Best Selling Books by Alison Weir

Alison Weir reconstructs the real story of the much-maligned and -misrepresented Mary Boleyn, the less famous of the Boleyn sisters. Named "the mistress of kings," Mary was the lover of both Francis I of France and Henry VIII of England, and the rumoured mother to Henry''s children. Alternately labelled a victim and a whore, Mary is a woman whose star rose and fell in the glittering Tudor court; a woman whose life ended in banishment and relative obscurity when she dared to marry for love. Through Alison Weir''s gripping exploration -- and utterly delectable romp -- of Mary Boleyn''s life, a nuanced, vibrant portrait of a fascinating figure in history emerges for the very first time.

In her remarkable new book, Alison Weir recounts one of the greatest love stories of medieval England. It is the extraordinary tale of an exceptional woman, Katherine Swynford, who became first the mistress and later the wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Katherine Swynford''s charismatic lover was one of the most powerful princes of the 14th century, the effective ruler of England behind the throne of his father Edward III in his declining years, and during the minority of his nephew, Richard ll. Katherine herself was enigmatic and intriguing, renowned for her beauty, and regarded by some as dangerous. Her existence was played out against the backdrop of court life at the height of the age of chivalry and she knew most of the great figures of the time - including her brother-in-law, Geoffrey Chaucer. She lived through much of the Hundred Years War, the Black Death, and the Peasants'' Revolt. She knew loss, adversity, and heartbreak, and she survived them all triumphantly. Although Katherine''s story provides unique insights into the life of a medieval woman, she was far from typical in that age. She was an important person in her own right, a woman who had remarkable opportunities, made her own choices, flouted convention, and took control of her own destiny - even of her own public image. Weir brilliantly retrieves Katherine Swynford from the footnotes of history and gives her life and breath again. Perhaps the most dynastically important woman within the English monarchy, she was the mother of the Beauforts and through them the ancestress of the Yorkist kings, the Tudors, the Stuarts, and every other sovereign since - a legacy that has shaped the history of Britain

*A Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller* Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen by bestselling historian Alison Weir, author of The Lost Tudor Princess, is the first in a spellbinding six novel series about Henry VIII''s Queens. Alison takes you on an engrossing journey at Katherine''s side and shows her extraordinary strength of character and intelligence. Ideal for fans of Philippa Gregory and Elizabeth Chadwick. ''Shatters the many myths about Henry VIII''s long-suffering first wife'' Tracy Borman ''Weir is excellent on the little details that bring a world to life'' Guardian A Spanish princess. Raised to be modest, obedient and devout. Destined to be an English Queen. Six weeks from home across treacherous seas, everything is different: the language, the food, the weather. And for her there is no comfort in any of it. At sixteen-years-old, Catalina is alone among strangers. She misses her mother. She mourns her lost brother. She cannot trust even those assigned to her protection. KATHERINE OF ARAGON. The first of Henry''s Queens. Her story. History tells us how she died. This captivating novel shows us how she lived. SIX TUDOR QUEENS. SIX NOVELS. SIX YEARS. Praise for Alison Weir and Katherine of Aragon: ''A tender understanding of and genuine sympathy for this proud, much-loved and honourable Queen. . . I was gripped [from] start to finish'' Mavis Cheek ''Well-researched and engrossing'' Good Housekeeping ''Yet again, Alison Weir has managed to intertwine profound historical knowledge with huge emotional intelligence, to compose a work that throws light on an endlessly fascinating historical figure. Yet her real gift in all of this is making it feel so fresh and alive'' Earl Spencer ''This exquisite book charts the rise and fall of Henry VIII''s first wife, Katherine. . . A fascinating insight into this period of our history. Weir''s undeniable strength is her immaculate description, enabling the reader to be transported back to Tudor England'' Sun ''Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen is a true tour de force. Finely crafted, this novel is wonderful historical fiction and an outstanding introduction to the Six Tudor Queens series'' Queen Anne Boleyn Blog ''Known for bestselling historical biographies, Alison Weir is in command of her detail . . . her handling of Katherine''s misery and dignified response to her predicament is very touching'' Elizabeth Buchan, Daily Mail

Recounts one of the love stories of medieval England. This is a tale of an exceptional woman, Katherine Swynford, who became first the mistress, and later the wife, of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster.

It''s 1152 and a beautiful woman of 30 is riding southwards through what is now France, leaving behind her crown, her two young daughters and a shattered marriage to Louis of France. This woman is Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, and her sole purpose now is to return to her vast duchy and marry the man she loves, Henry Plantagenet.

