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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!
Before I get to this week's goodies, I want to thank everyone who provided feedback on my Weekly Wishlists - I really appreciated knowing what you all thought. The overwhelming majority likes things just the way they are, so I'll keep doing things the same!
Devil's Consort by Anne O'brien. UK release April 15, 2011. This is the UK edition; the US edition is Queen Defiant and will be released in June (and has been posted previously).
ENGLAND'S MOST RUTHLESS QUEEN. Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, is a determined woman who plots and schemes an astonishing path between two equally powerful men in twelfth century Europe, a woman who can manoeuvre and manipulate to safeguard her own lands as effectively as any power-grasping lord. Eleanor is single-minded in her struggle to keep her inheritance intact, leading her to reject one husband and take another who will fulfil her desires. Eleanor intends to reign as Queen and is prepared to bring scandal down upon herself in pursuit of her ultimate prize. Hers is a story of power, political intrigue, passion and love.
Battles of the Medieval World introduces 20 key battles from Europe and the Near East in an age when traditional chivalric codes gave way to increased professionalism in armies. Beginning in 1066 with the battle of Hastings, where William of Normandy's cavalry defeated Harold's Saxon forces, and finishing with the capture of Constantinople in 1453.
Harald Hardraada is an anachronism. Born two centuries too late for the kind of life he wants to lead, he uses a combination of fighting ferocity and ruthlessness that earns him the by-name Landwaster to rise from mercenary to king of Norway by way of the Kievan Rus, Constantinople's Varanger Guard and various royal beds. He also has a secret weapon of huge value. 'The most dangerous little bugger alive' is how the terrible Landwaster complacently describes his secretary, chief of staff, and general right-handman, the Scraeling. It is no secret that Harald Hardraada died outside York at the hand of one of the three warriors who contended for the English throne in 1066, but the Scraeling's part in that has certainly been overlooked by history. Until now............
From the costly velvets and furs worn by kings to the undyed wools and rough linens of the peasantry, the clothing worn by the various classes in the Middle Ages played an integral role in medieval society. In addition to providing clues to status, profession, or geographic origin, textiles were a crucial element in the economies of many countries and cities. Much of what is known about medieval fashion is gleaned from the pages of manuscripts, which serve as a rich source of imagery. This volume provides a detailed look at both the actual fabrics and composition of medieval clothing as well as the periods attitude toward fashion through an exploration of the illuminated manuscripts in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum. The last portion of the book is dedicated to the depiction of clothing in biblical times and the ancient world as seen through a medieval lens.
This is the captivating true story of the young Elizabeth I, as she struggles to survive the treacherous world of Tudor England. After the death of her father, Henry VIII, a young Elizabeth journeys to London to live with her father's widow, Katherine Parr, and her new husband, Thomas Seymour, brother-in-law to King Edward. Surrounded by malicious whisperings of her late mother's witchcraft, Elizabeth is desperate to escape suspicion and discover the truth about her mother. A young stranger asserting Anne's Boleyn's innocence sends her on search a that takes her on a dangerous midnight journey to Bedlam, the hospital for the insane, to meet her mother's former lady-in-waiting. This encounter changes the way she views her mother - and herself. Meanwhile, at home, Elizabeth's reputation is increasingly under threat, as her stepfather, Thomas Seymour makes unwanted advances toward her. Her stepmother witnesses a kiss and Elizabeth is sent back to Hertfordshire in disgrace. Here she falls seriously ill and rumours abound that she is hiding a pregnancy. When Thomas Seymour is arrested for treason in a plot to overthrow King Edward, Elizabeth is implicated by association. Now it is up to her to defend her integrity - and her life...From the author of the best-selling Raven Queen comes a new masterpiece of historical fiction.
From the reign of Alfred the Great - the first king of Wessex to call himself 'king of England' - in the 9th century, to the shock of Norman invasion in the 11th, and from the brutal vicissitudes of late medieval kingship to the comfortable ceremonial of modern-day constitutional monarchy, the story of England's kings and queens is to a large degree that of England herself. Kings and Queens of England offers readable profiles of 59 English monarchs from Harold II to Henry VIII, and from Ethelred the Unready to Elizabeth II. Each monarch is elegantly profiled and the impact of their rule on wider English history clearly and concisely described and analysed. For every king and queen there is a detailed timeline, and the narrative is further amplified by display quotations, feature boxes, panels of key biographical facts, and - last but not least - by 135 lavish full-colour images. Ian Crofton recounts a 1000-year tale of murder, invasion, usurpation, adultery, divorce, civil war and revolution in a manner that is as entertaining as it is informative. The Kings and Queens of England is the perfect choice for anyone looking for an illustrated account of the English monarchy from the Anglo-Saxon era to the present.
It is Midsummer, 1631. While Alexander Seaton and his fellow masters enjoy time off with their students, Robert Sim, librarian of Marischal College, is murdered. The university and town authorities investigate the murder, and Seaton is asked by the college principal to look into Sim’s private life.
In the course of an investigation in which his personal feelings threaten to cloud his judgement, he discovers a side to the librarian he could never have guessed at. It is only when a second, apparently unrelated, murder comes to light that Seaton begins to piece together the connections between a young weaver, a consignment of books, and events in a college in the Low Countries, in order to unmask the perpetrator of the years’-old deception that led to the deaths.
After hearing that Vampires have returned to the court of Henry VIII, Rhys Williams must form an unwanted alliance with Verity Llewellyn, a lady-in-waiting to the new queen. His childhood companion has grown into a clever and beautiful woman, but she is completely untried as a Vampire hunter. The revelation that the queen is pregnant only makes the situation all the more dangerous. Who is systematically draining her blood and how, without being noticed? As Rhys and Verity work together to untangle the mystery, the battle to save the queen and the heir to the throne heats up—as does the uncontrollable passion between them.
