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Henry VI Part Two
Henry VI Part Two
Jan 13, 2026 11:52 AM

Author:William Shakespeare,Stanley Wells,Michael Taylor

Henry VI Part Two

The second play in Shakespeare's tetralogy dealing with the Hundred Years War and the Wars of the Roses, Henry VI Part Two is arguably the best introduction to the playwright's genius as a writer of history plays. This Penguin Shakespeare edition is edited by Norman Saunders with an introduction by Michael Taylor.

'My mouth shall be the parliament of Enland'

Henry VI is tricked into marrying Margaret - lover of the Earl of Suffolk, who hopes to rule the kingdom through her influence. There is one great obstacle in Suffolk's path, however - the noble Lord Protector, whom he slyly orders to be murdered. Discovering this betrayal, Henry banishes Suffolk, but with his Lord Protector gone the unworldly young King must face his greatest challenge: impending civil war and the rising threat of the House of York.

This book includes a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to Henry VI, Part Two, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay by Rebecca Brown discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden some time in late April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He wrote about 38 plays (the precise number is uncertain), many of which are regarded as the most exceptional works of drama ever produced, including Romeo and Juliet (1595), Henry V (1599), Hamlet (1601), Othello (1604), King Lear (1606) and Macbeth (1606), as well as a collection of 154 sonnets, which number among the most profound and influential love poetry in English.

'We go to Shakespeare to find out about ourselves'

Jeanette Winterson

Reviews

Fremantle is surely a major new voice in historical fiction (...) what Hilary Mantel fans should read while waiting for the final part of her trilogy

—— The Bookseller

An endlessly fascinating era, and Fremantle manages to combine pacey storytelling with superb background. . . it's terrifically entertaining.

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A beautifully drawn study of what is at risk when you lose control of your own life. Unique, gripping, and viscerally moving - this impressive debut novel heralds the arrival of an extremely talented writer.

—— Jodi Picoult

An exploration of how myths are engendered as much as it is a whimsical satire of political ambition… Very much in love with the Sussex countryside that it so beautifully evokes… Assured, precise prose

—— Philip Womack , Literary Review

a master-piece of writing

—— Mags Fisk , Nudge Book

I was captivated by this tale of books, friendship and the search for happy endings

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A heartwarming tale about literature's power to transform

—— People

A celebration of people who read to help them survive and thrive

—— Sainsbury's Magazine

A heartwarming and utterly charming debut... This gentle, intelligent Midwestern tale will captivate... An ideal book group selection, it reminds us why we are book lovers and why it's nice to read a few happy endings

—— Library Journal, starred review

Bivald encourages us to look for adventure in both literature and life... Charming

—— Lady

An international bestseller, this quirky, offbeat novel about books, with its wry humour and wonderful characters, is a delicious read

—— Choice Magazine

Charmingly original....sweet, quirky

—— Washington Post

This is a charming novel for book lovers from all walks of life… As you journey through the pages, weaving Little Women, Harry Potter, Jodi Picoult, Jane Austen, Steig Larsson and Proust around the storyline, you’ll find yourself rooting for the beautifully drawn characters, smiling at the wry humour and applauding the ending

—— Candis Magazine

Charming and relatable

—— Mel Mitchell , Nudge

You’ll love it

—— Catherine Small , Irish News

A wonderful tale.

—— Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan , Daily Express

Funny, fashionable, fabulous - my beach read pick for the summer!

—— Jane Green

This Years The Devil Wears Prada

—— Vanity Fair

Lethally funny with sass to spare

—— Daily Mail

[a] brilliant and claustrophobic novel

—— VICE

one to watch out for

—— The Independent

A very impressive, must read for fans of STATION ELEVEN, so unsettling but subtle too. I loved FIND ME…

—— Eva Dolan

a moving, and frequently funny, exploration of character and of trauma

—— Independent

so compelling ... an unforgettable debut

—— Irish Independent

a wonderful read

—— Nina Allan , Interzone

Like Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale or Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, van den Berg’s debut novel presents a frighteningly plausible near-future dystopia grounded in human elements… heartbreakingly real and compellingly wrought

—— Library Journal

Find Me, her transfixing first novel, is in keeping with her short stories thematically, and yet, in its deep soundings, it’s a commanding departure. . . Van den Berg’s enveloping novel of a plague and a seeker in an endangered world reveals what it feels like to grow up unwanted and unknown in a civilization hell-bent on self-destruction. It is also a beautifully strange, sad, and provocative inquiry into our failure to love, cherish, and protect. But ultimately, Find Me is a delving story of courage, persistence, and hope

—— Booklist

In Find Me, van den Berg depicts a life slowly coming into focus—it’s blurry and impressionistic at times, sometimes deliriously scattered. But out of the fog of memory and the haze of drugs emerges a sense of clarity that’s deep and moving and real

—— The Boston Globe

From this memorable novel's eerie first paragraph to its enigmatic ending, Laura van den Berg has invented something beautiful indeed

—— LA Times

This is one of my favorite novels of 2015, and we’re not even IN 2015 yet . . .The language is beautiful, spare, and carefully crafted, and the characters are fully realized and unforgettable. There is tension and redemption and insight and even humor in these pages, and they make for a really incredible read

—— Bookriot

Surreal adventures blend with a reflective and sad sensibility in van den Berg’s lyrical debut novel

—— Library Journal

Both novels offer precision of language and metaphor and scene even as what is being constructed feels messy, chaotic, sad, hopeless... Both orphaned and alone in the world, both so completely real, both telling a story that feels important and exciting to read. I feel lucky to have stumbled upon these books this year, and challenged by them to be better

—— The Millions

This debut novel by acclaimed short story writer van den Berg tends to lean much closer to the realms of literary fiction with its complex psychology. . . Van den Berg's writing is curiously beautiful

—— Kirkus

a strange beauty in this apocalyptic tale

—— Psychologies
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