Based on new archival material, a biography of the ambitious Tudor queen focuses on her life at the height of her power, including revolts in Ireland, riots in the London streets of London and a conspiracy to overthrow her.

An accomplished English biographer, the author of The Six Wives of Henry VIII, presents a large-scale, exhaustively researched, illustrated biography that reveals the personality, private life, and romantic intrigues of Elizabeth I. Reader's Guide included. Reissue.

A compelling account of the founding of the Tudor dynasty profiles Henry VII as an enigmatic and ruthless king of a country ravaged by decades of conspiracy and civil war, providing coverage of the king's leadership over a populace that considered him a pretender, the costs of establishing a Tudor monarchy and the ways he set the stage for Henry VIII's reign. 50,000 first printing.

An epic history of the Plantagenet royal dynasty traces its first king's inheritance of a violence-stricken realm through the family's growth of a powerful empire that stretched from Scotland to Jerusalem, citing the enduring influences of such figures as Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard II and King John.

Chronicles the alliance of Elizabeth I and the Ottoman Sultan in response to her excommunication from Rome and the agendas of the King of Spain, a relationship that marked the beginning of England's economic and cultural exchanges with the Muslim world.

Profiles each of Henry VIII's six wives, describing their backgrounds, personalities, relationship to the king, and ultimate demise, and shows how each reflected the perceptions of women and marriage at the time.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE INDEPENDENT • From bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir comes the first biography of Margaret Douglas, the beautiful, cunning niece of Henry VIII of England who used her sharp intelligence and covert power to influence the succession after the death of Elizabeth I. Royal Tudor blood ran in her veins. Her mother was a queen, her father an earl, and she herself was the granddaughter, niece, cousin, and grandmother of monarchs. Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, was an important figure in Tudor England, yet today, while her contemporaries—Anne Boleyn, Mary, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I—have achieved celebrity status, she is largely forgotten. Margaret’s life was steeped in intrigue, drama, and tragedy—from her auspicious birth in 1530 to her parents’ bitter divorce, from her ill-fated love affairs to her appointment as lady-in-waiting for four of Henry’s six wives. In an age when women were expected to stay out of the political arena, alluring and tempestuous Margaret helped orchestrate one of the most notorious marriages of the sixteenth century: that of her son Lord Darnley to Mary, Queen of Scots. Margaret defiantly warred with two queens—Mary, and Elizabeth of England—and was instrumental in securing the Stuart ascension to the throne of England for her grandson, James VI. The life of Margaret Douglas spans five reigns and provides many missing links between the Tudor and Stuart dynasties. Drawing on decades of research and myriad original sources—including many of Margaret’s surviving letters—Alison Weir brings this captivating character out of the shadows and presents a strong, capable woman who operated effectively and fearlessly at the very highest levels of power. Praise for The Lost Tudor Princess “This is a substantial, detailed biography of a fascinating woman who lived her extraordinary life to the full, taking desperate chances for love and for ambition. It will appeal to anyone with an interest in the powerful women of the Tudor period.

1599 was an epochal year for Shakespeare and England Shakespeare wrote four of his most famous plays: Henry the Fifth, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, and, most remarkably, Hamlet; Elizabethans sent off an army to crush an Irish rebellion, weathered an Armada threat from Spain, gambled on a fledgling East India Company, and waited to see who would succeed their aging and childless queen. James Shapiro illuminates both Shakespeare’s staggering achievement and what Elizabethans experienced in the course of 1599, bringing together the news and the intrigue of the times with a wonderful evocation of how Shakespeare worked as an actor, businessman, and playwright. The result is an exceptionally immediate and gripping account of an inspiring moment in history.

An unadulterated look at "Bloody Mary"--elder daughter of Henry VIII, Catholic zealot, and England's first and most murderous queen--argues that history has treated the much-maligned monarch unfairly.

Lenox was one of 30 ships built in a program begun by King Charles II in 1677, in an effort to make a cost-effective vessel that sailed well and yet was strong enough to carry a heavy battery of guns; and the design was a success, remaining virtually unchanged for over 80 years. Endsor has deep experience with production and computer engineering, particularly for the aerospace industry, but he devoted time over a 12-year period to researching 17th-century ships and shipbuilding practices. He shares his knowledge (and his passion) in this oversize (10x12"), impressively illustrated volume dedicated to one particular ship's creation, service history, and reconstruction. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

dust jacket torn at spine; exterior damage to cover at head of spine, but binding remains intact; crisp, clean pages