{"title":"Biography: royalty Books","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"the-queens-sorrow-9780007258284","title":"The Queens Sorrow","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA queen brought low by love compromised and power abused the tragedy of Mary Tudor.These are desperate times for Mary Tudor. As England's first ruling queen, her joy should be complete when she marries Philip, the dashing Prince of Spain. But despite her ardent devotion, he's making it painfully obvious that he cares little for his new wife and her struggle to produce an heir only makes him colder towards him. Lonely and depressed, Mary begins to vent her anguish on her people and England becomes a place of cruelty, persecution and fear.Mary's terrible fall from grace is seen through the eyes of Rafael, a Spanish sundial maker who is part of the Prince's flamboyant entourage. He becomes the one person that she trusts, but his life and new-found love will be caught in the chaos that follows\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003ePraise for ‘The Sixth Wife’:\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘My, what a story…delightfully vulgar and utterly compelling.’ The Times\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘Mesmerising and beautifully written.’ Scotsman\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘Suzannah Dunn…weaves a kind of love story that is both moving and believable. This is the Tudor world as seldom seen…The result is historical chick lit at its most charming.’ Daily Telegraph\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘Dunn [sheds] possible new light on Katharine’s marriage to Thomas Seymour and her final days are treated with sympathy and skill.’ Tablet\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePraise for ‘The Queen of Subtleties’:\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e'A stunningly refreshing way of retelling an old story…I really could not put this one down. It brings Anne Boleyn to life as never before, and, probably for the first time ever in fiction, Henry VIII emerges as a truly credible character in an authentic setting.' Alison Weir, author of ‘The Six Wives of Henry VIII’\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47832376050007,"sku":"9780007258284","price":7.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780007258284.jpg?v=1710331571"},{"product_id":"gristwood-s-blood-sisters-9780007309306","title":"Gristwood S Blood Sisters","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe true story of the White Queen and more, this is a thrilling history of the extraordinary noblewomen who lived through the Wars of the Roses.The events of the Wars of the Roses are usually described in terms of the men involved: Richard Duke of York, Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III and Henry VII. But these years were also packed with women's drama and in the tales of conflicted maternity and monstrous births alive with female energy.In this completely original book, Sarah Gristwood sheds light on a neglected dimension of English history: the impact of Tudor women on the Wars of the Roses. She examines, among others, Cecily Neville, who was deprived of being queen when her husband died at the Battle of Wakefield; Elizabeth Woodville, the commoner who married Edward IV in secret; Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, whose love and ambition for her son knew no bounds.Until now, the lives of these women have remained little known to the general public. Sarah Gristwood tells their \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘For viewers who plan to settle in with ‘The White Queen’, one recent work of history will guide them through the distaff maze of the Wars of the Roses: ‘Blood Sisters’ by Sarah Gristwood’ Boyd Tonkin, Independent\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘In this gem of a book, she effortlessly weaves the dramatic, often tragic, lives of seven royal women…If you treat yourself to one history book this Christmas, make it this one. It’s the book that I wish I had written’ Alison Weir, Books of the Year, BBC History Magazine\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘Entertaining and vividly drawn … A different way of looking at this complex period and Gristwood weaves the story with considerable skill … highly readable’ Literary Review\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘Gristwood successfully evokes the lives of all these women, and in doing so brings a new and welcome perspective on the Wars of the Roses… [a] very agreeable narrative’ Dan Jones, Sunday Times\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘Gristwood’s sensitive approach marks out Blood Sisters as much more than the narrative of an age. It is an exploration of what it was to be a medieval queen… A compelling portrait of this bloody age, complete with the heartbreak and triumphs that went with it… Like a delicately woven tapestry, threads of evidence have to be gathered and pulled together with care. Gristwood does an excellent job of examining in sensory detail the impact of ermines, cloths of gold, Spanish leather and purple velvet’ Spectator\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47832379031895,"sku":"9780007309306","price":13.