Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

Claudius by Douglas Jackson.  US paperback release July 27, 2010;  released last year in hardback in the UK.  43 AD: The Roman legions are coming.   In Southern Britain, Caratacus, chief of the Britons, watches from a hilltop as the scarlet cloaks of a Roman army spread across his land like blood.  Among them is Rufus, keeper of the Emperor’s elephant, an unwilling participant in the invasion of Britain. The Roman legions smash into the British forces, but just as victory seems at hand, they wait. Reinforcements are coming, led by Emperor Claudius himself. And Rufus will have a very special part to play in the coming battle.









The Virgin Warrior by Larissa Juliet Taylor.  Non-fiction.  US paperback release August 31, 2010.  France’s great heroine and England’s great scourge: whether a lunatic, a witch, a religious icon, or a skilled soldier and leader, Joan of Arc’s contemporaries found her as extraordinary and fascinating as the legends that abound about her today. But her life has been so endlessly cast and recast that we have lost sight of the remarkable girl at the heart of it—a teenaged peasant girl who, after claiming to hear voices, convinced the French king to let her lead a disheartened army into battle. In the process she changed the course of European history.
In The Virgin Warrior, Larissa Juliet Taylor paints a vivid portrait of Joan as a self-confident, charismatic and supremely determined figure, whose sheer force of will electrified those around her and struck terror into the hearts of the English soldiers and leaders. The drama of Joan’s life is set against a world where visions and witchcraft were real, where saints could appear to peasants, battles and sieges decided the fate of kingdoms and rigged trials could result in burning at the stake. Yet in her short life, Joan emboldened the French soldiers and villagers with her strength and resolve. A difficult, inflexible leader, she defied her accusers and enemies to the end. From her early years to the myths and fantasies that have swelled since her death, Taylor teases out a nuanced and engaging story of the truly irresistible "ordinary" girl who rescued France.



The Wars of the Roses by Michael Hicks.  Non-fiction.  US and UK  release October 26, 2010.    The Wars of the Roses (1455-85) were a major turning point in English history. But the underlying causes for the successive upheavals have been hotly contested by historians ever since. In this original and stimulating new synthesis, distinguished historian Michael Hicks examines the difficult economic, military and financial crises and explains, for the first time, the real reasons why the Wars of the Roses began, why they kept recurring, and why, eventually, they ceased. Along fresh assessments of key personalities, Hicks sheds new light on the significance of the involvement of the people in politics, the intervention of foreign powers in English affairs, and a fifteenth century credit crunch. Combining a meticulous dissection of competing dynamics with a a clear account of the course of events, this is a definitive and indispensable history of a compelling, complex period.


 
 
Not necessarily historical, but I couldn't resist this one:  100 Dresses by The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Non-fiction.  US release October 26, 2010.  What woman can resist imagining herself in a beautiful designer dress? Here, for the first time ever, are 100 fabulous gowns from the permanent collection of the renowned Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, each of which is a reminder of the ways fashion reflects the broader culture that created it.  Featuring designs by Paul Poiret, Coco Chanel, Madame Gres, Yves Saint Laurent, Bianni Versace, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, and many others, this one of a kind collection presents a stunning variety of garments. Ranging from the buttoned-up gowns of the late 17th century to the cutting edge designs of the early 21st, the dresses reflect the sensibilities and excesses of each era while providing a vivid picture of how styles have changed over the years. A late 1600s wool dress with a surprising splash of silver thread; a large bustled red sating dress from the 1800s; a short, shimmery 1920s dancing dress; a glamorous 1950s cocktail dress; and a 1960s minidress each tells a story about its period and serves as a testament ot the enduring ingenuity of the fashion designer’s art.
 
 
King Stephen by Edmund King.  US and UK release November 18, 2010.  This compelling new biography provides the most authoritative picture yet of King Stephen, who reign (1135-1154) with its “nineteen long winters” of civil war, made his name synonymous with failed leadership. After years of work on the sources, Edmund King shows with rare clarity the strengths and weaknesses of the monarch. Keeping Stephen at the forefront of his account, the author also chronicles the activities of key family members and associates whose loyal support sustained Stephen’s kingship. In 1135 the popular Stephen was elected king against the claims of the empress Matilda and her sons. But by 1153, Stephen had lost control over Normandy and other important regions, England had lost prestige, and the weakened king was forced to cede his family’s right to succession. A rich narrative covering the drama of a tumultuous reign, this book focuses well-deserved attention on a king who lost control of his destiny.
 
 
Valley of Dry Bones: A Medieval Mystery by Priscilla Royal.  US and UK release November 1, 2010. 

In the late summer of 1274, King Edward has finally been anointed England’s ruler, and his queen contemplates a pilgrimage in gratitude for their safe return from Outremer, a journey that will include a stay at Tyndal Priory. Envoys are sent to confirm that everything will be suitable for the king’s wife, and Prioress Eleanor nervously awaits them, knowing that regal visits bring along expense and honor. The cost is higher than expected, however, when Death arrives as the unexpected emissary. One of the courtiers is murdered near the hut where Brother Thomas now lives as a hermit. Each member of the party has reason to hate the dead man, including Crowner Ralf’s eldest brother, Sir Fulke, and the prioress’s nemesis, the man in black. Soon Eleanor is embroiled in the dangerous world of power games, both secular and religious. Indeed, England’s future under a new king may offer hope and relief, but skeletons from the past can come back to life like those in the biblical valley of dry bones. Which had cause enough to kill?