- ISBN13: 9780345453204
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Isabella arrived in London in 1308, the spirited twelve-year-old daughter of King Philip IV of France. Her marriage to the heir to England’s throne was designed to heal old political wounds between the two countries, and in the years that followed, she would become an important figure, a determined and clever woman whose influence would come to last centuries. But Queen Isabella’s political machinations led generations of historians to malign her, earning her a reputation as a ruthless schemer and an odious nickname, “the She-Wolf of France.”
Now the acclaimed author of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Alison Weir, reexamines the life of Isabella of England, history’s other notorious and charismatic medie… More >>
Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England
I am 88. All my life I have loved my English History & the English Countryside. I have travelled in all the old 52 Counties of England & Wales. Against this background I find that Alison Weir has written the best historical Biography & the best History I have ever read. Of the criticised detail; for me,the Topography is a bonus. Overall the detail provides the facts. Most Professional Historians patronise the lay reader by relegating the facts to references or footnotes. Then by a deliberatively cultivated oersonal style they present their interpretaions of the facts as the correct history. Alison Weir allows the reader to make his own interpretation of the facts as well as a judgment on her own interpretation of them. I have not yet even read all the book – as you know its delivery was delayed – but I have read enough to know that each remaining page will continue to give me increasing delight. I end with one of many personal experiences reading this superb book.
“In August 1924 I had a family seaside holiday at Walton on the Naze. One evening there was an adventurous expedition with other families to walk ‘Round the Point’. As a child of 6 I remember clearly seeing in the evening sunlight the grassy mound with a few rocks where the castle once stood. No mention was ever made then or later to this being the place where Isabella had spent her first night in England on her return. In fact our families’ expedition was a memorable occasion as there were several children for the adults to safeguard & we were nearly cut off by the incoming tide. Now my memory of that shingled shore is enhanced,not by nostalgia,but knowledge.”
Rating: 1 / 5
It is surprising to note that the author of this book had written published items before. Firstly the book takes forever to get through, it just plods on and is not well written. It is completely and horribly disappointing a book. Most of the book is conjecture and no real proof the authors’ assumptions are given. She jumps from one area to another and the writing is completely disjointed. I recommend saving your dosh for a book that is more historically accurate and a better read. I could not wait to finish this book, and not for any positive reason. On one page she even contradicted the dates regarding the same item. Her conjecture is ridiculous and makes no historical sense at all. She would have been better writing a fiction novel, for that is what this truly is.
Rating: 1 / 5
medieval europe was a very rough place to be a woman of royal blood,you have less right than a slave.
Rating: 4 / 5
This was a great read. For those who have read the author’s other books on British monarchy this one will not disappoint. It is a compelling and engaging narrative that sheds light on a historical character I knew very little about. The story of Queen Isabella’s reign in England is well worth the effort.
Rating: 4 / 5
Alison Weir as always shows her thorough research in this fine biography. Isabella, the daughter of the French King, married Edward II at the age of 12. Brought up to respect the awe and majesty of the throne, she was sorely disappointed in her father’s choice of a husband. Edward was a week king and leader, apparently, easily led by others. Weir chronicles Isabella’s change from girlhood to womanhood as she asserts herself as Queen. She is fair in her treatment of Isabella, acknowledging her weaknesses as well as her strengths, documenting her relationship with her husband Edward II, Roger Moritmer, and her son Edward III. The one fault I have are the leaps of logic she makes in her assertions she makes regarding Edward’s murder and her relationship with Mortimer.
Rating: 4 / 5