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780007309306.jpg?v=1710331638"},{"product_id":"tudor-9780099555285","title":"Tudor","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeanda de Lisle is the highly acclaimed author of several bestselling and prize-winning books on the Tudors and Stuarts including \u003ci\u003eTudor: The Family Story,\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eWhite King: The Tragedy of Charles I \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eHenrietta Maria: Conspirator, Warrior, Phoenix Queen. \u003c\/i\u003eShe writes and speaks on historical matters for TV, radio and publications including \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eSpectator\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eHistory Today\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA wonderfully fluent portrait of five generations... de Lisle brings an entirely fresh feel to the Tudor story, reminding us of the one thing the monarchs themselves wanted us to forget: the sheer improbability of their royal rule -- Dan Jones, author of The Plantagenets * The Times (Saturday Review) *\u003cbr\u003eViolent, heady, glamorous stuff, this is popular history of a very superior sort -- Lucy Worsley * Country Life *\u003cbr\u003eVivid... Part of the interest of this book lies in the portraits of strong women -- Charles Moore * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eTudor\u003c\/i\u003e is a gripping account of a family riven by passionate jealousies, murderous ambitions and crippling tragedies. Leanda de Lisle is a master storyteller, and this is her greatest work yet. Immersive and exhaustively researched, \u003ci\u003eTudor\u003c\/i\u003e is a triumph. * Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire *\u003cbr\u003eWhile many Tudor fans have been crying out for an accessible narrative history of the entire period, few historians have felt able to rise to the challenge... [de Lisle] manages to achieve that very feat... should now be the go-to book -- Chris Skidmore * History Today (Books of the Year 2013) *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47832645861719,"sku":"9780099555285","price":13.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099555285.jpg?v=1710336358"},{"product_id":"kings-queens-of-england-and-scotland-9780241639641","title":"Kings Queens of England and Scotland","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDiscover the vivid stories of Britain''s iconic rulers, from 600 CE to the present day.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the Saxons to the Windsors, Britain''s royal lineage is brought to life in the pages of this visual guide. Confused about which Henry had six wives and which was crowned at the age of eight? 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His personal life was anything but private. His amorous liaisons were largely conducted in royal palaces surrounded by friends, courtiers and literally hundreds of servants and soldiers. Gossip radiated throughout the kingdom. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCharles spent most of his wealth and his intellect on gaining and keeping the company of women, from the lowest sections of society such as the actress Nell Gwyn to the aristocratic Louise de Kérouaille. 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These romps through Charles's bed-chamber are wonderfully lively ... Narrating a libertine's life with a gusto tempered by sound common sense, they have produced a book that is as pleasantly addictive as might be suggested by its racy title -- Miranda Seymour Sunday Times While showing that 'never again would an English royal court reverberate with such fun and vigour, so much youthful swagger and sexuality', the book makes clear that Charles's sex addiction had its darker side Mail on Sunday In a tone of breezy bravado in keeping with their concept of their subject's character, Don Jordan and Michael Walsh have written a swashbuckling life of Charles II ... the stuff of a TV mini-series ... the authors have a keen eye for memorable anecdotes which consistently hold the reader's attention Spectator This hugely entertaining book gives the low-down on the many mistresses who shared [Charles II's] bed Mail on Sunday\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Little, Brown Book Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47836849701207,"sku":"9781408704905","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781408704905.jpg?v=1710383693"},{"product_id":"richard-iii-9781445699097","title":"Richard III","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNew B-format paperback edition. A definitive new biography of one of British history's most controversial figures, that seeks to bring peace to Richard III's reputation.","brand":"Amberley Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47836975399255,"sku":"9781445699097","price":13.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781445699097_c2c99ac1-0b62-4546-bcb5-0371d41b8c90.jpg?v=1723804664"},{"product_id":"richard-iii-9781445671543","title":"Richard III","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA definitive new biography of one of British history's most controversial figures, that seeks to bring peace to Richard III's reputation.","brand":"Amberley Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47846765527383,"sku":"9781445671543","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781445671543_924227e8-9adf-405b-816a-db3e062dd75f.jpg?v=1710530461"},{"product_id":"elizabeth-queen-and-crown-9781911682554","title":"Elizabeth: Queen and Crown","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eSarah Gristwood celebrates the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II and how her enduring popularity was tantamount to her many supporters. The twists and turns of her life follow her teenage years during the war, marrying the Duke of Edinburgh and her ascension to the throne.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn internationally admired figure, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was the most high-profile monarch in the world, who endured wide-ranging popularity.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpanning from 1926 to the end of her reign in 2022, \u003cem\u003eElizabeth: The Queen and the Crown\u003c\/em\u003e reveals the story behind Britain's longest-reigning monarch's extraordinary life. 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A must for every resident and visitor to the UK.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe King's House, The Royal Household, Royal Pastimes, A Devout King, Food Fit for a King, The Queen's Chamber, The Travelling Court, Scandals at Court, European Influences, The King's Legend.","brand":"Batsford Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47850783211863,"sku":"9781841652665","price":7.6,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781841652665.jpg?v=1710621300"},{"product_id":"cleopatras-daughter-egyptian-princess-roman-prisoner-african-queen-9781800244825","title":"Cleopatra's Daughter: Egyptian Princess, Roman","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCleopatra Selene, daughter of Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Mark Antony, was the only member of the Ptolemaic dynasty to survive after her parents were defeated by the future Roman emperor Augustus at the Battle of Actium. 