The Wars of the Roses were not just fought by men on the battlefield. There were daughters, wives, mistresses, mothers and queens whose lives and influences helped shape the most dramatic of English conflicts. This book traces the women's stories on the Lancastrian side, from the children of Blanche, wife of John of Gaunt, through the turbulent 15th century to the advent of Margaret Beaufort’s son in 1509, and establishment of the Tudor dynasty. From Katherine Swynford and Catherine of Valois's secret liaisons to the love lives of Mary de Bohun and Jacquetta of Luxembourg, to the Queenship of Joan of Navarre and Margaret of Anjou, this book explores how these extraordinary women survived in extraordinary times.

Red Roses: Blanche of Gaunt to Margaret Beaufort

History

Licence, Amy

Europe

The History Press

The century spanning the wars of the roses and the reigns of the Tudor kings was a volatile time of battle and bloodshed, execution and unexpected illness. Life could be nasty, brutish, and short. Some met their end in battle, others were dragged to the block, losing everything for daring to aspire to the throne. Some were lost in mysterious circumstances, like Edward V, the elder of the Princes in the Tower. But the majority of these young men died in their teens, on the brink of manhood. They represent the lost paths of history, the fascinating "what-ifs" of the houses of York and Tudor. They also diverted the route of dynastic inheritance, with all the complicated implications that brings, passing power into unlikely hands. This book examines 10 such figures, using their lives to build a narrative of this savage century.

The Lost Kings: Lancaster, York and Tudor

The Wars of the Roses were not just fought by men on the battlefield. There were daughters, wives, mistresses, mothers, and queens who helped shape the most dramatic of English conflicts. This book traces the story of women on the Lancastrian side, from the children borne by Blanche, wife of John of Gaunt, through the turbulent 15th century to Margaret Beaufort’s son in 1485 and the establishment of the Tudor dynasty. From the secret liaisons of Katherine Swynford and Catherine of Valois to the love lives of Mary de Bohun and Jacquetta of Luxembourg, to the queenship of Joan of Navarre and Margaret of Anjou, this book explores their experiences as women. Faced with the dangers of treason and capture, defamation and childbirth, these extraordinary women survived in extraordinary times.

The century spanning the Wars of the Roses and the reigns of the Tudor kings was a volatile time of battle and bloodshed, execution and unexpected illness. Life could be nasty, brutish and short. Some met their end in battle, others were dragged to the block, losing everything for daring to aspire to the throne. Some were lost in mysterious circumstances, like Edward V, the elder of the Princes in the Tower. But the majority of these young men died in their teens, on the brink of manhood. They represent the lost paths of history, the fascinating 'what-ifs' of the houses of York and Tudor. They also diverted the route of dynastic inheritance, with all the complicated implications that could bring, passing power into some unlikely hands. This book examines ten such figures in detail, using their lives to build a narrative of this savage century.

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

False Mistress: Anne Boleyn plots to become queen... (The Marwood Family Tudor Saga)

Literature & Fiction

Genre Fiction

Sapere Books

1520: The Field of the Cloth of Gold

1520 explores the characters of two larger-than-life kings, whose rivalry and love-hate relations added a feisty edge to European relations in the early 16th century. What propelled them to meet, and how did each vie to outdo the other in feats of strength and yards of gold cloth? Everyone who was anyone in 1520 was there. But why were the flower of England’s nobility transported across the Channel, and how were they catered for? What did this temporary, fairy-tale village erected in a French field look like, feel like and smell like? This book explores not only the political dimension of their meeting, and the difficult triangle they established with Emperor Charles V, but also the material culture behind the scenes. While the courtiers attended masques, dances, feasts and jousts, an army of servants toiled in the temporary village created specially for that summer. Who were the men and women behind the scenes? What made Henry rush back into the arms of the Emperor immediately after the most expensive two weeks of his entire reign? And what was the long-term result of the meeting, of that sea of golden tents and fountains spouting wine?

Amberley Publishing

1520 explores the characters of two larger-than-life kings, whose rivalry and love-hate relations added a feisty edge to European relations in the early sixteenth century. What propelled them to meet, and how did each vie to outdo the other in feats of strength and yards of gold cloth? Everyone who was anyone in 1520 was there. But why was the flower of England's nobility transported across the Channel, and how were they catered for? What did this temporary, fairy-tale village erected in a French field look like, feel like and smell like?This book explores not only the political dimension of their meeting and the difficult triangle they established with Emperor Charles V, but also the material culture behind the scenes. While the courtiers attended masques, dances, feasts and jousts, an army of servants toiled in the temporary village created specially for that summer. Who were the men and women behind the scenes? What made Henry rush back into the arms of the Emperor immediately after the most expensive two weeks of his entire reign? And what was the long-term result of the meeting, of that sea of golden tents and fountains spouting wine?This analysis explores the extraordinary event in unprecedented detail. Based on primary documents, plans, letters and records of provisions and with a new focus on material culture, food, textiles, planning and organisation.

