Alison Weston's Books

The Lady in the Tower

The Fall of Anne Boleyn

By: Alison Weir

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Nearly five hundred years after her violent death, Anne Boleyn, second wife to Henry VIII, remains one of the world's most fascinating, controversial, and tragic heroines. Now acclaimed historian and bestselling author Alison Weir has drawn on myriad sources from the Tudor era to give us the first book that examines, in unprecedented depth, the gripping, dark, and chilling story of Anne Boleyn's final days. The tempestuous love affair between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn scandalized Christendom and altered forever the religious landscape of England. Anne's ascent from private gentlewoman to queen was astonishing, but equally compelling was her shockingly swift downfall. Charged with high treason and imprisoned in the Tower of London in May 1536, Anne met her terrible end all the while protesting her innocence. There remains, however, much mystery surrounding the queen's arrest and the events leading up to it: Were charges against her fabricated because she stood in the way of Henry VIII making a third marriage and siring an heir, or was she the victim of a more complex plot fueled by court politics and deadly rivalry? The Lady in the Tower examines in engrossing detail the motives and intrigues of those who helped to seal the queen's fate. Weir unravels the tragic tale of Anne's fall, from her miscarriage of the son who would have saved her to the horrors of her incarceration and that final, dramatic scene on the scaffold. What emerges is an extraordinary portrayal of a woman of great courage whose enemies were bent on utterly destroying her, and who was tested to the extreme by the terrible plight in which she found herself. Richly researched and utterly captivating, The Lady in the Tower presents the full array of evidence of Anne Boleyn's guilt—or innocence. Only in Alison Weir's capable hands can readers learn the truth about the fate of one of the most influential and important women in English history. BONUS: This edition contains a The Lady in the Tower discussion guide and an excerpt from Alison Weir's Mary Boleyn.

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481

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Ballantine Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

0345519787

ISBN 13

9780345519788

The Celys and Their World

An English Merchant Family of the Fifteenth Century

By: Alison Hanham

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The Celys and Their World

An English Merchant Family of the Fifteenth Century

By: Alison Hanham

A richly detailed study of the Cely family and its activities as staplers and ship-owners.

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494

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0521520126

ISBN 13

9780521520126

The Cultural Defense

By: Alison Dundes Renteln

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The Cultural Defense

By: Alison Dundes Renteln

Publisher's description: In a trial in California, Navajo defendants argue that using the hallucinogen peyote to achieve spiritual exaltation is protected by the Constitution's free exercise of religion clause, trumping the states' right to regulate them. An Ibo man from Nigeria sues Pan American World Airways for transporting his mother's corpse in a cloth sack. Her arrival for the funeral face down in a burlap bag signifies death by suicide according to the customs of her Ibo kin, and brings great shame to the son. In Los Angeles, two Cambodian men are prosecuted for attempting to eat a four month-old puppy. The immigrants' lawyers argue that the men were following their own "national customs" and do not realize their conduct is offensive to "American sensibilities." What is the just decision in each case? When cultural practices come into conflict with the law is it legitimate to take culture into account? Is there room in modern legal systems for a cultural defense? In this remarkable book, Alison Dundes Renteln amasses hundreds of cases from the U.S. and around the world in which cultural issues take center stage-from the mundane to the bizarre, from drugs to death. Though cultural practices vary dramatically, Renteln demonstrates that there are discernible patterns to the cultural arguments used in the courtroom. The regularities she uncovers offer judges a starting point for creating a body of law that takes culture into account. Renteln contends that a systematic treatment of culture in law is not only possible, but ultimately more equitable. A just pluralistic society requires a legal system that can assess diverse motivations and can recognize the key role that culture plays in influencing human behavior. The inclusion of evidence of cultural background is necessary for the fair hearing of a case.