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Full of fabulous facts about ancient Rome, Egypt and North Africa. I loved all the details of life in Cleopatra's world supported by a feast of visual and literary references -- Caroline Lawrence, author of The Roman Mysteries\u003cbr\u003eJane Draycott has written an excellent account of Cleopatra's daughter – princess, captive, and queen. In Draycott's capable hands, the archaeological evidence tells half the tale, and it is intriguing. Here, Cleopatra Selene finally attains her rightful place in history -- Barry Strauss, Cornell University, author of The War that Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium\u003cbr\u003eIt is extraordinary that such a story has remained untold for so long. 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A stunning debut. -- Tracy Borman\u003cbr\u003eThis is a wonderful investigation of Lady Jane Grey, enlightening and gripping, full of superb research and beautifully written. -- Kate Williams","brand":"Michael O'Mara Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851311956311,"sku":"9781782438670","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781782438670.jpg?v=1710634127"},{"product_id":"prince-albert-the-man-who-saved-the-monarchy-9781782398332","title":"Prince Albert: The Man Who Saved the Monarchy","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChosen as a Book of the Year in \u003ci\u003eThe Times \u003c\/i\u003eand the \u003ci\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Highly entertaining' \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Enthralling' \u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor more than six decades, Queen Victoria ruled a great Empire at the height of its power. 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Wilson's brilliant book is a treat: an absorbing and entertaining guide to the complex tensions of Albert's world. * The i *\u003cbr\u003eEnthralling... [Wilson] writes so exuberantly and perceptively... What keeps his portrait so animated is not only the extensive use of primary sources - chiefly the correspondence lodged in the Royal Archives - but also a novelist's ability to make character vivid and narrative swift... Wilson's account of this remarkable man is unfailingly enjoyable and sharply astute. -- Rupert Christiansen * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eWilson's approach is admiring, argumentative and astute. He is a brisk, irreverent revisionist who likes to find other people's ticklish points. -- Richard Davenport-Hines * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eSubtle, amusing, gripping... Brilliant * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eThis\u003cb\u003e entertaining and beautifully illustrated\u003c\/b\u003e account supports the claim that Albert was \"the man who saved the monarchy.\" It also confirms that A.N. Wilson is one of those rare biographers with the gift of finding words \"at once true and kind\" in which to present the trickiest subject. * TLS *\u003cbr\u003eEngrossing... Mr. Wilson makes good use of documents from the period and has consulted experts, particularly on details having to do with Albert's German background. His most striking contribution, though, is a psychologically astute approach to Victoria and Albert, one that results in a persuasive and humane account of their marriage. * Wall Street Journal *\u003cbr\u003eAbsorbing... [Wilson] argues persuasively that Albert's many talents helped reshape the monarchy, fitting it for the modern world and giving it a role in British society that has lasted to the present day. * Daily Mail, Books of the Year *\u003cbr\u003eWaspish AN Wilson delights in stinging comfortable historical prejudices... 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A delightfully vivid, opinionated biography that pays almost equal attention to Albert's wife and a colorful supporting cast of early Victorian notables. * Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) *\u003cbr\u003eA magnificently understanding biography of Victoria's spouse....Albert led a brief life-dying at age 42 - but his impact on his adopted homeland, Great Britain, especially on the functioning of the monarchy, was immense, hence the subtitle of this wise new portrait. 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This rollicking story is packed with anecdotes'' \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''I can''t suppose that there has been a better English biography of Francis, or indeed is likely to be one'' \u003ci\u003eCatholic Herald\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrancis I was inconstant, amorous, hot-headed and flawed. Arguably he was also the most significant king that France ever had. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA contemporary of Henry VIII of England, Francis saw himself as the first Renaissance king. A courageous and heroic warrior, he was also a keen aesthete, an accomplished diplomat and an energetic ruler who turned his country into a force to be reckoned with. 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If it has a hero it is the shy, complex man who never had the slightest desire to be king and made extraordinary efforts to rise to the job, finally earning the unqualified admiration of world leaders ... What makes it fresh is Larman's use of recently disembargoed diaries and letters ... The recounting of the story of the handsome, sexually omnivorous, dope-addicted Kent, who reeled from affair to affair (Noël Coward was said to be among his lovers) but was transformed by war service into a brilliantly effective commander until his still-mysterious death in an air crash in the Highlands, is particularly vividly done. Nothing in the book, though, can compete for sheer entertainment with the Windsors' governorship of the Bahamas ... 