Step into the thrill and intrigue of Tudor England in the rich, compelling new novel from Sunday Times bestseller Alison Weir. ''Alison Weir makes history come alive as no one else'' BARBARA ERSKINE AN EXTRAORDINARY RISE TO POWER. A TRAGIC FALL FROM GRACE. It begins with young Tom Wolsey, the bright and brilliant son of a Suffolk tradesman, sent to study at Oxford at just eleven years old. It ends with a disgraced cardinal, cast from the King''s side and estranged from the woman he loves. The years in between tell the story of a scholar and a lover, a father and a priest. From the court of Henry VIII, Tom builds a powerful empire of church and state. At home in London, away from prying eyes, he finds joy in a secret second life. But when King Henry, his cherished friend, demands the ultimate sacrifice, what will Wolsey choose? Alison Weir''s riveting new Tudor novel reveals the two lives of Cardinal Wolsey, a tale of power, passion and ambition. PRAISE FOR ALISON WEIR''S TUDOR FICTION ''Alison Weir gives us her most compelling heroine yet... This is where the story of the Tudors begins'' TRACY BORMAN ''History has the best stories and they should all be told like this'' CONN IGGULDEN ''As always, Alison Weir is ahead of the curve - and at the top of her game'' SARAH GRISTWOOD ''Weir is excellent on the little details that bring a world to life'' GUARDIAN ''Profoundly moving... lingers long after the last page'' ELIZABETH FREMANTLE

A SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER ''A riveting read, I simply could not put it down'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''Seeing her story through her own eyes makes it even more emotional'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''Told with empathy and understanding. I lived every moment'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''We get to know the real Katheryn'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''What a page turner'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The fifth mesmerising novel in the Six Tudor Queens series by Sunday Times bestseller Alison Weir relates one of the most tragic stories in English history. ''This six-book series looks likely to become a landmark in historical fiction'' THE TIMES ''With characteristic verve and stunning period detail, this novel will captivate you and break your heart. Utterly sublime'' TRACY BORMAN A NAIVE YOUNG WOMAN AT THE MERCY OF HER AMBITIOUS FAMILY. At just nineteen, Katheryn Howard is quick to trust and fall in love. She comes to court. She sings, she dances. She captures the heart of the King. But Henry knows nothing of Katheryn''s past - one that comes back increasingly to haunt her. For those who share her secrets are waiting in the shadows, whispering words of love... and blackmail. KATHERYN HOWARD THE FIFTH OF HENRY''S QUEENS HER STORY Acclaimed, bestselling historian Alison Weir draws on extensive research to recount the tale of a vivacious young woman used by powerful men for their own gain. History tells us she died too soon. This mesmerising novel brings her to life. SIX TUDOR QUEENS. SIX NOVELS. SIX YEARS. --- Praise for Alison Weir and Katheryn Howard: ''Conveys the heart-rending pathos of a young woman executed, whose only real crime was her naïveté and her desire to be loved... It is a profoundly moving story that lingers long after the last page is turned'' Elizabeth Fremantle ''Alison''s sensitively drawn novel will change everyone''s preconceptions'' Susan Ronald ''Weir is excellent on the little details that bring a world to life'' Guardian ''Alison Weir makes history come alive as no one else'' Barbara Erskine

A captivating, sweeping saga of England’s medieval queens, from the New York Times bestselling author hailed as “the finest historian of English monarchical succession writing” (The Boston Globe) “Polished [and] fascinating . . . It was a man’s world but, as Weir convincingly shows, the five queens wielded real power in front of as well as behind the throne.”—Sunday Express The lives of England’s medieval queens were packed with incident—love, intrigue, betrayal, adultery, and warfare—but their stories have been largely obscured by centuries of myth and omission. Now, in the first volume of an exciting series, esteemed biographer Alison Weir provides a fresh perspective and restores these women to their rightful place in history. Spanning the years from the Norman conquest in 1066 to the dawn of a new era in 1154, this epic book brings to life five women: Matilda of Flanders, wife of the first Norman king, William the Conqueror; Matilda of Scotland, revered as “the common mother of all England”; Adeliza of Louvain, the young beauty whom the aging Henry I married to get an heir; Matilda of Boulogne, who fought a war on behalf of her husband, King Stephen, against this book’s fifth queen, Empress Maud, England’s first female ruler, whose son King Henry II would found the Plantagenet dynasty. More than those who came before or after them, these Norman consorts were recognized as equal sharers in sovereignty. Without the support of their wives, the Norman kings could not have ruled their disparate dominions as effectively. Drawing from the most reliable contemporary sources, Weir skillfully crafts an all-encompassing portrait of English medieval queenship and a captivating chapter of English history. Don’t miss any of Alison Weir’s fascinating England’s Medieval Queens series: QUEENS OF THE CONQUEST • QUEENS OF THE CRUSADES • QUEENS OF THE AGE OF CHIVALRY • QUEENS AT WAR

