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Every week Tanzanite features upcoming historical fiction and history related non-fiction books that have come to her attention and may be of interest to others. Since she has an out of control TBR pile, so should everyone else!
The Ring and the Crown: A History of Royal Weddings 1066-2011 by Alison Weir, Kate Williams, Sarah Gristwood and Tracy Borman. Non-fiction. UK release March 31, 2011. No summary yet, but the title is pretty self-explanatory.
A Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn. US release June 21, 2011. (I posted this one with the cover a few weeks ago, but here's the summary):
Partners now in marriage and in trade, Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane have finally returned from abroad to set up housekeeping in London
The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin. US release July 26, 2011.
From the nationally bestselling author of Alice I Have Been—the story of an extraordinary woman who overcame overwhelming odds, who dined with presidents and kings, who traveled the world, whose toughest limitations became her greatest strengths.
She was born in 1841 and named Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump, but she became known the world over as Mrs. Tom Thumb. Thirty-two inches tall, "Vinnie" refused to let her stature cost her opportunity. When she was invited into the circus of P. T. Barnum, however, she used her limited height to her limitless advantage. Melanie Benjamin pens an autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, a barnstorming tale of the antebellum south, of a bygone era, of a woman's public triumphs and personal tragedies. Here are some of the most memorable figures from the era, and a portrait in an unforgettable, singular voice—that of Vinnie—a woman who knocked the Civil War from the headlines.
The Fifth Queen by Ford Maddox Ford. US reissue October 4, 2011.
Now back in print, Ford's highly acclaimed portrait of Henry VIII's controversial fifth Queen
This masterful performance of historical fiction centers on Katharine Howard--clever, beautiful, and outspoken--who catches the jaded eye of Henry VIII and becomes his fifth Queen. Corruption and fear pervade the King's court, and the dimly lit corridors vibrate with the intrigues of unscrupulous courtiers hungry for power. Soon Katharine is locked in a vicious battle with Thomas Cromwell, the Lord Privy Seal, as she fights for political and religious change.
Ford saw the past as an integral part of the present experience and understanding, and his sharply etched vision of the court of Henry VIII--first published in 1908--echoes aspects of Edwardian England as it explores the pervading influence of power, lies, fear, and anxiety on people's lives.
This masterful performance of historical fiction centers on Katharine Howard--clever, beautiful, and outspoken--who catches the jaded eye of Henry VIII and becomes his fifth Queen. Corruption and fear pervade the King's court, and the dimly lit corridors vibrate with the intrigues of unscrupulous courtiers hungry for power. Soon Katharine is locked in a vicious battle with Thomas Cromwell, the Lord Privy Seal, as she fights for political and religious change.
Ford saw the past as an integral part of the present experience and understanding, and his sharply etched vision of the court of Henry VIII--first published in 1908--echoes aspects of Edwardian England as it explores the pervading influence of power, lies, fear, and anxiety on people's lives.
"Untitled Alexander" by Christian Cameron. UK release January 1, 2012
The story of how Alexander the Great conquered the world - first crushing Greek resistance to Macedonian rule, then destroying the Persian Empire in three monumental battles, before marching into the unknown and final victory in India - is a truly epic tale that has mesmerized countless generations of listeners. He crammed more adventure into his thirty-three years than any other human being before or since, and now for the first time a novelist will tell the tale in a single suitably epic volume. The combination of Alexander's life story and Christian Cameron's unrivalled skills as an historian and storyteller will ensure that this will not only be the definitive version for many years to come, but also one of the most exciting historical epics ever written.
Hawk Quest by Robert Lyndon. UK release January 19, 2012.
Hawk Quest is a historical adventure novel, set in the 11th century just before the First Crusade and telling the story of a journey through Greenland, Northern Europe and Russia, to Constantinople to deliver six falcons in ransom for an English knight and to locate the "legendary" Fifth Gospel. I've also run across a number of non-fiction/biography books (no summary's yet, but I"ll post them as I find them):
The Anglo Saxon Kings by Timothy Venning. UK release April 30, 2011.
Cnut: England's Viking King by M.K. Lawson. UK release June 1, 2011.
The King's that Made Britain: The Tumultuous Reign of the Plantagenets by Derek Wilson. UK release September 1, 2011.
Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror by Tracy Borman. UK release September 1, 2011.
The Man Behind the
Well, I'll definitely be buying The Royal Wedding book and Tracy Borham's book on Matilda.
February 2, 2011 9:57 AM
I absolutely love the cover of The Dark Enquiry!!! Yay for another Lady Julia novel :)
February 3, 2011 5:50 PM
Glad to see the synopsis for The Dark Enquiry. Makes me want to read it now!
February 3, 2011 6:05 PM
As usual I don't do myself any favors with these lists!!
Elizabeth - I think I"m going to have to get those two as well!
Svea and Marg - I haven't read any of Raybourn's books but a lot of people seem to like them.
February 7, 2011 6:24 PM