The Plantagenets discussion

I am Ashley and am new to the group! I was wondering if anyone had some good recommendations for books about the Royal Plantagenet family? I read a few so far, but would like some that have more facts than fiction, or some that have fact and fiction mixed together for a good read.

Definitely, "When Christ and His Saints Slept", "Time and Chance", "The Devil's Brood" and "Lionheart". You can't go wrong with Penman.

A good overview coffee table style book with AMAZING photos is:

Older non-fiction, but very readable, is Thomas Costain's four books about the Plantagenets: The Conquering Family, The Magnificent Century, The Three Edwards, and The Last Plantagenets.

I second Rudy's post. Sharon Kay Penman writes wonderful books.

Okay thanks! I always look for more of this era's books on the families that ruled.

I also really liked Anya Seton's Katherine - technically speaking, a novel about John of Gaunt's third wife.

I am getting ready to read the Red Queen by Phillipa Gregory and I know that she has five books planned out for her cousins war series, but does anyone know who the last two books are going to be about for sure? I know the Lady of the Rivers is about Elizabeth Woodinville's mother, but what about the last two?

Hi Ashley - adding to others recommendations I'd suggest Jean Plaidy's Plantagenet Saga which also mixes fiction and fact.

On non-fiction I'd recommend this from the Penguin History of Britain;

by David Arscott Carpenter which covers the Normans, Angevins and very early Plantagenet period.

I have this on my TBR
by Marc Morris

I've not tackled them yet but the Yale Monarchs Series is also supposed to be good too.

There's a new book by Dan Jones about the Plantagenet kings. It should be published in May:

http://www.summerofblood.com/the-plan...

Gregory's next book is about Anne Neville.

Thanks guys! :) so Anne Neville? Sounds interesting I like to learn about this family and Anne and Richard's relationship during a time of wars. Thanks for the help I need to look into some of these. Jean Plaidy? Any specific ones that stick out or just any and all of them?

Ashley I've read almost all of the 14 in the series so would suggest start with the first but here's the GR page for them all: http://www.goodreads.com/series/41426...

Ian Mortimer has written ground-breaking books about several of the Plantagenets, though they do ask for close attention. "The Perfect King" is about Edward III. Then there's "The Fears of Henry IV"; "1415" (about the Agincourt campaign) and "The Greatest Traitor" which is about Roger Mortimer and his deposition of Edward II. The author argues that Edward escaped and lived on in Italy; it's pretty convincing too.

http://www.ianmortimer.com/books.htm

Thank you for the recommendations! I will look into those books.

I love Ian Mortimer's works!

Ashley to add to Hyarrowen's recommendations I really enjoyed his . Not a book about the Plantagenet monarchs but what life was like in their time.

Geevee wrote: "Ashley to add to Hyarrowen's recommendations I really enjoyed his [bookcover:The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century]. Not a book about the ..."

One of my favorite books. I gave it 5 stars.

Hope it is ok to post this here being that its about House Lancaster. Can anyone recommend any historical fiction based on Henry V time? anything other than Azincourt, by Bernard Cornwell and Henry V, by William Shakespeare. Any recommendations would be much appreciated. Thanks!

(i think i posted this in the wrong spot earlier. my apologies.)

I just finished this one by Ian Mortimer


I thought it was excellent - though the diary format makes the storyline a little hard to follow.

My reveiw if anybody is interested

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...


I also like Juliet Barker book on Agincourt

I've been wanting to read both of these!

I have both of those on my list.

Hi everyone, in addition to the book you've already listed, I'd like to suggest "The Shepherd Lord" by George Peter Algar; it's an amazing book.

I recently finished Dan Jones' book



execellent read - very reader friendly

thank you for letting me know I shall obtain the book as soon as I've read my current tome
Regards
Margaret
Phillipa Gregory too soppy for me

Just got Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir. Anyone want to do a buddy read with me?

I've just read The Story of John of Gaunt and his Scandalous Duchess....excellent.

Forgot to say by Alison Weir.

Historical fiction-wise: Devil's Brood by Shsron Kay Penman. Reluctant Queen by Jean Plaidy, Captive Queen by Alison Weir.Queen of last hopes by Susan Higginbotham, great book on Margueritr of Anjou. The King's Mistress by Anne O'Brien. Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot about the eldest sisters of Provence, one of them Eleanor Queen to Henry III of England. Four Sisters All Queens by Sherry Jones about all the sisters of Provence.

History and Biography (non-fiction): The Plantagenets by Dan Jones (best book on them. He has a second volume coming up, continuing where he left off with Henry IV and the wars of the roses). The Woodvilles by Susan Higginbotham. Blood Sisters by Sarah Gristwood. Elizabeth of York Lost Tudor Queen by Amy Licence. Anne Neville Richard III's tragic Queen also by Amy Licence. She Wolves by Helen Castor. Katherine Swynsford by Alison Weir (currently reading with rise of Tudors by Skidmore), Eleanor of Aquitaine by Amy Kelly (best Eleanor of Aquitaine there is. Highly descriptive and amazing). Margaret Beaufort by Elizabeth Norton. The Kinbg's Mother by Michael Jones and Underwood. Richard III by David Baldwin and Richard III by Kendall (though tghese last two are very bias against his rivals,especially the latter one, but still worth taking a look at). Queens Consort by Liss Hilton. And Plantagenet Chronicles by Derek Wilson. And Four Queens by Nancy Goldstone which is about all the sisters of Provence and Time traveller guide to Medieval London by Ian Mortime (he has three biographies on Edward III, Henry IV and Henry V. Haven't read them but heard good comments). Peter Ackroyd's "Foundations which starts from pre-history to the ascent of the first Tudor monarch, Henry VII so it does take you through all Plantagenets however he does jump to wild conclusiins and uses some secondary sources so just watch out for that, yet his description of every day life in England during each period is better researched.

Heather wrote: "Just got Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir. Anyone want to do a buddy read with me?" This cannot be the Alison Weir that wrote Eleanor's biography or the excellent Innocent Traitor. I had a very hard time with an almost one-dimensional view of Ms. Aquitaine.