Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor EnglandA fresh look at the endlessly fascinating Tudors—the dramatic and overlooked story of Henry VII and his founding of the Tudor Dynasty—filled with spies, plots, counterplots, and an uneasy royal succession to Henry VIII. In 1501, England had been ravaged for decades by conspiracy, coups, and violence. Through luck, guile, and ruthlessness, Henry VII, the first of the Tudor kings, emerged as ruler—but as a fugitive with a flimsy claim to England’s throne, he remained a usurper and false king to many, and his hold on power was precarious. But Henry had a crucial asset: his queen and their children, the living embodiment of his hoped-for dynasty. His marriage to Queen Elizabeth united the houses of Lancaster and York, the warring parties that had fought the bloody century-long Wars of the Roses. Now their older son, Arthur, was about to marry a Spanish princess. On a cold November day sixteen-year-old Catherine of Aragon arrived in London for a wedding that would mark a triumphal moment in Henry’s reign. But Henry’s plans for his son would not happen—and waiting in the wings was the impetuous younger brother, the future Henry VIII. Rich with drama and insight, Winter King is an astonishing story of pageantry, treachery, intrigue, and incident—and the fraught, dangerous birth of Tudor England. |
From inside the book
Page xxvi
... Court poets reached for Plato's tried—and—tested idea of the Golden Age: paradise, the first of epochs which, like the seasons, would return. This glorious young prince represented a metaphorical spring, a second coming, seemingly as ...
... Court poets reached for Plato's tried—and—tested idea of the Golden Age: paradise, the first of epochs which, like the seasons, would return. This glorious young prince represented a metaphorical spring, a second coming, seemingly as ...
Page xxvii
... courts and chancelleries of Venice and Rome. It is traced through merchant banks and accountants' ledgers, courts oflaw, the pageantry and brutality of court and tiltyard, diplomats' dispatches and the reports of spies and informers. It ...
... courts and chancelleries of Venice and Rome. It is traced through merchant banks and accountants' ledgers, courts oflaw, the pageantry and brutality of court and tiltyard, diplomats' dispatches and the reports of spies and informers. It ...
Page 7
... court, a man who worshipped Breton saints, spoke immaculate French and whose courtliness had a distinctly Gallic tinge. The soft politesse concealed a sharp observer, a gleaner of information, cool under pressure and used to having to ...
... court, a man who worshipped Breton saints, spoke immaculate French and whose courtliness had a distinctly Gallic tinge. The soft politesse concealed a sharp observer, a gleaner of information, cool under pressure and used to having to ...
Page 8
... court, Henry had exchanged words with the diplo— mat and political theorist Philippe de Commynes, a man with a lifetime's experience in power politics. Commynes, who had first encountered Henry on his arrival at the Breton court ...
... court, Henry had exchanged words with the diplo— mat and political theorist Philippe de Commynes, a man with a lifetime's experience in power politics. Commynes, who had first encountered Henry on his arrival at the Breton court ...
Page 19
... court's return later that autumn. The whole visit had gone smoothly, and the ambassadors had been flattered, charmed and impressed. The only sign that anything was untoward was the uncharacteristic brevity of their visit to Woodstock ...
... court's return later that autumn. The whole visit had gone smoothly, and the ambassadors had been flattered, charmed and impressed. The only sign that anything was untoward was the uncharacteristic brevity of their visit to Woodstock ...
Contents
13 | |
Richmond | 41 |
He Seeks in All Places to Destroy | 70 |
Now Must You Supply the Mothers Part Also | 93 |
PART | 121 |
A State of Avarice | 259 |
Courage to Be Bold | 283 |
Savage Harshness Made Complete | 308 |
The Art of Dying | 333 |
Rich Ferocious Thirsting for Glory | 352 |
Epilogue 375 | 379 |
B ihliography | 409 |
Index | 429 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
ambassador appeared arrived Arthur become Bray brought Calais Catherine Catherine’s chamber close continued council counsellors court crown CSPS death Dudley duke earl early Edward Elizabeth Empson England English Erasmus face fact father favour Ferdinand financial fine first forced French friends given Gunn hand head Henry VII Henry’s household Italy John jousts Kent king king’s knew Lady Margaret land late later letter London looked Lord loyalties March marriage months mother moved nobles palace Philip plans played political present Prince Henry prince’s privy Queen reign remained rich Richard Richmond role royal seemed sent servants Street Suffolk things Thomas took Tower Tudor turned VII’s wanted Warbeck wrote York young