The Woodville Connection

The Woodville Connection

Author: K.E. Martin

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2013-10-02

Total Pages: 234

ISBN-13: 178303002X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

There are many stories with which I bore my greedy visitors but there is one I never shall tell. Although it pleases me to confide this tale to my good friends quill and parchment, I have instructed the stout, dumpling-cheeked widow who sees to the comfort of my house to feed my writings to the flames the moment I breathe my last. I do not doubt that she will obey my order since I have bought her loyalty with gold and soft words, and in any case the woman is unlettered and has little interest in my ramblings. Thus I would have it. I am the last survivor of those who took part in the Plaincourt Manor affair and I have vowed to take that secret to my grave..." ??The illegitimate child of a penniless knight and a woman of easy virtue, Francis Cranley is abandoned by his mother when his father is killed in battle bravely fighting for the esteemed House of York. Realizing the babe faces certain death without his intervention, the Duke of York decides to repay his dead knight's loyalty by saving the child, taking him in and raising him at Middleham Castle alongside his own children, including the youngest, Richard of Gloucester, to whom he grows particularly attached, displaying an unswerving loyalty from an early age.??Capable, quick-witted and handy in a fight, Cranley is chosen by Gloucester to untangle a mystery that arrives at the castle one wintery December morning in the guise of an old soldier on the run. Accused of murdering a child, the man begs Gloucester to help him prove his innocence. Years ago he saved the Duke's life and now he hopes the favour will be returned. Gloucester wants to help, but he cannot be seen to aid a man wanted by the King's justices, since the King is his beloved brother. So he turns to Cranley, who then embarks on a journey that puts his life in mortal danger as he uncovers dark secrets and is pitted against powerful enemies uncomfortably close to the throne.??A tale of intrigue, mystery and high drama set against the backdrop of one of the most dramatic episodes in English history, this debut novel from Kathy Martin draws upon her skills as a historian to vividly recreate the landscapes of England that played host to such events.


The Woodvilles

The Woodvilles

Author: Susan Higginbotham

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2013-10-01

Total Pages: 315

ISBN-13: 0750951842

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In 1464, the most eligible bachelor in England, Edward IV, stunned the nation by revealing his secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, a beautiful, impoverished widow whose father and brother Edward himself had once ridiculed as upstarts. Edward's controversial match brought his queen's large family to court and into the thick of the Wars of the Roses. This is the story of the family whose fates would be inextricably intertwined with the fall of the Plantagenets and the rise of the Tudors: Richard, the squire whose marriage to a duchess would one day cost him his head; Jacquetta, mother to the queen and accused witch; Elizabeth, the commoner whose royal destiny would cost her three of her sons; Anthony, the scholar and jouster who was one of Richard III's first victims; and Edward, whose military exploits would win him the admiration of Ferdinand and Isabella.


Elizabeth Woodville

Elizabeth Woodville

Author: David Baldwin

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2011-08-26

Total Pages: 185

ISBN-13: 0752468979

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Elizabeth Woodville is undoubtedly a historical character whose life no novelist would ever have dared invent. She has been portrayed as an enchantress; as an unprincipled advancer of her family's fortunes and a plucky but pitiful queen in Shakespeare's histories. She has been alternatively championed and vilified by her contemporaries and five centuries of historians, dramatists and novelists, but what was she really life? In this revealing account of Elizabeth's life David Baldwin sets out to tell the story of this complex and intriguing woman. Was she the malign influence many of her critics held her to be? Was she a sorceress who bewitched Edward IV? What was the fate of her two sons, the 'Princes in the Tower'? What did she, of all people, think had become of them, and why did Richard III mount a campaign of vilification against her? David Baldwin traces Elizabeth's career and her influence on the major events of her husband Edward IV's reign, and in doing so he brings to life the personal and domestic politics of Yorkist England and the elaborate ritual of court life.


Royal Witches

Royal Witches

Author: Gemma Hollman

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2019-10-07

Total Pages: 343

ISBN-13: 0750993502

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

'An important and timely book.' - Philippa Gregory Joan of Navarre was the richest woman in the land, at a time when war-torn England was penniless. Eleanor Cobham was the wife of a weak king's uncle – and her husband was about to fall from grace. Jacquetta Woodville was a personal enemy of Warwick the Kingmaker, who was about to take his revenge. Elizabeth Woodville was the widowed mother of a child king, fighting Richard III for her children's lives. In Royal Witches, Gemma Hollman explores the lives of these four unique women, looking at how rumours of witchcraft brought them to their knees in a time when superstition and suspicion was rife.


The White Queen

The White Queen

Author: Philippa Gregory

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2013-07-09

Total Pages: 464

ISBN-13: 1476735484

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A tale of the Wars of the Roses follows Elizabeth Woodville, who ascends to royalty and fights for the well-being of her family, including two sons whose imprisonment in the Tower of London precedes a devastating unsolved mystery.


