the balance of power shifts back and forth between these two woman and their supporters. Adding to the drama is the fact that Hannah and her family are Jews passing as Christians during a time when heretics were burned at the stake.

How can I like this more than Philippa Gregory's Boleyn stories??.......2007-08-07

I don't know how it's possible that I liked "The Queen's Fool" even more than "The Other Boleyn Girl", and "The Boleyn Inheritance" which I loved. I think it's partially the addition of Hannah Green the young jewish girl escaping the Spanish Inquisition and becoming the Queen's Fool, telling the story. Having Hannah tell the story introduces how great an effect all the european countries and their politics have on other European countries.

I am sure it is also the fact that these stories build on each other, with characters whose families and circumstances are already familiar from the book before. I encourage you to read in sequence - and I encourage you to READ these stories and learn some history. Even if it is couched in some fiction, you still learn and this way is so much more fun. My friends are now as hooked as I am -- this many people can't all be wrong.

The Queen's Fool: A novel.......2007-08-02

Intriguing! Great descriptions of the Tudor court in a suspense filled, exciting time in history. Had me hooked.

WONDERFUL.......2007-07-19

Ms. Gregory's The Queen's Fool is as beautifully written as her other historical fiction novels. We continue the story of the Tudor line in England, but instead of being guided through a queen's view or a princess's view, we read through the eyes of Hannah the Fool. Hannah is a wonderful character who grows from an apprentice tomboy to a desirable woman. We pick up the story from Henry VIII's last wife to see his son, Edward IV, on the throne. Edward, ruled through the Duke of Northumberland, dies and the throne is shoved into the hands of Jane Grey (Northumberland's relation). The victory is short-lived, because Mary (Henry VIII's first and only child with Katharine of Aragon) raises an army to fight for her as Queen. Though she wins, it is not long before her sister, Princess Elizabeth (Henry VIII's first and only child with Anne Boleyn), conspires to take the throne. Hannah is thrown in between the half-sisters and must use her Sight as a gift to help both women. The story line is filled with historical fact, tweaked enough to give a well rounded account of The reign of Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth I. WONDERFUL!

Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd: The inventories of the Wardrobe of Robes prepared in July 1600, edited from Stowe MS 557 in the British Library, MS LR 2/121 in the Public Record Office, London, and MS V.b.72 in the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington DC

Average customer rating:

The recipient loved it
The best place to start for Elizabethan Costuming
Such An Amazing Resource!
Really great book but....there are a few issues
The Best source for the Wardrobe of Elizabeth 1st

Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd: The inventories of the Wardrobe of Robes prepared in July 1600, edited from Stowe MS 557 in the British Library, MS LR 2/121 in the Public Record Office, London, and MS V.b.72 in the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington DC
Janet Arnold
Manufacturer: W. S. Maney and Son Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Reference | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Sewing | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Textile Arts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0901286206

Customer Reviews:

The recipient loved it.......2004-10-22

I bought this as a gift for a friend who helped a great deal with my wedding, advising me of dress styles, hair styles, fashion from this era, dances, music, food, and everything in between, as well as arranging all the flowers for the wedding! She was a godsend! When I gave her the book, her jaw dropped and she was so excited to get it... she said she had been wanting it forever. As I consider her quite knowledgeable about the subject matter of this book, and as it came highly recommended by her, I would say that it's a great book to have if this is something you are interested in as a serious hobby or more.

The best place to start for Elizabethan Costuming.......2003-04-10

This is one of the best books ever written on the subject of Elizabethan Costuming. It mainly contains all of the details of Queen Elizabeth I wardrobe but it has unique points in the society that surrounded the dresses. This book helps to explain the Gloriana image that became so popular and it helps us to understand all the little details that went into the dress of the period. Detailing costumes using portraits and explaining how the fashion progressed makes this book a must for anyone interested in Renaissance Faires and the nobility. The only drawback is that very very few of the portraits and pictures are in color. I think a total of about 7 are in color the rest is in black and white. The only way to make this book more appealing and usable would be to put all of the portraits and pictures in color, but that would make the book even more expensive. After this must have book the 2nd on the shelf should be a J. Hunniset book (the lady who did all the costuming for Elizabeth R and The Six Wives of Henry the VIII produced by BBC). Next, any Janet Arnold book. Last, would be the Norris book: Tudor Costuming and Fashion (although most of this book is very outdated it is nice to look at). All of these are must haves and will make a well rounded library. Dispite the high price of the book it is worth posessing. Enjoy.