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422

Published Date

ISBN 10

0195154037

ISBN 13

9780195154030

Jane Austen and the Province of Womanhood

By: Alison G. Sulloway

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Jane Austen and the Province of Womanhood

By: Alison G. Sulloway

Traditional critics of Jane Austen's novels consider her fiction from the perspective of male literature, male social values, and male myths and assumptions about women. These critics often give excellent readings of Austen, but they mitigate their own best efforts by trying to separate her life from the fiction and the fiction from her awareness of women's predicament in society. In Jane Austen and the Province of Womanhood, Alison Sulloway offers a fresh and comprehensive vision of Austen as a moderate feminist. Her studies of the letters, fictional fragments, and minor works, as well as novels, reveal a systematic pattern of feminist plots, themes, motifs, and symbols. She traces the influence on Jane Austen of Anglican conduct literature in addition to the progressive novels written by such women writers as Frances Burney and Maria Edgeworth. Austen's covert acknowledgment of the previously ignored "feminist revolt of the 1790s," Sulloway contends, accounts for the dammed-up energy behind her protective mask of irony. Sulloway perceives Austen and her heroines as survivors attempting to find decent solutions in a society whose owners and managers saw scant need to consider women's dignity. Her book is mediatory, just as Austen, that "provincial Christian gentlewomen," also mediated between the traditional forces of hostility toward women and the counter-forces of radical disruptions. Finally, Sulloway contends, the greatest beauty of Austen's fiction is not in her subtle depiction of the strains of eighteenth-century womanhood but in a certain joy—"Austenian joy"—that transcends grief and anger at various human abuses. More than stoic resolution, it is a comedic gift and a moral resilience that signifies grace under pressure. Sulloway com pares it to the instinctive courage of a soldier who rejoices when a single bird sings during a lull in the bombing. To read Jane Austen for this vision is to appreciate fully her gallant wit and her compassion. Jane Austen and the Province of Womanhood will benefit any Austen scholar as well as students and teachers of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literature.

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260

Publisher

University of Pennsylvania Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1512807826

ISBN 13

9781512807820

The Young Elizabeth

By: Alison Plowden

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The Young Elizabeth

By: Alison Plowden

Elizabeth I is perhaps England's most famous monarch. Born in 1533, the product of the doomed marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth was heir to her father's title, then disinherited and finally imprisoned her half sister Mary. Her childhood was one of fear and danger, she was aware from the outset that the eyes of the world were upon her and that to survive she would have to rely on her own judgement and strength of character. Many tried to use her for their own ends, however she rose out of the shadows and on the death of her sister, she became Gloriana - England's most iconic queen.

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244

Publisher

The History Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0752467204

ISBN 13

9780752467207

Her Husband was a Woman!

Women's Gender-Crossing in Modern British Popular Culture

By: Alison Oram

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Her Husband was a Woman!

Women's Gender-Crossing in Modern British Popular Culture

By: Alison Oram

Tracking the changing representation of female gender-crossing in the press, this text breaks new ground to reveal findings where both desire between women and cross-gender identification are understood. Her Husband was a Woman! exposes real-life case studies from the British tabloids of women who successfully passed as men in everyday life, perhaps marrying other women or fighting for their country. Oram revises assumptions about the history of modern gender and sexual identities, especially lesbianism and transsexuality. This book provides a fascinating resource for researchers and students, grounding the concepts of gender performativity, lesbian and queer identities in a broadly-based survey of the historical evidence.

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210

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1136014462

ISBN 13

9781136014468

At Home Pasadena

By: Jill Alison Ganon,Sandy Gillis

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At Home Pasadena

By: Jill Alison Ganon,Sandy Gillis

A richly photographed book showcasing the most beautiful, creative, and/or interesting homes and gardens in a city famous for them.

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Prospect Park Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

0975393936

ISBN 13

9780975393932

Henry VIII

The King and His Court

By: Alison Weir

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Henry VIII

The King and His Court

By: Alison Weir

For fans of Wolf Hall, Alison Weir’s New York Times bestselling biography of Henry VIII brilliantly brings to life the king, the court, and the fascinating men and women who vied for its pleasures and rewards. “WEIR’S BOOK OUTSHINES ALL PREVIOUS STUDIES OF HENRY. Beautifully written, exhaustive in its research, it is a gem. . . . She succeeds masterfully in making Henry and his six wives . . . come alive for the reader.”—Philadelphia Inquirer Henry VIII, renowned for his command of power and celebrated for his intellect, presided over one of the most magnificent–and dangerous–courts in Renaissance Europe. Never before has a detailed, personal biography of this charismatic monarch been set against the cultural, social, and political background of his glittering court. Now Alison Weir, author of the finest royal chronicles of our time, brings to vibrant life the turbulent, complex figure of the King. Packed with colorful description, meticulous in historical detail, rich in pageantry, intrigue, passion, and luxury, Weir brilliantly renders King Henry VIII, his court, and the fascinating men and women who vied for its pleasures and rewards. The result is an absolutely spellbinding read.

