Description
Book SynopsisA biography of one of the most remarkable women of the Tudor era - next to Queen Elizabeth the most powerful woman in England
Bess of Hardwick, born into the most brutal and turbulent period of England''s history, did not have an auspicious start in life. Widowed for the first time at sixteen, she nonetheless outlived four monarchs, married three more times, and died one of the wealthiest and most powerful women the country has ever seen.
The Tudor age was a hazardous time for an ambitious woman: by the time Frances, Bess''s first child, was six, three of her illustrious godparents had been beheaded. Plague regularly wiped out entire families, conspiracies and feuds were rife. But through all this Bess Hardwick bore eight children and built an empire of her own: the great houses of Chatsworth and Hardwick.
''The best account yet of this shrewd, enigmatic and remarkable woman'' Sunday Times
''Lovell has excelled at bringing the Tudor age to exuberant life. A phenomenal story'' Mail on Sunday
''Utterly absorbing... one of those biographies in which the reader really doesn''t want the subject to die'' Independent on Sunday
Trade ReviewLovell rehabilitates Bess's reputation, showing that she was shrewd rather than shrewish, kind rather than cold THE TIMES This wonderfully researched book is an intimate portrait of [Bess's] life and a vivid insight into life in Tudor society SUNDAY EXPRESS Lovell has excelled at bringing the Tudor Age to exuberant life... altogether this is a rattling good read Hugh Massingberd, MAIL ON SUNDAY The best account yet available of this shrewd, enigmatic and remarkable woman SUNDAY TIMES