Packed with dramatic true stories from one of European history’s most romantic and turbulent eras, this epic narrative chronicles the five vividly rendered queens of the Plantagenet kings who ruled England between 1299 and 1399. The Age of Chivalry describes a period of medieval history dominated by the social, religious, and moral code of knighthood that prized noble deeds, military greatness, and the game of courtly love between aristocratic men and women. It was also a period of high drama in English history, which included the toppling of two kings, the Hundred Years War, the Black Death, and the Peasants’ Revolt. Feudalism was breaking down, resulting in social and political turmoil. Against this dramatic milieu, Alison Weir describes the lives and reigns of five queen consorts: Marguerite of France was seventeen when she became the second wife of sixty-year-old King Edward I. Isabella of France, later known as “the She-Wolf,” dethroned her husband, Edward II, and ruled England with her lover. In contrast, Philippa of Hainault was a popular queen to the deposed king’s son Edward III. Anne of Bohemia was queen to Richard II, but she died young and childless. Isabella of Valois became Richard’s second wife when she was only six years old, but was caught up in events when he was violently overthrown. This was a turbulent and brutal age, despite its chivalric color and ethos, and it stands as a vivid backdrop to the extraordinary stories of these queens’ lives.

More than four hundred years ago, seven people - five of them women - were beheaded in the Tower of London. Three had been queens of England. The others were found guilty of treason. Why were such important people put to death? Alison Weir''s gripping book tells their stories: from the former friend betrayed by a man set on being king, to the young girl killed after just nine days on the throne. Alison Weir is a wonderful storyteller. Through her vivid writing, history comes alive.

A SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER ''I just couldn''t put it down. Alison Weir brings history to life'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''I had no idea how much more there was to know'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''A beautifully told story, showing that the women behind the throne were the true heroes of the Tudor era'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''You do really feel you are living part of their lives'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''A worthy finale to a great series'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The compelling final novel in the Six Tudor Queens series by Sunday Times bestseller Alison Weir. ''A detailed and convincing portrait of an extraordinary life... this series is a serious achievement'' THE TIMES ''This brilliant series has brought Henry VIII''s six wives to life as never before. This novel will enthral and inspire, just as much as it will break your heart'' TRACY BORMAN A WOMAN TORN BETWEEN LOVE AND DUTY. Two husbands dead, a boy and a sick man. Now Katharine is free to make her own choice. The ageing King''s eye falls upon her. She cannot refuse him... or betray that she wanted another. She becomes Henry''s sixth wife - a queen and trusted friend. But Katharine is hiding another secret in her heart, a deeply held faith that could see her burn... KATHARINE PARR HENRY''S FINAL QUEEN HER STORY Renowned, bestselling historian Alison Weir reveals a warm, clever woman of great fortitude who rose boldly to every turn her life took. History tells us she survived. This extraordinary novel shows us that she truly lived. SIX TUDOR QUEENS. SIX NOVELS. SIX YEARS. --- Praise for Alison Weir and Katharine Parr: ''Katharine Parr deserves better than to be known just as Henry VIII''s sixth wife - the one who survived. And there''s no-one better placed than Alison Weir to restore her to her rightful place'' Sarah Gristwood ''The conversations are sparkling, gripping and word-perfect. As King Henry ages, the machinations of his vicious court are never far away'' Historical Novel Society ''For the first time I felt as though, thanks to Alison''s skilful writing and storytelling, I came to "know" Katharine'' Nicola Tallis ''A tour de force. If you think you know everything about Henry VIII''s last queen, you''re in for a wonderful treat - you don''t!'' Susan Ronald

The captivating new Tudor novel from Alison Weir, Sunday Times bestselling author of Six Tudor Queens. ''Alison Weir gives us her most compelling heroine yet... This is where the story of the Tudors begins'' Tracy Borman ''History has the best stories and they should all be told like this'' Conn Iggulden ''A stunning read, and the perfect piece of historical fiction'' Reader review ''This is novel that captured my imagination, educated me and emotionally moved me'' Reader review --- A princess born into a war between two families... Firstborn of the royal House of York, Elizabeth dreams of wearing a crown. But in England, queens do not rule. When her beloved father, King Edward, dies suddenly, his brother seizes power. Two young princes disappear into the Tower. Yet another claimant seeks the crown, the upstart heir of the rival House of Lancaster. Marriage to this Henry Tudor would unite their warring families - and help Elizabeth to the throne she knows is hers by right. A glorious new age awaits. Now Elizabeth must choose her allies wisely as she fights to become mother and queen of a great new dynasty. Elizabeth of York. The first Tudor queen. Her story. --- READERS FELL IN LOVE WITH ELIZABETH OF YORK... ''I found her an inspirational woman, full of strength...I truly adored this book'' ''She becomes the matriarch of the Tudor destiny after a series of intrigue, conflict, and most likely murder... a brilliant read'' ''Alison Weir''s writing just makes history that bit more exciting and accessible'' ''It was refreshing to read such a detailed and informative book of an almost forgotten Queen'' ''An amazing read as expected from Alison Weir, she breathes life into Elizabeth and those around her''

Bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir tells the tragic story of Henry VIII’s fifth wife, a nineteen-year-old beauty with a hidden past, in this fifth novel in the sweeping Six Tudor Queens series. “A vivid re-creation of a Tudor tragedy.”—Kirkus Reviews In the spring of 1540, Henry VIII is desperate to be rid of his unappealing German queen, Anna of Kleve. A prematurely aged and ailing forty-nine, with an ever-growing waistline, he casts an amorous eye on a pretty nineteen-year-old brunette, Katheryn Howard. Like her cousin Anne Boleyn, Katheryn is a niece of the Duke of Norfolk, England’s premier Catholic peer, who is scheming to replace Anna of Kleve with a good Catholic queen. A flirtatious, eager participant in the life of the royal court, Katheryn readily succumbs to the king’s attentions when she is intentionally pushed into his path by her ambitious family. Henry quickly becomes besotted and is soon laying siege to Katheryn’s virtue. But as instructed by her relations, she holds out for marriage and the wedding takes place a mere fortnight after the king’s union to Anna is annulled. Henry tells the world his new bride is a rose without a thorn, and extols her beauty and her virtue, while Katheryn delights in the pleasures of being queen and the rich gifts her adoring husband showers upon her: the gorgeous gowns, the exquisite jewels, and the darling lap-dogs. She comes to love the ailing, obese king, enduring his nightly embraces with fortitude and kindness. If she can bear him a son, her triumph will be complete. But Katheryn has a past of which Henry knows nothing, and which comes back increasingly to haunt her—even as she courts danger yet again. What happens next to this naïve and much-wronged girl is one of the saddest chapters in English history.

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. “An exquisitely drawn, poignant portrayal of one of history’s most complex, maligned, and fascinating figures.”—Tracy Borman, author of Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I 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.

In this extraordinary historical novel, the New York Times bestselling author hailed as “the finest historian of English monarchical succession writing” (The Boston Globe) explores the private side of the legendary King Henry VIII and his dramatic and brutal reign. “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 autocrat. 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 need 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. To his contemporaries, Henry was a great king, a legend in his own lifetime. And he left an extraordinary legacy—a modern Britain.

The new novel from the New York Times bestselling historian Alison Weir tells the story of one of history''s most scandalous love affairs: the romance between the new, young "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I and her handsome married courtier, Lord Robert Dudley. He is her dashing Master of Horse. She is the 25-year-old newly crowned English Queen, a title she holds only because there is no male heir to inherit it. Yet in spite of her tenuous hold on the throne, young Queen Elizabeth begins a flagrant flirtation with the handsome but married Lord Robert, taking long unchaperoned horseback rides with him and constantly having him at her side. Many believe them to be lovers, and over time the rumors grow that Elizabeth is no virgin at all, and that she has secretly borne Lord Robert''s child. When Robert''s wife is found dead, lying at the bottom of a staircase with her neck broken, there is universal shock followed by accusations of murder. Picking up where Alison Weir''s bestselling novel to date, The Lady Elizabeth, left off (but standing completely alone), The Marriage Game tells the dramatic story of the "Virgin Queen''s" reign, framed by Elizabeth''s long and tumultuous relationship with Lord Robert. Did they or didn''t they? Rivers of ink have been spilled in determining the answer to this burning historical question, and you can be sure Alison Weir has strong opinions about Elizabeth''s questionable virginity, based on a lifetime of research. But fiction gives her a free hand to explore this intriguing love affair in its every colourful detail, and the resulting novel is one of her best.

Sarah Gristwood takes up the story in 1919, when Princess Patricia of Connaught revived the tradition of royal brides marrying in Westminster Abbey, and goes on to examine the weddings of the Queen Mother (1923), the Queen (1947), and Princess Margaret in 1960. Lastly, Tracy Borman brings the book right up to date, with accounts of the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer through to the fanfare that will celebrate the nuptials of Kate and William. Every kind of wedding features - from those attended by great public celebrations, to the many that took place in private chapels, parish churches and even in secret.