Wednesday 22 February 2012

Wishlist Wednesday #7...


I am delighted to be part of wishlist Wednesday which is hosted by Dani at pen to paper 




 

The idea is to post about one book each week that has been on your wishlist for some time, or maybe just added.

So what do you need to do to join in?

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.

Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.

Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.

Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of her post.

Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.

Visit the other blogs and enjoy!



My #7 Wishlist Wednesday book
 is 

Winter King 

The Dawn of Tudor England

by 

Thomas Penn








It was 1501. England had been ravaged for decades by conspiracy, violence, murders, coups and counter-coups. Henry VII had clambered to the top of the heap - a fugitive with a flimsy claim to England's crown who through luck, guile and ruthlessness had managed to win the throne and stay on it for sixteen years. Although he built palaces, hosted jousts, gave out lavish presents and sent ambassadors across Europe, for many he remained a usurper, a false king.
But Henry had a crucial asset: his queen and their children, the living embodiment of his hoped-for dynasty. Now, in what would be the crowning glory of his reign, his elder son would marry a great Spanish princess. On a cold November day this girl, the sixteen-year-old Catherine of Aragon, arrived in London for a wedding upon which the fate of England would hinge...
In his remarkable debut, historian Thomas Penn recreates an England which is both familiar and very strange - a country that seems medieval yet modern, in which honour and chivalry mingle with espionage, realpolitik, high finance and corruption. It is the story of the transformation of a young, vulnerable boy, Prince Henry, into the aggressive teenager who would become Henry VIII, and of Catherine of Aragon, his future queen. And at its heart is the tragic, magnetic figure of Henry VII - controlling, paranoid, avaricious, with a Machiavellian charm and will to power.



My love of historical novels encourages me to read a variety of non-fiction historical biographies. I love the look and feel of this book, and to have insight into the start of the Tudor period is invaluable. To see what helped shape the Tudor dynasty is a treat to be savoured. I think this will be one to borrow from the library as soon as a copy becomes available !!













































































No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for taking the time to comment - Jaffareadstoo appreciates your interest.