Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Murder of Lord Darnley


Book Description

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Alison Weir's Mary Boleyn. Handsome, accomplished, and charming, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, staked his claim to the English throne by marrying Mary Stuart, who herself claimed to be the Queen of England. It was not long before Mary discovered that her new husband was interested only in securing sovereign power for himself. Then, on February 10, 1567, an explosion at his lodgings left Darnley dead; the intrigue thickened after it was discovered that he had apparently been suffocated before the blast. After an exhaustive reevaluation of the source material, Alison Weir has come up with a solution to this enduring mystery. Employing her gift for vivid characterization and gripping storytelling, Weir has written one of her most engaging excursions yet into Britain’s bloodstained, power-obsessed past.




The Other Queen


Book Description

Presents a tale inspired by the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, in a work that follows the doomed monarch's long imprisonment in the household of the Earl of Shrewsbury and his spying wife, Bess.




My Heart Is My Own


Book Description

Soon to be a major film, this is a dramatic reinterpretation of the life of Mary, Queen of Scots by one of the leading historians of this period. She was crowned Queen of Scotland at nine months of age, and Queen of France at sixteen years; at eighteen she ascended the throne and began ruling one of the most fractious courts in Europe, riven by religious conflict and personal lust for power. She rode out at the head of an army in both victory and defeat; saw her second husband assassinated, and married his murderer. At twenty-five she entered captivity at the hands of her rival queen, from which only death would release her. The life of Mary Stuart is one of unparalleled drama and conflict. From the labyrinthine plots laid by the Scottish lords to wrest power for themselves, to the efforts made by Elizabeth's ministers to invalidate Mary's legitimate claim to the English throne, John Guy returns to the archives to explode the myths and correct the inaccuracies that surround this most fascinating monarch. The portrait that emerges is not of a political pawn or a manipulative siren, but of a shrewd and charismatic young ruler who relished power and, for a time, managed to hold together a fatally unstable country.
















Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles


Book Description

“A massive, erudite, and entertaining novel . . . skillfully weaves historical fact and plausible fiction” to tell the story of Mary Queen of Scots (New York Newsday). She was a child crowned a queen. . . . A sinner hailed as a saint. . . . A lover denounced as a whore . . . A woman murdered for her dreams . . . Margaret George’s national bestselling Mary Queen of Scotlandand the Isles brings to life the fascinating story of Mary, who became the Queen of Scots when she was only six days old. Raised in the glittering French court, returning to Scotland to rule as a Catholic monarch over a newly Protestant country, and executed like a criminal in Queen Elizabeth’s England, Queen Mary lived a life like no other, and Margaret George weaves the facts into a stunning work of historical fiction. “The best kind of historical novel, one the reader can’t wait to get lost in.” —San Francisco Chronicle “George has created a lively, gallant Mary of intelligence, charm and terrible judgment . . . A popular, readable, inordinately moving tribute to a remarkable queen.” —Kirkus Reviews “An engrossing novel. . . . [George’s] deep sympathy for her subject renders Mary an entirely real and unforgettable heroine.” —Publishers Weekly “Dramatic . . . Romantic . . . George makes Mary a heroine to identify with because of her spirit, wit and charm . . . A triumph.” —Houston Chronicle “An evocative portrait.” —The New York Times Book Review