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658

Publisher

Ballantine Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

034543708X

ISBN 13

9780345437082

On a Scale from Idiot to Complete Jerk

By: Alison Hughes

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On a Scale from Idiot to Complete Jerk

By: Alison Hughes

J.J.'s science report has everything: graphs, charts, case studies, a quiz and the best subject matter of all time--jerks (and a few idiots).

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146

Publisher

Orca Book Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1459804856

ISBN 13

9781459804852

View of Fashion

By: Alison Adburgham

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View of Fashion

By: Alison Adburgham

First published in 1966, View of Fashion is a collection of articles on fashions shows, parties and people in London, Paris, Italy and New York, including a section looking back to the surprising sportswomen of Victorian and Edwardian times. Lady M.P.s are observed from the Press Gallery of the House of Commons, the Headmistress and the Board of Governors are studied from the School Hall on Speech Day, tennis champions in the Players’ Tearoom at Wimbledon. Fuller figures descend upon Woburn Abbey by helicopter, model girls weather a stormy crossing on the Queen Elizabeth, fancy goods are reviewed at Brighton, costume exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert Museum, corsetry in the River Room at the Savoy. There are profiles of well-known personalities on the fashion scene and a section on men’s fashions and male models. Alison Adburgham’s view of fashion is both accurate and acute; often unexpected, never distorted. It picks out the essential, mocks the meaningless and notes significance in the nuance. It is view with which Haro is in sensitive accord, and which he here brilliantly illustrates with ten full pages and many incidental drawings. This book will be of interest to students of fashion, journalism and social history.

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277

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

1000831515

ISBN 13

9781000831511

The Six Wives of Henry VIII

By: Alison Weir

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The Six Wives of Henry VIII

By: Alison Weir

A “brilliantly written and meticulously researched” biography of royal family life during England’s second Tudor monarch (San Francisco Chronicle). Either annulled, executed, died in childbirth, or widowed, these were the well-known fates of the six queens during the tempestuous, bloody, and splendid reign of Henry VIII of England from 1509 to 1547. But in this “exquisite treatment, sure to become a classic” (Booklist), they take on more fully realized flesh and blood than ever before. Katherine of Aragon emerges as a staunch though misguided woman of principle; Anne Boleyn, an ambitious adventuress with a penchant for vengeance; Jane Seymour, a strong-minded matriarch in the making; Anne of Cleves, a good-natured woman who jumped at the chance of independence; Katherine Howard, an empty-headed wanton; and Katherine Parr, a warm-blooded bluestocking who survived King Henry to marry a fourth time. “Combin[ing] the accessibility of a popular history with the highest standards of a scholarly thesis”, Alison Weir draws on the entire labyrinth of Tudor history, employing every known archive—early biographies, letters, memoirs, account books, and diplomatic reports—to bring vividly to life the fates of the six queens, the machinations of the monarch they married and the myriad and ceaselessly plotting courtiers in their intimate circle (The Detroit News). In this extraordinary work of sound and brilliant scholarship, “at last we have the truth about Henry VIII’s wives” (Evening Standard).

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Page Count

676

Publisher

Open Road + Grove/Atlantic

Published Date

ISBN 10

0802198759

ISBN 13

9780802198754

My Near-Death Adventures (99% True!)

By: Alison DeCamp

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My Near-Death Adventures (99% True!)

By: Alison DeCamp

For history lovers and journal fans comes a “hilarious and heartbreaking . . . 99–100% fantastic” (A Fuse #8 Production, School Library Journal) story about a boy on a mission to find his long-lost father in the logging camps of Michigan. There are many things that 11-year-old Stanley Slater would like to have in life—most of all, a father. But what if Stan’s missing dad isn’t “dearly departed” after all? Armed with his stupendous scrapbook, full of black-and-white 19th-century advertisements and photos, Stan’s attempt to locate his long-lost hero/cowboy/outlaw dad is a near-death adventure fraught with pesky relatives, killer lumberjacks, and poisonous pies! His tale will leave readers in stitches, but not the kind that require medical attention. Praise for My Near-Death Adventures (99% True!) “A knee-slapper of a debut featuring a narrator who is rather less than 99 percent reliable but 100 percent engaging.” —Kirkus Reviews “[An] exuberant first novel.” —Publishers Weekly “Stan’s story is full of his hilarious misunderstandings and overactive imagination. Interspersed throughout are pictures and news clippings embellished with wisecrack remarks, speech bubbles, and the occasional mustache.” —Booklist

