England's Medieval Queens – serie

Triumph and tragedy, love and loss, murder and malice in the lives of five fifteenth-century queens, from 'the queen of history writing' (Sunday Express)The fifteenth century was a turbulent age: the Hundred Years War between England and France, and the Wars of the Roses dominated the lives of people both inside and out of the royal courts.Joan of Navarre, Katherine of Valois, Margaret of Anjou, Elizabeth Wydeville and Anne Neville were the queens who stood by England's sovereigns, caught up in wars that changed the course of their lives, and the course of history.They were also formidable women who defied the limitations of their times, often living out the brutal consequences of their determination.Alison Weir uncovers their stories in this final volume of her ground-breaking series on the queens of medieval England. Queens at War is a stunning culmination of research by a historian at the full extent of her powers and gripping account of five women on the throne.* PRAISE FOR ALISON WEIR:‘A meticulous scholar’ New York Times‘She is an excellent storyteller: descriptions are vivid and her knowledge of the sources is extensive’ Spectator‘Weir’s hugely popular history books are as gripping as novels’ The Times‘[Weir] writes in a pacy, vivid style, engaging the heart as well as the mind’ Independent‘Alison Weir has the rare gift of being able to bring history vividly to life’ Choice

Full of passion and betrayal, murder and war, the first volume of an epic new series from bestselling historian Alison Weir, bringing five of England's medieval queens to life.A Daily Telegraph Book of the YearLove, murder, war, betrayalThis is the story of the five extraordinary queens who helped the Norman kings of England rule their dominions. Recognised as equal sharers in the royal authority, their story is packed with tragedy, high drama, even comedy. Heroines, villains, stateswomen, loversBeginning with Matilda of Flanders, who supported William the Conqueror in his invasion of England in 1066, and culminating in the turbulent life of the Empress Maud, whoc claimed to be queen of England in her own right and fought a bitter war to the end, the five Norman queens are revealed as hugely influential figures and fascinating characters. In Alison Weir's hands, these pioneering women reclaim their rightful roles at the centre of English history.

'Stunning... Weir has brought those five queens to life like never before. I just raced through it - it has all the drama and suspense of a novel' Tracy BormanCrusading queens, queens in rebellion against their king, queen seductresses, learned queens, queens in battle - the Plantagenet queens broke through medieval constraints to exercise power and influence, for good and sometimes for ill. Beginning with the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine whose marriage to Henry II sows the seeds for some of the most destructive family conflicts in history and ending with Eleanor of Castile, the grasping but beloved wife of Edward I, Alison Weir's ground-breaking history of the queens of medieval England provides an enthralling new perspective on a dramatic period of high romance and sometimes low politics, with determined women at its heart.

The third volume of Alison Weir’s magisterial history of the queens of medieval England.‘Weir’s history books are as gripping as novels’ The TimesMedieval queens were seen as mere dynastic trophies – yet, as Alison Weir shows in this group biography, many of the Plantagenet queens of the High Middle Ages dramatically broke away from the restrictions imposed on their sex.Using personal letters and fascinating sources, Weir evokes the lives of these five extraordinary women: Marguerite of France, Isabella of France, Philippa of Hainault, Anne of Bohemia and Isabella of Valois. At the same time, she recreates a truly astonishing period of history – the turbulent, brutal Age of Chivalry.‘Places the reader in the midst of…complex, gripping events, telling the stories of five royal wives who lived through them’ BBC History‘Weir is an excellent storyteller’ Spectator