Synopsis
Having fascinated and titillated readers with her enormously popular titles depicting the treachery of King Henry VIII and the rest of the Tudors, Philippa Gregory begins a new series which depicts another of the most tumultuous periods of English history--The Wars of the Roses. The title of this opening volume refers to Elizabeth Woodville Grey, whose legendary beauty and allure captured the heart of King Edward IV, such that he secretly married her in 1464 against the wishes of his family, and in particular his cousin Richard, the devious earl of Warwick, who had once been instrumental in helping Edward defeat the Lancastrians and ascend to the throne. Displeased with the match, Richard forged an alliance with Edward's brother, George, and attacked the king, who was now supported by Elizabeth's Lancastrian family, his previous enemies. In the midst of the years of fighting, Edward and Elizabeth's two sons vanished, and the mystery of their fate has never been solved. Gregory captures all the intrigue, deceit and ambition of the era with impeccable detail and delectable wit, and her theory on the disappearance of the two princes is certain to have historians re-opening the investigation.
In this account of the wars of the Plantagenets, a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition, Elizabeth Woodville, catches the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 2009-08-18 |
| Size | | Length: | 415 pages | | Height: | 9.8 in | | Width: | 6.8 in | | Thickness: | 1.2 in | | Weight: | 22.7 oz |
Publisher's Note
A tale inspired by the War of the Roses follows the conflict from the perspective of Elizabeth Woodville, who ascends to royalty and fights for the well-being of her family, including two sons whose imprisonment in the Tower of London precedes a devastating unsolved mystery. By the a best-selling author.
Industry Reviews
"It is a well-told story, a kind of royal soap opera (but with strong factual underpinnings), richly detailed and fast moving. Gregory's legion of fans will be delighted."
(06/01/2009)
"[E]ngrossing....Most of the story is blunt, brutal and bloody, but Gregory has a deft hand with historical imagination, making the most of ancient mysteries..."
(08/25/2009)
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