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274

Publisher

Yearling

Published Date

ISBN 10

0385390475

ISBN 13

9780385390477

River Rats

Growing Up on the Raritan River

By: Alison Hyland

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River Rats

Growing Up on the Raritan River

By: Alison Hyland

Dan Hyland, as a boy growing up in the city of New Brunswick, New Jersey from 1930-1938, saw the last boats being locked through the Delaware and Raritan Canal. He knew the old lock keepers and people who lived in the abandoned barges along the canal. The Raritan River and the D.& R. Canal provided recreation that was both exciting and extremely dangerous. Dan rode the ice flows on the Raritan after city work crews dynamited the frozen river in the early spring. He met strange and colorful people with names like "Corker Pete" and "Two-Cent Itszi." Dan and his buddies pulled a lot of stunts, caused mischief, and had run-ins with waterfront bullies. He enjoyed a free and virtually unsupervised boy's life. Money was nearly non-existent, so Dan and his friends pooled their resources, skills, and imaginations to find ways of earning money to go to the movies and acquire their play equipment. They learned how to capitalize on the neighborhood bootleggers and traveling junkmen. "River Rats: Growing Up on the Raritan River" is a memoir of the Great Depression. The stories are upbeat and at times humorous, reminiscent of the exploits of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

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Page Count

110

Publisher

iUniverse

Published Date

ISBN 10

059514747X

ISBN 13

9780595147472

English in the Netherlands

Functions, forms and attitudes

By: Alison Edwards

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English in the Netherlands

Functions, forms and attitudes

By: Alison Edwards

This volume provides the first comprehensive investigation of the Netherlands in the World Englishes paradigm. It explores the history of English contact, the present spread of English and attitudes towards English in the Netherlands. It describes the development and analysis of the Corpus of Dutch English, the first Expanding Circle corpus based on the design of the International Corpus of English. In addition, it investigates the applicability of Schneider’s (2003, 2007) Dynamic Model, concluding that this and other such models need to move away from a colonisation-driven approach and towards a globalisation-driven one to explain the continued spread and evolution of English today. The volume will be highly relevant to researchers interested in the status and use of English in the Netherlands. More broadly, it provides a timely contribution to the debate on the relevance of the World Englishes framework for non-native, non-postcolonial settings such as Continental Europe.

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289

Publisher

John Benjamins Publishing Company

Published Date

ISBN 10

9027267200

ISBN 13

9789027267207

Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen

A Novel

By: Alison Weir

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Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen

A Novel

By: Alison Weir

“A sumptuous historical novel anchored by its excellent depiction of Jane Seymour, Henry the VIII’s third queen . . . This is a must for all fans of Tudor fiction and history.”—Publishers Weekly Ever since she was a child, Jane has longed for a cloistered life as a nun. But her large noble family has other plans, and as an adult, Jane is invited to the King’s court to serve as lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine of Aragon. The devout Katherine shows kindness to all her ladies, almost like a second mother, which makes rumors of Henry’s lustful pursuit of Anne Boleyn—also lady-in-waiting to the queen—all the more shocking. For Jane, the betrayal triggers memories of a haunting incident that shaped her beliefs about marriage. But once Henry disavows Katherine and secures Anne as his new queen—forever altering the religious landscape of England—he turns his eye to another: Jane herself. Urged to return the King’s affection and earn favor for her family, Jane is drawn into a dangerous political game that pits her conscience against her desires. Can Jane be the one to give the King his long-sought-after son, or will she be cast aside like the women who came before her? Bringing new insight to this compelling story, Alison Weir marries meticulous research with gripping historical fiction to re-create the dramas and intrigues of the most renowned court in English history. At its center is a loving and compassionate woman who captures the heart of a king, and whose life will hang in the balance for it. Praise for Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen “Bestselling [Alison] Weir’s impressive novel shows why Jane deserves renewed attention [and] illustrates Jane’s unlikely journey from country knight’s daughter to queen of England. . . . From the richly appointed decor to the religious tenor of the time, the historical ambience is first-rate.”—Booklist (starred review) “Deft, authoritative biographical fiction . . . a dramatic and empathic portrait of Jane Seymour.”—Kirkus Reviews

