Description

The third volume of Alison Weir’s magisterial history of the queens of medieval England.

‘Weir’s history books are as gripping as novels’ The Times

Medieval queens were seen as mere dynastic trophies – yet, as Alison Weir shows in this group biography, many of the Plantagenet queens of the High Middle Ages dramatically broke away from the restrictions imposed on their sex.

Using personal letters and fascinating sources, Weir evokes the lives of these five extraordinary women: Marguerite of France, Isabella of France, Philippa of Hainault, Anne of Bohemia and Isabella of Valois. At the same time, she recreates a truly astonishing period of history – the turbulent, brutal Age of Chivalry.

‘Places the reader in the midst of…complex, gripping events, telling the stories of five royal wives who lived through them’ BBC History

‘Weir is an excellent storyteller’ Spectator

Publisher Review

Weir... paints a rich image of the lives these queens led... this book shines a light on the turbulent but often forgotten stories of the queens of this important period in English history. * BBC History Magazine * Weir's character sketches of all five women are engaging, her attention to detail and itineraries comprehensive. She is an excellent storyteller: descriptions are vivid and her knowledge of the sources is extensive. * Spectator * Stunning... [Weir has] brought those five queens to life like never before. I just raced through it - it has all the drama and suspense of a novel. -- Tracy Borman, praise for QUEENS OF THE CRUSADES [A] historian who has achieved popularity without sacrificing scholarly precision... She writes with the dramatic intensity of a novelist. -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times - praise for QUEENS OF THE CRUSADES * The book that I most anticipated this year was Alison Weir's Queens of the Crusades... Told with all of Weir's characteristic verve and exceptional eye for detail, this book should find its way into every history lover's Christmas stocking. -- Tracy Borman * BBC History Magazine *Books of the Year 2020* - praise for QUEENS OF THE CRUSADES *