From one of Britain's best selling historians, a sweeping and magisterial history of the extraordinary lives of five queens in England's turbulent Age of Chivalry

Medieval queens were seen as mere dynastic trophies, yet many of the Plantagenet queens of the High Middle Ages dramatically broke away from the restrictions imposed on their sex, as Alison Weir shows in this gripping group biography of England's fourteenth-century consorts.

Using personal letters and wonderfully vivid sources, Alison Weir evokes the lives of five remarkable queens: Marguerite of France, Isabella of France, Philippa of Hainault, Anne of Bohemia and Isabella of Valois.

The turbulent, brutal Age of Chivalry witnessed the Black Death, the Peasants' Revolt, the Hundred Years War against France and savage baronial wars against the monarchy in which these queens were passionately involved. Queens of the Age of Chivalry brilliantly recreates this truly dramatic period of history through the lives of five extraordinary women.

"Stunning... [Weir has] brought those five queens to life like never before. I just raced through it - it has all the drama and suspense of a novel." - Tracy Borman, praise for Queens of Crusades

About the Author
Alison Weir is one of Britain's top-selling historians. She is the author of numerous works of history and historical fiction, specialising in the medieval and Tudor periods. Her bestselling history books include The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Elizabeth of York and The Lost Tudor Princess. Her novels include Innocent Traitor, Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen and Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession. She is an Honorary Life Patron of Historic Royal Palaces and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She lives and works in Surrey.

Reviews
Weir... paints a rich image of the lives these queens led... this book shines a light on the turbulent but often forgotten stories of the queens of this important period in English history. * BBC History Magazine *
Weir's character sketches of all five women are engaging, her attention to detail and itineraries comprehensive. She is an excellent storyteller: descriptions are vivid and her knowledge of the sources is extensive. * Spectator *
Stunning... [Weir has] brought those five queens to life like never before. I just raced through it - it has all the drama and suspense of a novel. -- Tracy Borman, praise for QUEENS OF THE CRUSADES
[A] historian who has achieved popularity without sacrificing scholarly precision... She writes with the dramatic intensity of a novelist. -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times - praise for QUEENS OF THE CRUSADES *
The book that I most anticipated this year was Alison Weir's Queens of the Crusades... Told with all of Weir's characteristic verve and exceptional eye for detail, this book should find its way into every history lover's Christmas stocking. -- Tracy Borman * BBC History Magazine *Books of the Year 2020* - praise for QUEENS OF THE CRUSADES *



Book Information
ISBN 9781910702116
Author Alison Weir
Format Hardback
Page Count 496
Imprint Jonathan Cape Ltd
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 779g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 162mm * 43mm