Such An Amazing Resource!.......2002-02-12

For the historical costumer focused on 16th century clothing, this is the "bible" hands down. Big, expensive, and filled with the usual detail that is the hallmark of Janet Arnold, this is one very worthwhile investment for the serious costumer. This book has one tiny drawback, in that it focuses entirely on women's fashion in the 16th century as viewed through the wardrobe accounts of Queen Elizabeth I and some of her contemporaries. Therefore, it has nothing to say on the topic of men's clothing, which is an unfortunately neglected aspect of 16th century research.

Much of Janet Arnold's most important contributions to the costuming community are addressed in this book, making it extremely valuable. She presents each section with satisfying detail, raising very few questions that remain unanswered. The photographs accompanying the text are also invaluable, as many of them are not available in other books or to the general public for viewing. If only there were more color images...

If you can afford the book, you won't regret buying it.

Really great book but....there are a few issues.......2001-08-06

For years I heard how this was _the_ book to buy if you were into Elizabethan costuming and wanted authentic items that could be documented. The book is good for that, and I enjoyed the style that Ms.Arnold wrote it in.

But I have two major gripes with the book-both regarding the quality of graphics and images in it.

First off-in the whole book there are only about 5 pages in color. The rest of it-including hundreds of portraits, examples of extant clothing pieces and pieces of embroidery were all in black and white. I complain about that because, with so many of the portraits quoted as examples it would help if they could be seen clearly. (Many of them are too dark to have reproduced well, and a few are quite horrible.) And the photographs....

If they could reprint this book and possibly include more color plates it would be a much much more valuable resource. As it stands now, it is a good source, but not all that I could have hoped for. Instead I have begun a search for color reproductions of the portraits cited in the book. A long tedious job but one that I think over all will make it a much more solid resource for my needs.

The Best source for the Wardrobe of Elizabeth 1st.......2000-05-13

This book is amazing. Huge, and packed full of information. An essential refernce work if you are seriously considering doing anything with elizabethan fashion. The author has poured years of scholarship into this work and it shows. It's not really a coffee table picture book. Instead it is full of carefully culled facts for the serious student or anybody curious about 'real' English Tudor costume.

A Treasury of Royal Scandals: The Shocking True Stories History's Wickedest, Weirdest, Most Wanton Kings, Queens, Tsars, Popes, and Emperors

Average customer rating:

Fantastic Read!
My history teachers should have read it
Good, Quick Read... but it's not for history scholars
Funny, sad, shocking
Heather's "Courtesans" Review

A Treasury of Royal Scandals: The Shocking True Stories History's Wickedest, Weirdest, Most Wanton Kings, Queens, Tsars, Popes, and Emperors
Michael Farquhar
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0140280243
Release Date: 2001-05-01

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Read!.......2007-08-10

This book is great, especially for those who don't have a lot of free time. The chapters are short and juicy! I really learned a lot about history. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

My history teachers should have read it.......2007-08-10

When I learmed history in my school days, the classes of history were very boring.
If my history teachers had read this book, they should have made their classes fun and interesting.
Especially, students are interested in the lives of kings or queens as well as normal people.

Good, Quick Read... but it's not for history scholars.......2007-07-04

To sum up this book quickly: it's good potty reading. In the forward Farquhar explains that he avoids the entire 20th century (with the exception of a few stories about Wallis Simpson). He basically points out that the "scandals" of the 20th century are nothing compared to let's say ordering a small cache of boys to swim naked with you, so they can nip at the treat between your legs. Marrying a divorcee just seems milquetoast in comparison.

