Crown of Thistles: The Fatal Inheritance of Mary Queen of Scots - Softcover

Porter, Linda

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1447245911 ISBN 13: 9781447245919

Publisher: Macmillan, 2013

Synopsis

Mary Queen of Scots fervently believed she had a right to the English throne - a belief that cost her her head. This is a vivid account of why she came to this belief from an acclaimed Tudor historian. The struggle between the fecund Stewarts and the barren Tudors is generally seen only in terms of the relationship between Elizabeth I and her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots. But very little has been said about the background to their intense rivalry. Here, Linda Porter examines the ancient and intractable power struggle between England and Scotland, a struggle intensified during the reigns of Elizabeth and Mary's grandfathers. Henry VII aimed to provide stability when he married his daughter, Margaret, to James IV of Scotland in 1503. But he must also have known that Margaret's descendants might seek to rule the entire island. Crown of Thistles is the story of a divided family, of flamboyant kings and queens, cultured courts and tribal hatreds, blood feuds, rape and sexual licence on a breath-taking scale, and violent deaths.It also brings alive a neglected aspect of British history - the blood-spattered steps of two small countries on the fringes of Europe towards an awkward unity that would ultimately forge a great nation. Beginning with the unlikely and dramatic victories of two usurping kings, one a rank outsider and the other a fourteen-year-old boy who rebelled against his own father, the book sheds new light on Henry VIII, his daughter, Elizabeth, and on his great-niece, Mary Queen of Scots, still seductive more than 400 years after her death.

About this title

Review:

"Porter's highly readable account offers a fresh perspective for readers who look forward to each new book on the Tudors" --Booklist

"A wonderfully thorough history of the Scots that thankfully avoids dwelling on stories that have been explored countless times before - especially fitting now as Scotland decides whether to withdraw from the union with England" --Kirkus

"Porter avoids rehashing familiar tales about Elizabeth and Mary. Instead, she sets the rivalry between the two cousins in its familial context, with the focus on the earlier Stewarts, who have been overshadowed through the centuries by the more flamboyant Tudors...Porter's work relates the oft-neglected Scottish perspective and is recommended for anyone interested in Tudor England." --Publishers Weekly

Book Description:

Mary Queen of Scots fervently believed she had a right to the English throne - a belief that cost her her head. A vivid account of why she came to this belief from an acclaimed Tudor historian

About this edition

• Publisher: Macmillan
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1447245911
• ISBN 13: 9781447245919
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 592