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Praised its courage in portraying a less obvious protagonist than bigger and bloodier characters' * The Oldie *\u003cbr\u003eA vivid, unusual story, and Johnson tells it well * Daily Telegraph *","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48242745180503,"sku":"9781784979645","price":11.4,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781784979645.jpg?v=1716233272"},{"product_id":"the-survival-of-the-princes-in-the-tower-murder-mystery-and-myth-9781803990019","title":"The Survival of the Princes in the Tower: Murder,","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe murder of the Princes in the Tower is the most famous cold case in British history.\u003c\/strong\u003e Traditionally considered victims of their ruthless uncle, there are other suspects too often and too easily discounted. 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The enigmatic Henry is brought thrillingly to life as one of the most unlikely but tenacious kings ever to wear the English crown'' Dan Jones, \u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e, Books of the Year\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Thrilling and sinister'' Simon Sebag Montefiore, \u003ci\u003eDaily \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA brilliant debut ... this impressive book will certainly become the definitive study of our strangest, most mysterious, king -- Desmond Seward * BBC History Magazine *\u003cbr\u003eStunning ... effortlessly vivid prose ... a revelation. [Penn's] focus is on the last, fear-filled decade of [Henry VII's] reign, but his sinuously coiling chapters seamlessly unfold the past as well as the present of his protagonists ... [He] has pulled off a rare feat: a brilliant and haunting evocation of the Tudor world, with irresistible echoes of the age of fear in which we now live -- Helen Castor * Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003e[A] brilliant mash-up of gothic horror and political biography ... a tour de force: both scholarly and a pleasure to read, covering the breadth of the European political scene, while providing the details that allow us to feel intimately the terror at home * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eRemarkable ... Penn brilliantly recreates the sterile atmosphere suffocating Henry's England. His eye for time, circumstance and the telling anecdote is keen. \u003ci\u003eWinter King\u003c\/i\u003e offers us the fullest, deepest, most compelling insight into the warped psychology of the Tudor dynasty's founder to have appeared since Bacon wrote * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003e[Thomas Penn] is a superb teller of a tale, a reveller in dodgy deeds, a keen observer of the febrile, dissimulating characters of court and embassy, and a splendid limner of the great jousts and entertainments of the age ... with a sharp eye for detail and adroit use of a gifted historical imagination, ... he lets us hear the creak of oars and the scratch of pens, as well as the tubercular king fighting for every breath ... Vigorous and thoroughly enjoyable * Economist *\u003cbr\u003eI feel like I've been waiting to read this book a long time ... a fluent and compelling account ... The level of detail is fascinating and beautifully judged ... I think that, for the first time, a writer has made me feel what contemporaries felt as Henry VII's reign drew to an end; the relief, the hope, the sudden buoyancy -- Hilary Mantel, author of 'Wolf Hall'\u003cbr\u003eSucceeds brilliantly ... [a] finely drawn portrait ... Penn's deft turn of phrase superbly re-creates the drama and personalities of the court -- Tracy Borman * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eAn exceptionally stylish literary debut. Henry VII may be the most unlikely person ever to have occupied the throne of England, and his biographers have rarely conveyed just what a weird man he was. Thomas Penn does this triumphantly, and in the process manages to place his subject in a vividly realised landscape. His book should be the first port of call for anyone trying to understand England's most flagrant usurper since William the Conqueror -- Diarmaid MacCulloch\u003cbr\u003eA definitive and accessible account of the reign of Henry VII that will alter our view not just of Henry, but of the country he dominated and corrupted, and of the dynasty he founded ... [Penn's] point is to show that this is not the \"merrie England\" of the Tudor myth, but a country forced under the rule of a new king, spied on and policed for any sign of disloyalty, and tyrannised by the use of ancient half-forgotten fines and taxes -- Philippa Gregory * Observer *\u003cbr\u003e[Penn] achieves the remarkable feat of making the reign of Henry VII seem more interesting than that of his son. \u003ci\u003eWinter King\u003c\/i\u003e is well titled: the fingers of the first Tudor king, in Penn's account of his final years, are icy to the touch, and probe into every nook and cranny of the kingdom ... gripping and unexpected -- Tom Holland * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003ePenn's scholarly and engrossing life of Henry VII ... gives a complex and exact sense of how power worked in early modern England -- Sam Leith * Spectator (Books of the Year 2012) *\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732506915159,"sku":"9780141986609","price":14.24,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141986609.jpg?v=1719997185"},{"product_id":"victoria-penguin-monarchs-queen-matriarch-empress-9780141987316","title":"Victoria Penguin Monarchs Queen Matriarch Empress","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732507898199,"sku":"9780141987316","price":999.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}]},{"product_id":"edward-viii-penguin-monarchs-9780141987354","title":"Edward VIII Penguin Monarchs","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe acclaimed Penguin Monarchs series: short, fresh, expert accounts of England''s rulers - now in paperback\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''After my death'', George V said of his eldest son and heir, ''the boy will ruin himself in 12 months''. 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