Anyhow, it was an enjoyable read. Sad at times, sometimes even disturbing, but for the most part is written with a witty dark humor that will make you laugh at even the most sickeningly, depraved noble. While Farquhar sticks to European royalty for the book, he does include an entire section on Roman Caesars, and early Popes, all of which easily out-deprave the nobles the rest of the book is about.

Each story is short, a sort of Cliff's Notes. This is especially true if you are familiar with some of the stories. For the stories I already knew, his facts were accurate, if a bit summary. This is good, because each tale is bite-sized, making the book good for niblet reading here and there.

The tales Farquhar chooses to tell are sometimes hits, and sometimes misses. I particularly did not see how the detailed accounting of the murder of the Romanov's really fit with some of the other stories, for example.

If you like a good scandal, need some quick reads for here and there, or have a fascination with the excesses that unbridled power brings, this is a book worth checking out.

Funny, sad, shocking.......2007-06-11

I really enjoyed A Treasury of Royal Scandals! It was a fun, fast-paced read. Organized wonderfully and told in sections and chapters, Treasury tells the shocking tales of royalty throughout the ages. From Marie Antoinette's terrible demise, Mary of Scot's botched beheading, Nero's incest, to the tales of popes whose crimes were greater than those of the worst Roman emperors- it's all here! Told in a sometimes sarcastic, very readable way, you will be hooked.

Heather's "Courtesans" Review.......2007-01-19

This is a great book. I read it last year, but I remember how much I enjoyed it. You will learn so much about their lives and about the times they lived in. You will also learn about a woman named Grace Dalrymple Elliot. She was a courtesan who kept a journal. You can look that up yourself. This kind of book opens up the imagination and leads you on and on to the next interesting book. But be warned. As the author states, some biographies were written by people in their inter circles who didn't like them. READ THIS BOOK!

Queen Emma and the Vikings: Power, Love, and Greed in 11th Century England

Average customer rating:

VERY INTERESTING. IT MEET MY NEEDS.
High quality popular history-biography
The Title Contains the Name EMMA, But Where's EMMA??
Very enjoyable -- could have been deeper
Twice Crowned Queen; Twice a Queen Mother

Queen Emma and the Vikings: Power, Love, and Greed in 11th Century England
Harriet O'Brien
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1582345961
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

A lively portrait of a tumultuous period replete with conflict and strife, political intrigue and shifting alliances, assassinations and coronations.

Emma, one of England's most remarkable queens, made her mark on a nation beset by Viking raiders at the end of the Dark Ages, a period often neglected by conventional history. At the center of a triangle of Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, and Normans all jostling for control of England, Emma was a political pawn who became a power broker and an unscrupulous manipulator. By birth a Norman, Emma spent the majority of her life on English soil. She was married to two kings of England and outlived both; she was twice driven into exile; while mourning the untimely loss of one son, she was devastated by the murder of another; she saw two of her sons crowned; she was stripped of her powers when her eldest son became king; and she eventually retired from public life as a dowager queen whose land and wealth had been restored. Regarded by her contemporaries as a generous Christian patron, a regent admired by her subjects, and a Machiavellian mother, Emma was, above all, a survivor: hers was a life marked by dramatic reversals of fortune.

Customer Reviews:

VERY INTERESTING. IT MEET MY NEEDS. .......2007-06-05

There are a couple of facts we need to remember when reading this particular book. First, and this is important, it, the book, is not a Doctorial Thesis and it is not written as such. This is a popular historical work, meant to inform, but at the same time, to entertain. Secondly, I too, like a couple of other reviewers, was a bit disappointed that more was not written about the main character, Emma, her personal life, etc. This leads to the second fact we must remember. Source documents from this era, in particular personal histories, are very, very hard to come by. Most documents from this time have simply disappeared, have been destroyed, or are lost in some historical black hole. This being said and this being remembered, as the book is being read, might help.