This retelling of the sixteenth century introduces the reader to a gallery of amazing women from queens to commoners, who navigated the patriarchal world in memorable and life-changing ways all around the world. Amy Licence has scoured the records from Europe and beyond to compile this testament to female lives and achievements, telling the stories of mistresses and martyrs, witches and muses, pirates and jesters, doctors and astronomers, escapees and murderesses, colonists and saints. Read about the wife of astrologer John Dee, the women who inspired Michelangelo, the jester who saved the life of Henry IV of France, the beloved mistress of the Sultan Suleiman the Great, the wife of Ivan the Terrible, whose murder unleashed terror, set against the everyday lives of those women who did not make the history books.Introducing a number of new faces, including tales of women from Morocco, Nigeria, Japan, Chile, India and Turkey, this book will delight those who are looking to broaden their knowledge on the sixteenth century and celebrate the lost women of the past.

The Sixteenth Century in 100 Women

Pen and Sword History

Learn what went on behind closed doors in the Tudor court. Illegitimate children, adulterous queens, impotent kings, and a whole dynasty resting on their shoulders. Sex and childbirth were quite literally a matter of life or death for the Tudors - Elizabeth of York died in childbirth, two of Henry VIII's queens were beheaded for infidelity, and Elizabeth I's elective virginity signalled the demise of a dynasty. Amy Licence guides the reader through the births of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York's two sons, Arthur and Henry, Catherine of Aragon's subsequent marriages to both of these men, Henry VIII's other five wives and his mistresses, and the sex lives of his daughters. This book details the experiences of all these women, from fertility, conception and pregnancy through to the delivery chamber, on to maternal and infant mortality. Each woman's story is a blend of specific personal circumstances, set against their historical moment: for some the joys were brief, for others it was a question that ultimately determined their fates.

In Bed with the Tudors: The Sex Lives of a Dynasty from Elizabeth of York to Elizabeth I

• The only up-to-date biography available.• The Tudors have never been so popular – HILARY MANTEL'S new novel about the downfall of Henry's second wife Anne Boleyn, Bring Up the Bodies, is publishing in 19 May 2012 and will increase interest in the life of Henry VIII once more.• The subject of PHILIPPA GREGORY'S next book is Elizabeth of York, the title is THE WHITE PRINCESS, publication autumn 2013. This will raise the profile of this forgotten queen.As Tudors go, Elizabeth of York is relatively unknown. Yet she was the mother of the dynasty, with her children becoming King of England (Henry VIII), Queens of Scotland (Margaret) and France (Mary Rose) and her direct descendants included three Tudor monarchs, two executed queens and ultimately, the Stuart royal family.Although her offspring took England into the early modern world, Elizabeth’s upbringing was rooted firmly in the medieval world, with its courtly and religious rituals and expectations of women. The pivotal moment was 1485. Before that, her future was uncertain amid the turbulent Wars of the Roses, as she was considered as the bride of first one man then another and witnessed the humiliation and murder of her family. Surviving the blood bath of her uncle’s reign, she slipped easily into the role of devoted wife, mother and Queen to Henry VII, venerated ever since for her docility and beauty. Yet was she as placid as history has suggested? In fact, she may have been a deeply cultured and intelligent survivor who learned to walk a difficult path through the twists and turns of fortune. Perhaps she was more of a modern woman than historians have given her credit for.

Elizabeth of York

Community & Culture

Amberley

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Licence, Amy. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Licence, Amy

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Licence, Amy. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Red Roses: Blanche of Gaunt to Margaret Beaufort

The Lost Kings: Lancaster, York and Tudor

Red Roses: Blanche of Gaunt to Margaret Beaufort

The Lost Kings: Lancaster, York and Tudor

False Mistress: Anne Boleyn plots to become queen... (The Marwood Family Tudor Saga)

1520: The Field of the Cloth of Gold

1520: The Field of the Cloth of Gold

The Sixteenth Century in 100 Women

In Bed with the Tudors: The Sex Lives of a Dynasty from Elizabeth of York to Elizabeth I

Elizabeth of York