Book News April 2023

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The Windsors at War: The Nazi Threat to the Crown 

Hardcover – 9 March 2023 (UK) & 18 April 2023 (US)

The Windsors at War tells the story of the turbulent and seismic decade in between 1937 and 1947, including the bombing of Buckingham Palace in May 1940, the Duke of Windsor’s ill-advised visit to Germany in October 1937 and the death of the Duke of Kent in a plane crash in August 1942. It answers a simple question: how did this squabbling, dysfunctional family manage to put their differences aside and unite to help win the greatest conflict of their lifetimes?

The Granddaughters of Edward III 

Hardcover – 28 April 2023 (US) & 28 February 2023 (UK)

Edward III may be known for his restoration of English kingly authority after the disastrous and mysterious fall of his father, Edward II, and eventual demise of his mother, Queen Isabella. It was Edward III who arguably put England on the map as a military might. This show of power and strength was not simply through developments in government, success in warfare or the establishment of the Order of the Garter, which fused ideals of chivalry and national identity to form camaraderie between king and peerage. The expansion of England as a formidable European powerhouse was also achieved through the traditional lines of political marriages, particularly those of the king of England’s own granddaughters.

Queen Victoria’s Daughters-in-Law 

Hardcover – 28 February 2023 (UK) & 28 April 2023 (US)

Of Queen Victoria’s four sons, the eldest married a Danish princess, one a Russian Grand Duchess, and the other two princesses of German royal houses.

Kings and Queens of England and Scotland 

Paperback – 25 April 2023 (US) & 9 March 2023 (UK)

From 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? Kings and Queens of England and Scotland documents the public and private lives of the royal dynasties.

Elizabeth: An intimate portrait

Hardcover – 15 April 2023 (US) & 8 December 2022 (UK)

This intimate, personal biography of Queen Elizabeth II tells the story of her remarkable life, reign and times, from a perspective unlike any other.

Rani Durgawati: The Forgotten Life of a Warrior Queen 

Hardcover – 15 April 2023 (US) & 21 November 2022 (UK)

The Kings and Queens of Britain 

Paperback – 4 April 2023 (US & UK)

In this fascinating, up-to-date guide, Cath Senker delves into the extraordinary history of the British monarchy, from Alfred the Great in the 9th century to King Charles III. Key moments are explored, including the signing of the Magna Carta, the Battle of Hastings and the abdication of King Edward VIII, and the part they played in the rich tapestry of British history.

Blood, Fire and Gold: The story of Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici 

Paperback – 27 April 2023 (UK)

This is a story of two remarkable visionaries: a story of blood, fire and gold. It is also a tale of ceaseless calculation, of love and rivalry, of war and wisdom – and of female power in a male world. Shining new light on their legendary kingdoms Blood, Fire and Gold provides a new way of looking at two of history’s most powerful women, and how they shaped each other as profoundly as they shaped the course of history. Drawing on their letters and brand new research, Estelle Paranque writes an entirely new chapter in the well-worn story of the sixteenth century.

Margaret of Anjou: She-Wolf of France, Twice Queen of England 

Hardcover – 15 April 2023 (UK) & 18 July 2023 (US)

 By examining Margaret’s life and actions in detail, this biography reveals a new side to the last foreign-born queen of medieval England. Margaret came from a family of strong women. Faced with hardship in the first years of her marriage, Margaret’s choices arose from a conviction that it was natural for a woman to take control in the absence of male leadership. A wealth of records have been left behind, allowing historians to investigate Margaret’s career as a beloved wife and, later, as the leader of a political faction struggling to secure the crown for her family. If the course of history had run differently, would she instead be considered a heroic warrior queen today – perhaps even England’s Joan of Arc?

The First Royal Media War: Edward VIII, The Abdication and the Press 

Hardcover – 30 April 2023 (UK) & 30 June 2023 (US)

The British press remained tactfully silent almost until the end of the crisis, but behind the scenes, a cold war was being fought. For the rest of his life, Edward fought to air his grievances against the ill-treatment to which he thought that he had been subjected. He believed that he had been forced to abdicate by a coalition of reactionaries grouped behind the Archbishop of Canterbury. Edward resented bitterly the ostracism to which he and Wallis were subjected by his brother and sister-in-law, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, especially the refusal to grant his wife royal status. With sometimes farcical results, Edward tried to find authors who put over his side of the story. Beaverbrook supported Edward but tried to bend Edward’s quest to fit his own agenda. The establishment did its utmost to restrain Edward and maintain a discreet silence over the crisis, but gradually members of the royal court abandoned reticence and fought back.