The author has given us a fascinating look into the life and politics during the latter part of the first century. A very troubled time for England, and indeed, most of Europe. True, she, the author, does not go into the depth of her subject as many of us would like, but as I have stated, the author had very few source documents of refer to. This work is done in the "popular mode," and is quite readable. The author has taken great pains to let us know when she is stating documented facts and when she drifts into the realm of speculation. This is important to understand what the author is trying to do. I found the author's style far from dry, considering the subject matter. Queen Emma was indeed a complex and fascinating woman and the author has gone to great lengths to bring this across.

This is one of those book I like to call a "tickler," or "seed book." It gives information to those who are interested in a subject, but not fanatical about it. My primary interest is in New World History, but I do like to know where we came from. Works such as this give me as much information as I need for my purposes. Granted, if I were doing a research paper, or was extremely interested in the subject, I would indeed want more. As it stands though, this work gave me a wonder glance into those days and times. Now that I have this information, I find I do have an interest and this work has "tickled" me into checking other works out. This is a good thing. Perhaps one day I could land a nice juicy government grant, travel to England, and check out some of the source documents myself. Would not that be fun!

All in all, I found the work to be very well done, enjoyable to read and quite helpful. I do recommend this one for any individual interested in those days and times and the Queen Emma.

High quality popular history-biography.......2007-06-04

Emma of Normandy was the daughter of Richard I and his Danish "handfast" wife, Gunnor, whose origins are obscure. She married Aethelred II of England, was widowed, and married the Danish invader, Canute the Great the next year. One of her sons by each husband subsequently ruled England. She also became the mother-in-law of Henry III of Germany and was the great-aunt of William the Conqueror. But Emma wasn't the typical royal spouse. She learned how to wield power, played an expert political game, and suffered the failings of greed and scandal. Because of her wide and deep connections between the conquering Danes and Normans and the conquered English, this lively, well-written volume is more than a biography. Though the author is a journalist rather than an academic, she has produced a popular history with thorough source citations that is well worth the reading.

The Title Contains the Name EMMA, But Where's EMMA??.......2007-06-02

If you like Medieval history and the history of continuous Viking raids on England, maybe you'll find this book enjoyable. For me, it was a huge disappointment. The author appears to have no concrete evidence about Queen Emma's public or private life, reign, whereabouts during specific periods in British history, children, marriages, or anything else surrounding the book's main topic. Although a short read, it is dry and without enthusiasm. The book's main subject, Emma, is incidental throughout the entire "biography." Emma happened to be the English queen during Viking raids and that's about it. There is plenty of guess-work on the part of the author about what Emma might have done, might have seen, might have said or read, but there's nothing solid or concrete. There are, however, some interesting insights into Medieval life at the time of Emma's reign but that's about it.

Very enjoyable -- could have been deeper.......2006-12-23

The century or two leading up to the Norman Conquest is a favorite historical period for me, and I've read a number of books balanced roughly on the fulcrum of the year 1000, give or take. And Ms. O'Brien's was a very worthwhile addition to them. Like another reviewer, though, I wished for more on Emma -- or Aelfgifu as the Anglo-Saxons called her. Still, the book was quite a worthwhile and well-written portrait of the times and the characters involved in those fateful years.

And I still say Harold got a raw deal. Arrow in the eye (at least, according to the Bayeux Tapestry) -- that's gotta hurt! ;)

Twice Crowned Queen; Twice a Queen Mother.......2006-12-11

It's clear that Emma didn't passively attain this distinction. How did she do it? The records for the era are hardly extensive, so the biographer has a lot of work to do.

O'Brien did the work and has produced a solid bio. I particularly liked the parts on how Emma commissioned her book and how the assigned monk may have constructed her spin on history. I also liked the chronological chart at the end which sets Emma and her time within not just a European timeline, but also a worldwide framework.

The amount of research that goes into a volume like this is to be respected, but I held back a star because the question of how Queen Emma made her comebacks is only technically answered. You do not get the feeling you understand Emma the way you come to understand the central characters in a Fraser or Weir biography.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books