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Page Count

610

Publisher

Ballantine Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1101966564

ISBN 13

9781101966563

Censoring Racial Ridicule

Irish, Jewish, and African American Struggles over Race and Representation, 1890-1930

By: M. Alison Kibler

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Censoring Racial Ridicule

Irish, Jewish, and African American Struggles over Race and Representation, 1890-1930

By: M. Alison Kibler

A drunken Irish maid slips and falls. A greedy Jewish pawnbroker lures his female employee into prostitution. An African American man leers at a white woman. These and other, similar images appeared widely on stages and screens across America during the early twentieth century. In this provocative study, M. Alison Kibler uncovers, for the first time, powerful and concurrent campaigns by Irish, Jewish and African Americans against racial ridicule in popular culture at the turn of the twentieth century. Censoring Racial Ridicule explores how Irish, Jewish, and African American groups of the era resisted harmful representations in popular culture by lobbying behind the scenes, boycotting particular acts, and staging theater riots. Kibler demonstrates that these groups' tactics evolved and diverged over time, with some continuing to pursue street protest while others sought redress through new censorship laws. Exploring the relationship between free expression, democracy, and equality in America, Kibler shows that the Irish, Jewish, and African American campaigns against racial ridicule are at the roots of contemporary debates over hate speech.

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Page Count

329

Publisher

UNC Press Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1469618370

ISBN 13

9781469618371

Leonardo Da Vinci Master Draftsman

Catalogue to an Exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 2003

By: Leonardo (da Vinci),Rachel Stern,Alison Manges,Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)

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Leonardo Da Vinci Master Draftsman

Catalogue to an Exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 2003

By: Leonardo (da Vinci),Rachel Stern,Alison Manges,Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)

This handsome book offers a unified and fascinating portrait of Leonardo as draftsman, integrating his roles as artist, scientist, inventor, theorist, and teacher. 250 illustrations.

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802

Publisher

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Published Date

ISBN 10

1588390330

ISBN 13

9781588390332

If I Die Tonight

A Novel

By: Alison Gaylin

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If I Die Tonight

A Novel

By: Alison Gaylin

Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original. Reminiscent of the bestsellers of Laura Lippman and Harlan Coben—with a dose of Big Little Lies or Stranger Things—an absorbing, addictive tale of psychological suspense from the author of the highly acclaimed stand-alone novel What Remains of Me and the USA Today bestselling and Shamus Award-winning Brenna Spector series, in which a seemingly open-and-shut police case with a clear-cut hero and villain turns out to be anything but simple. Late one night in the quiet Hudson Valley town of Havenkill, a distraught woman stumbles into the police station—and lives are changed forever. Aimee En, once a darling of the ’80s pop music scene, claims that a teenage boy stole her car, then ran over another young man who'd rushed to help. As Liam Miller’s life hangs in the balance, the events of that fateful night begin to come into focus. But is everything as it seems? The case quickly consumes social media, transforming Liam, a local high school football star, into a folk hero, and the suspect, a high school outcast named Wade Reed, into a depraved would-be killer. But is Wade really guilty? And if he isn't, why won't he talk? Told from a kaleidoscope of viewpoints—Wade's mother Jackie, his younger brother Connor, Aimee En and Pearl Maze, a young police officer with a tragic past, If I Die Tonight is a story of family ties and dark secrets—and the lengths we'll go to protect ourselves.

