Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

Marie Antoinette by Stefan Zweig. Non-fiction (reissue). UK release July 26, 2010; released in the US in March 2010. Stefan Zweig based his biography of Marie Antoinette, who became the Queen of France at the age of fifteen, on the correspondence between her and her mother, and her great love the Count Axel von Fersen. Zweig analyzes the chemistry of a woman's soul from her intimate pleasures to her public suffering as a Queen under the weight of misfortune and history. Zweig describes Marie Antoinette in the King's bedroom, in the enchanted and extravagant world of the Trianon, and with her children. And in his account of 'The Revolution', he describes her resolve during the failed escape to varennes, her imprisonment in the Conciergerie and her final tragic destiny under the guillotine. Zweig's account has been the definitive biography of Marie Antoinette since its publication, inspiring Antonia Fraser and the recent film adaptation. Stefan Zweig was born in Vienna in 1881.





Killer of Men by Christian Cameron. UK release August 5, 2010. Arimnestos is a farm boy when war breaks out between the citizens of his native Plataea and and their overbearing neighbours, Thebes. Standing in the battle line - the wall of bronze - for the first time, alongside his father and brother, he shares in a famous and unlikely victory. But after being knocked unconscious in the melee, he awakes not a hero, but a slave. Betrayed by his jealous and cowardly cousin, the freedom he fought for has now vanished, and he becomes the property of a rich citizen of Ephesus. So begins an epic journey from slavery that takes the young Arimnestos through a world poised on the brink of an epic confrontation, as the emerging civilization of the Greeks starts to flex its muscles against the established empire of the Persians. As he tries to make his fortune and revenge himself on the man who disinherited him, Arimnestos discovers that he has a talent that pays well in this new, violent world, for like his hero, Achilles, he is 'a killer of men'.




The Life and Afterlife of Isabeau of Bavaria by Tracy Adams. Non-fiction. US and UK release August 26, 2010. The fascinating history of Isabeau of Bavaria is a tale of two queens. During her lifetime, Isabeau, the long-suffering wife of mad King Charles VI of France, was respected and revered. After her death she was reviled as an incompetent regent, depraved adulteress, and betrayer of the throne. Asserting that there is no historical support for this posthumous reputation, Tracy Adams returns Isabeau to her rightful place in history. Adulteress and traitor. Adams begins her study of the beleaguered French queen by considering why these two charges have so long endured. Scholars have concluded that the myths of Isabeau's scandalous past are just that: rumors that evolved after her death in the context of a political power struggle. Unfortunately, this has not prevented the lies from finding their way into respected studies on the period. Adams' own work serves as a corrective, rehabilitating the reputation of the good queen and exploring the larger topic of memory and the creation of myth. Adams next challenges the general perception that the queen lacked political acumen. With her husband incapacitated by insanity, Isabeau was forced to rule a country ripped apart by feuding, power-hungry factions. Adams argues that Isabeau handled her role astutely in such a contentious environment, preserving the monarchy from the incursions of the king's powerful male relatives. Taking issue with history's harsh treatment of a woman who ruled under difficult circumstances, Adams convincingly recasts Isabeau as a respected and competent queen.



Henry V by Marcus Cowper. Non-fiction. UK release September 10, 2010; US release September 21, 2010. Immortalised in the plays of Shakespeare, Henry V is the most famous and celebrated of all England's medieval monarchs. Although his most famous battles and conquests took place in France, Henry, as was common amongst medieval aristocracy, was introduced to battle at an early age when he fought with his father, Henry IV, at the battle of Shrewsbury in 1403. On his accession to the throne, Henry turned his attention towards foreign affairs and the English position in France. This title will examine Henry's key battles and sieges, how he systematically extended English control throughout northern France and how he was perceived by his contemporaries as a military leader. It will also deal with his controversial military decisions, such as the slaughter of the French prisoners at Agincourt.






Mary Stuart by Stefan Zweig. Non-fiction (reissue). UK release November 2010. Mary Stuart Queen of Scots, Queen of France and a claimant to the throne of England, was condemned for treason and executed at the age of forty-four. A potential threat to the stability of the English Crown, she was held captive for twenty years by her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England. From the moment of her birth until her execution, her life was spent embroiled in the power struggles that shook the foundations of Renaissance Europe. It has taken the free spirit and the immense talent of Stefan Zweig to justly reconstruct events in the life of a woman who was so cruelly united with destiny. With all the rigor of a scientist and the passion of an artist, Zweig has skillfully reconstituted the character of Mary Stuart and the turmoil that was her fate. Stefan Zweig was born in Vienna in 1881.







The Fifth Servant by Kenneth Wishnia. US paperback release February 8, 2011. In 1592 Prague, Emperor Rudolph II sits on the throne; the Papal Inquisitor has arrived to persecute witches and heretics poisoning the word of Christ; and the city’s Jews live behind the walls of the ghetto. When the body of a young Christian girl is found in a Jewish shop on the eve of Passover, a blood libel charge is brought against the shopkeeper, imperiling the relative peace and tolerance enjoyed by the entire Jewish community. With only three days to identify the real culprit, a rabbinic student just arrived from Poland must use his wits, his intelligence, and his knowledge of Jewish law to save the Jews of Prague.










Eagle by Jack Hight. UK release March 17, 2011. The Holy Land is purged with blood: the Crusades have begun. The young Saladin, chivalrous and kind, holds a heroic future entwined with the bloody battles while John, an English crusader, whose past is shrouded with mystery, cites his purpose in the Holy Land solely as ‘redemption’. They must set out on a journey that will see them learn the way of the world and meet their lords, and their demons. They must, with the bravery and guile of an eagle, descend upon the hare and toil with the trials of betrayal, freedom and love, as a warrior is born. But do not fear the wrath of God for He is on the side of the strong...











The Grace Mysteries: Assassin and Betrayal – Lady Grace Cavendish (YA/middle school). US reissue April 5, 2011.
Assassin:   One suitor dead with a knife in his back and another under suspicion. . . Can Lady Grace, Queen Elizabeth's favorite Maid of Honor, solve the mystery and bring order back to the Queen's court?

Betrayal:  Life as a stowaway on board an Elizabethan galleon—it's no place for a lady! But when her fellow Maid of Honor disappears with a dashing sea captain, Lady Grace knows she just has to investigate.
About the Author
LADY GRACE CAVENDISH was a Maid of Honour at the court of Queen Elizabeth. She became a ward of the court after both her parents were tragically killed in the service of the Queen. This daybooke marks her debut in the world of writing.







The Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick. UK release June 2, 2011. No summary yet, but it is about Empress Matilda.  All Tanzanite and I have to say is, “is it June yet??”!