The Queen's Sisters

The Queen's Sisters

Author: Sarah J. Hodder

Publisher: John Hunt Publishing

Published: 2020-03-27

Total Pages: 110

ISBN-13: 1789043646

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Whether Queen or commoner, the lives of women throughout history is a fascinating study. Elizabeth Woodville, 'The White Queen', managed to make the transition from commoner to Queen and became the epitome of medieval heroines – the commoner who married a King. When she became the wife of Edward IV her actions changed the life of her entire family. Vilified both by their contemporaries and by many historians since, the Woodville family were centre stage during the reigns of Edward IV and Richard III. Elizabeth Woodville became the ancestress of future Kings and Queens. This book takes a fresh look at the lives of Elizabeth's sisters. Although information on them is scarce, by looking at the men they married, their families, the places they lived and the events that they lived through we can catch a glimpse of their lives. Each sister has their own story to tell and they may not have achieved the dizzying heights that their sister did, but they are all fascinating women.


The Traitor's Wife

The Traitor's Wife

Author: Susan Higginbotham

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.

Published: 2009-04-01

Total Pages: 518

ISBN-13: 1402227299

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

From the bedchamber to the battlefield, through treachery and fidelity, one woman is imprisoned by the secrets of the crown. It is an age where passion reigns and treachery runs as thick as blood. Young Eleanor has two men in her life: her uncle King Edward II, and her husband Hugh le Despenser, a mere knight but the newfound favorite of the king. She has no desire to meddle in royal affairs—she wishes for a serene, simple life with her family. But as political unrest sweeps the land, Eleanor, sharply intelligent yet blindly naïve, becomes the only woman each man can trust. Fiercely devoted to both her husband and her king, Eleanor holds the secret that could destroy all of England—and discovers the choices no woman should have to make. At its heart, The Traitor's Wife is a unique love story that every reader will connect with. Gold Medalist, historical / military fiction, 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards * Includes bonus reading group guide PRAISE FOR THE TRAITOR'S WIFE: "Conveys emotions and relationships quite poignantly... entertaining historical fiction." — Kirkus Discoveries "Higginbotham's talents lie not only in her capacity for detailed genealogical research of the period, but also in her skill in bringing these historical figures to life with passion, a wonderful sense of humor, honor, and love." — Historical Novels Review Online


Her Highness, the Traitor

Her Highness, the Traitor

Author: Susan Higginbotham

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.

Published: 2012-06

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 1402265603

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Praise for Susan Higginbotham's Novels Susan Higginbotham transports her readers into a vividly portrayed past.?Helen Hollick, author of The Pendragon's Banner trilogy A daughter can be a dangerous weapon in the battle for the throne of England Frances Grey harbored no dream of her children taking the throne. Cousin of the king, she knew the pitfalls of royalty and privilege. Better to marry them off, marry them well, perhaps to a clan like the Dudleys. Jane Dudley knew her husband was creeping closer to the throne, but someone had to take charge, for the good of the country. She couldn't see the twisted path they all would follow. The never?before?told story of the women behind the crowning of Jane Grey, this novel is a captivating peek at ambition gone awry, and the damage left in its wake. Susan Higginbotham draws the reader under her spell ... she brings the dead to life.?Christy English, author of The Queen's Pawn, praise for The Stolen Crown A beautiful blending of turbulent history and deeply felt fiction ... Higginbotham has given readers of historical fiction a gift to treasure.?Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of The Irish Princess, praise for The Queen of Last Hopes.


The First Lady and the Rebel

The First Lady and the Rebel

Author: Susan Higginbotham

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.

Published: 2019-10-01

Total Pages: 359

ISBN-13: 1492647098

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

From celebrated author Susan Higginbotham comes an incredible book about Abraham Lincoln's First Lady and, on the other side of the Civil War, her sister. A Union's First Lady As the Civil War cracks the country in two, Mary Lincoln stands beside her husband praying for a swift Northern victory. But as the body count rises, Mary can't help but fear each bloody gain. Because her beloved sister Emily is across party lines, fighting for the South, and Mary is at risk of losing both her country and her family in the tides of a brutal war. A Confederate Rebel's Wife Emily Todd Helm has married the love of her life. But when her husband's southern ties pull them into a war neither want to join, she must make a choice. Abandon the family she has built in the South or become a true rebel woman fighting against the sister she has always loved best. With a country's legacy at stake, how will two sisters shape history? A Civil War book about two women determined to do the right thing, The First Lady and the Rebel is sure to inspire fans of Marie Benedict and Stephanie Dray.


Hanging Mary

Hanging Mary

Author: Susan Higginbotham

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.

Published: 2016-03-15

Total Pages: 374

ISBN-13: 1492613630

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"This is my favorite kind of historical fiction: evocative, deeply moving, and meticulously researched."—Jillian Cantor, author of Margot and The Hours Count Meet Mary Surratt, the woman who could have saved Lincoln. Find out what stopped her in this vivid reimagining of Lincoln's assassination. 1864, Washington City. One has to be careful with talk of secession, of Confederate whispers falling on Northern ears. Better to speak only when in the company of the trustworthy. Like Mrs. Surratt. A widow who runs a small boardinghouse on H Street, Mary Surratt isn't half as committed to the cause as her son, Johnny. If he's not delivering messages or escorting veiled spies, he's invited home men like John Wilkes Booth, the actor who is even more charming in person than he is on the stage. But when President Lincoln is killed, the question of what Mary knew becomes more important than anything else. Was she a cold-blooded accomplice? Just how far would she go to help her son? Based on the true case of Mary Surratt, Hanging Mary reveals the untold story of those on the other side of the assassin's gun.