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384

Publisher

HarperCollins

Published Date

ISBN 10

0062641115

ISBN 13

9780062641113

The Passionate Tudor

A Novel of Queen Mary I

By: Alison Weir

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The Passionate Tudor

A Novel of Queen Mary I

By: Alison Weir

The New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the dramatic and poignant life of King Henry VIII’s daughter—infamously known as Bloody Mary—who ruled England for five violent years. Born from young King Henry’s first marriage, his elder daughter, Princess Mary, is raised to be queen once it becomes clear that her mother, Katherine of Aragon, will bear no more children. However, Henry’s passion for Anne Boleyn has a devastating influence on the young princess’s future when, determined to sire a male heir, he marries Anne, has his marriage to Katherine declared unlawful, brands Mary illegitimate, and banishes them both from the royal court. But when Anne too fails to produce a son, she is beheaded and Mary is allowed to return to court as the default heir. At age twenty, she waits in vain for her own marriage and children, but who will marry her, bastard that she is? Yet Mary eventually triumphs and becomes queen, after first deposing a seventeen-year-old usurper, Lady Jane Grey, and ordering her beheading. Any hopes that Mary, as the first female queen regent of England, will show religious toleration are dashed when she embarks on a ruthless campaign to force Catholicism on the English by burning hundreds of Protestants at the stake. But while her brutality will forever earn her the name Bloody Mary, at heart she is an insecure and vulnerable woman, her character forged by the unhappiness of her early years. In Alison Weir’s masterful novel, the drama of Mary I’s life and five-year reign—from her abusive childhood, marriage, and mysterious pregnancies to the cruelty that marks her legacy—comes to vivid life.

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529

Publisher

Ballantine Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

0593355113

ISBN 13

9780593355114

Elizabeth of York

A Tudor Queen and Her World

By: Alison Weir

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Elizabeth of York

A Tudor Queen and Her World

By: Alison Weir

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Bestselling historian Alison Weir tells the poignant, suspenseful and sometimes tragic story of Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the Yorkist King Edward IV and sister of the Princes in the Tower, a woman whose life was inextricably caught up in the turmoil of the Wars of the Roses and the establishment of the usurping Tudor dynasty. She was the wife of Henry VII and mother of Henry VIII. Many are familiar with the story of the much-married King Henry VIII of England and the celebrated reign of his daughter, Elizabeth I. But it is often forgotten that the life of the first Tudor queen, Elizabeth of York, Henry’s mother and Elizabeth’s grandmother, spanned one of England’s most dramatic and perilous periods. Now New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir presents the first modern biography of this extraordinary woman, whose very existence united the realm and ensured the survival of the Plantagenet bloodline. Her birth was greeted with as much pomp and ceremony as that of a male heir. The first child of King Edward IV, Elizabeth enjoyed all the glittering trappings of royalty. But after the death of her father; the disappearance and probable murder of her brothers—the Princes in the Tower; and the usurpation of the throne by her calculating uncle Richard III, Elizabeth found her world turned upside-down: She and her siblings were declared bastards. As Richard’s wife, Anne Neville, was dying, there were murmurs that the king sought to marry his niece Elizabeth, knowing that most people believed her to be England’s rightful queen. Weir addresses Elizabeth’s possible role in this and her covert support for Henry Tudor, the exiled pretender who defeated Richard at the Battle of Bosworth and was crowned Henry VII, first sovereign of the House of Tudor. Elizabeth’s subsequent marriage to Henry united the houses of York and Lancaster and signaled the end of the Wars of the Roses. For centuries historians have asserted that, as queen, she was kept under Henry’s firm grasp, but Weir shows that Elizabeth proved to be a model consort—pious and generous—who enjoyed the confidence of her husband, exerted a tangible and beneficial influence, and was revered by her son, the future King Henry VIII. Drawing from a rich trove of historical records, Weir gives a long overdue and much-deserved look at this unforgettable princess whose line descends to today’s British monarch—a woman who overcame tragedy and danger to become one of England’s most beloved consorts. Praise for Elizabeth of York “Weir tells Elizabeth’s story well. . . . She is a meticulous scholar. . . . Most important, Weir sincerely admires her subject, doing honor to an almost forgotten queen.”—The New York Times Book Review “In [Alison] Weir’s skillful hands, Elizabeth of York returns to us, full-bodied and three-dimensional. This is a must-read for Tudor fans!”—Historical Novels Review “This bracing biography reveals a woman of integrity, who . . . helped [her husband] lay strong groundwork for the success of the new Tudor dynasty. As always in a Weir book, the tenor of the times is drawn with great color and authenticity.”—Booklist “Weir once again demonstrates that she is an outstanding portrayer of the Tudor era, giving us a fully realized biography of a remarkable woman.”—Huntington News

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702

Publisher

Ballantine Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

0345521382

ISBN 13

9780345521385

The Gap-Year Guidebook 2007

By: Alison Withers

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The Gap-Year Guidebook 2007

By: Alison Withers

This is a guide to everything the reader needs to know about taking a gap year between sixth form and university, at home and abroad, and is helpful for students, parents and schools.

