Worth Reading?

Has anyone read these two recent books?

Elizabeth Woodville by David Baldwin
Ann Wroe's book about Perkin Warbeck

Are they worth reading? Or even buying?

Helen

--- In , sweethelly2003
<no_reply@y...> wrote:
> Has anyone read these two recent books?
>
> Elizabeth Woodville by David Baldwin
> Ann Wroe's book about Perkin Warbeck
>
> Are they worth reading? Or even buying?
>
> HELEN

Hello Helen,
Perkin by Ann Wroe, Iam on page 343 of 550 (Cover to
cover), the book is meticulously researched and the style of writting
makes for easy reading, I can not see that in the next 200 pages
there will be any changes in research or style.8 out 10.
For the Autumn/Winter reading I have ordered
"Elizabeth Woodville" David Baldwin; Hardcover;
"Manual for the Perfect Organization of Tourneys"
Paul Evans; Paperback;
"Arthurian Myths and Alchemy: The Kingship of Edward IV"
Jonathan Hughes; Hardcover;
"Marguerite: A Biography of Margaret of Anjou"
Christopher Patrick Corbett;
But will not receive them until late September so I can
not give you my opinion (for what it is worth),about the other book.
I have purchased over the weekend two books that were
recommended by the good folk on this site.
The Book of the Love-Smitten Heart by Rene Anjou
Joan of Arc: The Legend and the Reality by Gies (Frances).
If,Helen, you have read any of the books I have ordered
would appreciate your opinion.Not to late to cancel.
Regards,
Dave

> From: sweethelly2003 <[email protected]>
> Reply-To:
> Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 04:15:16 -0000
> To:
> Subject: Worth Reading?
>
> Has anyone read these two recent books?
>
> Elizabeth Woodville by David Baldwin
No. Very fan based bio!

> Ann Wroe's book about Perkin Warbeck
Yes. Very good if nothing world shatteringly new!

Paul

--- In , sweethelly2003
<no_reply@y...> wrote:
> Has anyone read these two recent books?
>
> Elizabeth Woodville by David Baldwin
> Ann Wroe's book about Perkin Warbeck
>
> Are they worth reading? Or even buying?
>
> Helen

Have read Baldwin. It's a bit uncritical (and he's even reluctant to
dismiss the phoney 'Diary of Elizabeth Woodville'), but I thought it
generally scholarly and useful. Quite a good appendix on the Princes
question.

I've just ordered Wroe's book, so I hope it's worth it.

Marie

It looks like that the Ann Wroe book might be worth looking into. I
have seen it in the bookshops in Melbourne.

There seen to be rather a lukewarm response about the Baldwin book on
Elizabeth Woodville.

I might have to wait to see whether my library get it though my local
system of libraries seen reluctant to have books about that era.
Perhaps they think us Australians are not interested or something.
Not true.

Thanks for the advice.

Helen

--- In , sweethelly2003
<no_reply@y...> wrote:
> It looks like that the Ann Wroe book might be worth looking into.
I
> have seen it in the bookshops in Melbourne.
>
> There seen to be rather a lukewarm response about the Baldwin book
on
> Elizabeth Woodville.
>
> I might have to wait to see whether my library get it though my
local
> system of libraries seen reluctant to have books about that era.
> Perhaps they think us Australians are not interested or something.
> Not true.
>
> Thanks for the advice.
>
> Helen

If it's the one I read (now in storage so can't find to check) it
was useful in some respects but I agree that it is uncritical and
rather too postive all round about what a "good egg" Lizzie really
was.
Brunhild

--- In , "brunhild613"
<brunhild@n...> wrote:
> --- In , sweethelly2003
> <no_reply@y...> wrote:
> > It looks like that the Ann Wroe book might be worth looking into.
> I
> > have seen it in the bookshops in Melbourne.
> >
> > There seen to be rather a lukewarm response about the Baldwin
book
> on
> > Elizabeth Woodville.
> >
> > I might have to wait to see whether my library get it though my
> local
> > system of libraries seen reluctant to have books about that era.
> > Perhaps they think us Australians are not interested or
something.
> > Not true.
> >
> > Thanks for the advice.
> >
> > Helen
>
> If it's the one I read (now in storage so can't find to check) it
> was useful in some respects but I agree that it is uncritical and
> rather too postive all round about what a "good egg" Lizzie really
> was.
> Brunhild

Yes, it's about 10 months since I read it so my recollection is hazy.
I felt it did contain a lot of useful information, so IS worth
getting as long as you don't expect to agree with all his
interpretations. I don't think he's the first to claim that EW's
imperious behaviour at Princess Elizabeth's churching was just normal
court procedure, for instance, but he does and I question this. If it
were, I don't see why our foreign visitor would have recorded it in
such detail and with such awe. Also, I've seen a copy of the list of
invitations to Queen Margaret's churching after the birth of Edward
of Lancaster and all the names are female, which suggests to me this
big public state occasion wasn't normal. As Hughes has pointed out,
Edward IV was deliberately keeping an unprecedentedly splendid court,
a sort of second Camelot with himself as Arthur returned/ Sun-king in
splendour. Elizabeth Woodville, despite (or perhaps because of) her
rather dubious rise to position as queen, seems to have joined in
this extremely wholeheartedly. I suspect she was both ambitious and
insecure; she wanted all this perhaps, but also didn't dare show any
sign of weakness.

Possibly Tim has a view on this book. Tim?