Author:Jean Plaidy
Multi-million copy and international bestselling author Jean Plaidy expertly brings the rise and fall of Edward III to life in this captivating historical page-turner. Fans of Philippa Gregory will not be disappointed.
'Full-blooded, dramatic, exciting.' -- Observer
'Plaidy excels at blending history with romance and drama.' -- New York Times
'Outstanding' -- Vanity Fair
'Truly spellbinding' -- ***** Reader review
'A fascinating read' -- ***** Reader review
'I enjoyed every page!' -- ***** Reader review
'Brilliant, very hard to put down' -- ***** Reader review
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Edward the Second has been barbarously murdered in Berkeley Castle on the orders of his wife, Queen Isabella, and her lover Roger de Mortimer, and fifteen-year-old Edward the Third is now king. Young Edward has already met and fallen in love with Philippa of Hainault and, to prevent him enquiring into the details of his father's death, Isabella allows the marriage to take place. A son is born who goes on to become the famous Black Prince.
While some suggest that Edward has a claim on the French throne, he is reluctant to pursue it, aware of the magnitude of such an undertaking. It is only when Robert of Artois arrives, bent on starting a war, that the king is provoked into action.
When Robert presents Edward with a dead heron and compares him tauntingly to the timid bird, Edward vows to attack France, heralding the beginning of the Hundred Years' War. Here we see Edward in his greatness, victorious in war and leading his country to prosperity, and at his very weakest, fallen from glory and crippled by his scheming mistress.
I absolutely loved Jean Plaidy novels and devoured as many of them as I could get my hands on as a teenager. She was far and away my favourite writer. I can still remember the utter, visceral thrill of approaching her shelf at the local library and seeing one that I hadn't read yet
—— Wendy HoldenWhat I love about Hardy is that anybody of any age can get into his books because he's such a good writer. All you've got to do is start reading. I could have picked any of his books but this is my favourite
—— Matthew Wright (The Wright Stuff) , Daily ExpressIt's the most tragic tale of a man who did a great wrong (he sells his wife and daughter) and pays for it later. The way Henchard arranges his life just so, only to see it wrecked and ruined by Fate - it makes me howl with pathos
—— author John Wright , IndependentYou have to hand it to Thomas Hardy. He knew how to come up with the blackest, most fascinating of characters (principally, corn merchant and mayor Michael Henchard), then put them in a cracking predicament
—— MirrorA truly wonderful book
—— Actor Brian Cox , Independent on SundayAnd then there is the development of Henchard himself, the figure in this crowded landscape, a man for whom we should not have sympathy, but one whom Hardy has painted in such a masterfully subtle way that in the end our heart breaks with his - despite his past sins
—— Jane Urquhart , GuardianA most unusual debut... An entirely refreshing portrait of young womanhood, it is unselfconscious, uncompromising, wholly authentic
—— Justine Jordan , The GuardianExquisite
—— Boyd Tonkin , IndependentThis is a haunting debut with an individual, poetic slant
—— Alastair Mabbot , HeraldIt is Paul Auster, only better... This is a whimsical, confident book sustained by offbeat charm and intelligence
—— Eileen Battersby , Irish TimesAridjis is an insightful observer of post-reunification Berlin... Her lyrical, restrained prose conjures a dream-like atmosphere that borders on magical realism. This haunting debut is a significant and memorable addition to the literature of a troubling city
—— CJ Schuler , IndependentInfluenced by magical realism and the cool prose of modernism, first-time author Chloe Aridjis takes the best from each
—— Alastair Mabbott , HeraldA dark exploration into the mind of an internet-obsessed would-be killer
—— RedCreepy psychodrama...BB's voice soon takes on the seductive cadences of her Gallic creations. Harris's triumph is to incorporate email-speak into this tale of rural nasties without frightening the horses
—— Independent
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