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388

Publisher

John Catt Educational Limited

Published Date

ISBN 10

1904724345

ISBN 13

9781904724346

The King's Pleasure

A Novel of Henry VIII

By: Alison Weir

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The King's Pleasure

A Novel of Henry VIII

By: Alison Weir

The New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the private side of the legendary king Henry VIII and his dramatic and brutal reign in this extraordinary historical novel. “A delightful yarn . . . an all-around fun read about a king and a cad.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Having completed her Six Tudor Queens series of novels on the wives of Henry VIII, extensively researched and written from each queen's point of view, Alison Weir now gives Henry himself a voice, telling the story of his remarkable thirty-six-year reign and his six marriages. Young Henry began his rule as a magnificent and chivalrous Renaissance prince who embodied every virtue. He had all the qualities to make a triumph of his kingship, yet we remember only the violence. Henry famously broke with the pope, founding the Church of England and launching a religious revolution that divided his kingdom. He beheaded two of his wives and cast aside two others. He died a suspicious, obese, disease-riddled tyrant, old before his time. His reign is remembered as one of dangerous intrigue and bloodshed—and yet the truth is far more complex. The King's Pleasure brings to life the idealistic monarch who expanded Parliament, founded the Royal Navy, modernized medical training, composed music and poetry, and patronized the arts. A passionate man in search of true love, he was stymied by the imperative to produce a male heir, as much a victim of circumstance as his unhappy wives. Had fate been kinder to him, the history of England would have been very different. Here is the story of the private man. To his contemporaries, he was a great king, a legend in his own lifetime. And he left an extraordinary legacy—a modern Britain.

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609

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Ballantine Books

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ISBN 10

0593355083

ISBN 13

9780593355084

Anne Boleyn, A King's Obsession

A Novel

By: Alison Weir

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Anne Boleyn, A King's Obsession

A Novel

By: Alison Weir

In this second novel of Alison Weir’s epic Six Tudor Queens series, the acclaimed author and historian weaves exciting new research into the story of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s most infamous wife, a woman ahead of her time whose very life—and death—forever changed a nation. Born into a noble English family, Anne is barely a teenager when she is sent from her family’s Hever Castle to serve at the royal court of the Netherlands. This strategic move on the part of her opportunistic father also becomes a chance for the girl to grow and discover herself. There, and later in France, Anne thrives, preferring to absorb the works of progressive writers rather than participate in courtly flirtations. She also begins to understand the inequalities and indignities suffered by her gender. Anne isn’t completely inured to the longings of the heart, but her powerful family has ambitious plans for her future that override any wishes of her own. When the King of England himself, Henry VIII, asks Anne to be his mistress, she spurns his advances—reminding him that he is a married man who has already conducted an affair with her sister, Mary. Anne’s rejection only intensifies Henry’s pursuit, but in the absence of a male heir—and given an aging Queen Katherine—the opportunity to elevate and protect the Boleyn family, and to exact vengeance on her envious detractors, is too tempting for Anne to resist, even as it proves to be her undoing. While history tells of how Anne Boleyn died, this compelling new novel reveals how fully she lived. Praise for Anne Boleyn, A King’s Obession “Superb . . . page-turning biographical fiction, hauntingly and beautifully told . . . psychologically penetrating.”—Historical Novels Review “Immaculately researched and convincing . . . This tale of Anne’s ascent and demise cannot escape comparisons with Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall series.”—The Times “A tragic, misrepresented figure, one of history’s original nasty women . . . Weir’s fictional Anne is ferociously smart and guilty of nothing but craving the power that's rightfully hers to claim.”—NPR “One of historical fiction’s most compelling and exciting portraits of the enduringly fascinating and mysterious Anne Boleyn.”—Lancashire Evening Post “As always, Weir demonstrates a keen eye for crafting dramatic scenes of beautiful, accurate detail, instilling in the reader a vivid sense of being there.”—Booklist

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594

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Ballantine Books

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110196653X

ISBN 13

9781101966532

Book's by Alison Weston

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