She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth - Hardcover

Castor, Helen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0061430765 ISBN 13: 9780061430763

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2011

Synopsis

Explores women and power in England, as witnessed through the lives of six females who exercised power against the odds—and one who never got the chance. By the author of Blood and Roses. 20,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

'A rollicking account of four medieval queens ... Castor's book is a gem of blood-and-thunder storytelling, packed with terrific vignettes.' --Sunday Times

Combining top-notch scholarship with fizzing storytelling ... Packed with wonderful historical anecdotes ... A fascinating account of a group of women who refused to do what they were told and, in the process, paved the way for England's great female rulers. --Mail on Sunday

If God ordained men should rule over women, how can a woman ever rule a nation? This question perplexed medieval Europe, and in She-Wolves (Faber) the young historian Helen Castor explores it with energy and flair, taking as her leading ladies four formidable English queens who preceded the Tudors. Each of these women challenged what was seen as the natural order, and Castor makes their complex stories highly readable, exciting and thought-provoking. --Hilary Mantel, Guardian

'The compelling story of four of the most powerful women who shaped British history... the book is dedicated to Castor's two history teachers, who she says inspired her, and it will not disappoint them or her new readers.' --Daily Mail

If God ordained men should rule over women, how can a woman ever rule a nation? This question perplexed medieval Europe, and in She-Wolves (Faber) the young historian Helen Castor explores it with energy and flair, taking as her leading ladies four formidable English queens who preceded the Tudors. Each of these women challenged what was seen as the natural order, and Castor makes their complex stories highly readable, exciting and thought-provoking. --Hilary Mantel, Guardian

'Combining careful scholarship with a novelist's eye for detail, Castor offers a fresh perspective and an engaging narrative that barrels along. Few books actually merit that hoary critical commonplace 'unputdownable', but this is certainly one of them.' --Independent on Sunday

If God ordained men should rule over women, how can a woman ever rule a nation? This question perplexed medieval Europe, and in She-Wolves (Faber) the young historian Helen Castor explores it with energy and flair, taking as her leading ladies four formidable English queens who preceded the Tudors. Each of these women challenged what was seen as the natural order, and Castor makes their complex stories highly readable, exciting and thought-provoking. --Hilary Mantel, Guardian

Book Description:

The fascinating story of how royal power came to lie female hands for the first time under the Tudor queens - and of the four women who came before them and who, whilst never reigining monarchs, held great power.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0061430765
• ISBN 13: 9780061430763
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 480