Following the success of Pleasure Palace, Between Two Queens, and By Royal Decree, Emerson again plucks a real figure from history, this time Lady Anne Stafford. History remembers Lady Anne Stafford as the woman who cheated on her husband with both King Henry VIII and his boon companion, Sir William Compton. Lady Anne was in love two men at the same time . . . but the king wasn't one of them. Anne Stafford's complex and often heart-wrenching relationship with the men in her life is at the core of Secrets of the Tudor Court: At the King's Pleasure.
Desired: A Novel of Samson and Delilah by Ginger Garrett. US and UK release October 1, 2011.
Meet the legendary Samson as you've never known him before … through the eyes of the three women who loved him. Before Samson was an Old Testament legend, he was a prodigal son, an inexperienced suitor, a vengeful husband, and a lost soul driven by his own weakness. This is his story as told by three strong women who loved him—the nagging, manipulative mother who pushed him toward greatness, the hapless Philistine bride whose betrayal propelled him into notoriety, and the emotionally damaged seductress—the famous Delilah—who engineered his downfall and propelled him to his destiny. Desired celebrates the God of Israel's to work powerfully in the midst of hopes, fears, desires, and sorrows.
Mary Tudor: Queen of England by David Loades. Non-fiction. UK reissue May 15, 2011.
Daughter of Henry VIII, half-sister to the future Elizabeth I, the dramatic story of the first woman to rule England - and the cruel fate of those who opposed her iron will. Mary Tudor was the first female English sovereign - a ruling queen who was not simply the consort of the king. Yet little is known about this complex woman, whose reputation for ruthlessness belied her emotional fragility and who, like her half-sister Elizabeth, had to survive from childhood in the turbulent Tudor court. David Loades explores the twisting path whereby Princess Mary, daughter of a rejected wife, Catherine of Aragon, and a capricious father - Henry VIII - endured disfavour, personal crisis and house arrest to emerge as Queen of England with huge popular support. The high promise of her reign contrasts with the personal tragedies and disappointments that followed, from the Smithfield burnings and the loss of Calais to her doomed, loveless marriage to Philip of Spain. Loades' probing yet sympathetic account reveals an intriguing personality, impelled by deep-set beliefs and principles yet uncertain how to behave in a 'man's' role.
Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto. US and UK release August 2, 2011.
Before Ever After follows the story of Shelley, a young widow who discovers her that her dead husband may in fact be very much alive – which would be wonderful if the bearer of this wonderful news wasn’t her thirty-two year old husband’s thirty two year old grandson. Shelley’s search for answers takes her from Revolutionary Paris to medieval Prussia to ancient Venice and finally to a place where she discovers whether love is truly everlasting.
A Dangerous Woman by Christie Dickason. UK release September 29, 2011
A thrilling account of one of English history’s missing women during the dark days leading up to the Civil War. She's an old man's darling, a court beauty, the muse of poets. And, on top of it all, she's chief lady-in-waiting to the queen of England. Lucy Russell (née Harington), Countess of Bedford, had it all. So why did she risk everything to save her friend, the princess, Elizabeth Stuart?
Lucy finds herself caught in a world of rough men and fatal plots, including a plan to assassinate Elizabeth’s brother, the heir to the English throne. Then she crosses swords with the darkly handsome, Svengali-like Duke of Buckingham, thought by many to be the true ruler of England. Was she merely the bored young wife of a doting older husband, desperate for a little excitement? Or did deep belief drive her to choose a dangerous double life?
Eleanor de Montfort by Louise Wilkinson. Non-fiction. UK release October 1, 2011.
This book deals with the remarkable life of a powerful and fiery woman at the heart of the turbulent Barons' Wars. As sister of Henry III and aunt of the future Edward I, Eleanor de Montfort was at the heart of the bloody conflict between the Crown and the English barons. At Lewes in 1264 Simon de Montfort captured the king and secured control of royal government. A woman of fiery nature, Eleanor worked tirelessly in supporting her husband's cause. She assumed responsibility for the care of the royal prisoners and she regularly dispatched luxurious gifts to Henry III and the Lord Edward. But the family's political fortunes were shattered at the battle of Evesham in August 1265 where Simon de Montfort was killed. The newly-widowed Eleanor rose to her role as matriarch of her family, sending her surviving sons - and the family treasure - overseas to France, negotiating the surrender of Dover Castle and securing her own safe departure from the realm. The last ten years of her life were spent in the Dominican convent at Montargis. Drawing on chronicles, letters and public records this book reconstructs the narrative of Eleanor's remarkable life.
Eleanor de Montfort sounds interesting! Haven't read much about her.
March 9, 2011 1:55 PM
A biography of Eleanor de Montfort - wonderful news. I do have Margaret Wade Labarge's "A Baronial Household In The Thirteenth Century", but a LOT of time has passed since that one came out, so I am on pins and needles to see the research findings and fresh conclusions Wilkinsin will be presenting:-)
Thank you for putting together these lists every week!
March 9, 2011 3:56 PM
Hi Daphne! A google alert led my to your wonderful blog - and I'm so glad it did! I'm THRILLED that my debut, Before Ever Afer, made it to your wish list :) Looking forward to reading more of your posts!
Sam
March 9, 2011 11:11 PM
That Samson book.. Gorgeous cover!!! Wow!
March 9, 2011 11:56 PM
Elysium and Danielle - I loved reading about her in Penman's Welsh trilogy, so I'm really interested in this one as well.
Samantha - Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you'll visit often. Your book sounds really interesting.
Tara - isn't that cover something?? That girls eyes just seem to look right through you.
March 10, 2011 6:41 PM