To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York

by Jean Plaidy

Book Overview

From exile and war to love and loss--every dynasty has a beginning. Henry Tudor was not born to the throne of England. Having come of age in a time of political turmoil and danger, the man who would become Henry VII spent fourteen years in exile in Brittany before returning triumphantly to the Dorset coast with a small army and decisively winning the Battle of Bosworth Field--ending the War of the Roses once and for all and launching the infamous...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307346196
• ISBN13: 9780307346193
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Favorite

Jean Plaidy is definitely one of my all time favorite authors. She brings to life every historical character that she writes about. This novel is riveting and definitely draws you into the story.

Education

Despite my classical education (St Paul's and Yale) behind me, Jean Plaidy's Plantagenet series is the first to have taught me medieval English history. I have always heard of the War of the Roses but hadn't known what that meant. Jean Plaidy's books open the window to understanding.

Not her best work, but still very good historical fiction

I have a love affair going with historical fiction author Jean Plaidy. It's Plaidy that I turn to when I crave a good comfort-read. This novel is Plaidy's take on the story of the marriage between King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York: the marriage which effectively ended the War of the Roses by uniting the houses of York and Lancaster. Like her other historical fiction novels, To Hold the Crown will never be compared to, say, a Sharon Kay Penman novel. Plaidy, rather, exists in a class of her own: solid writing and a good historical foundation make her stories feel comfortable. Kind of like your favorite pair of old sneakers. The story of Henry and Elizabeth has been written about numerous times, but I still think Plaidy does it best. You won't find any heros or villains in this story. Instead you'll find human beings who make mistakes and are trying to do the best they can with the tools they have. Plaidy is the consummate professional: she presents each character in a fair light, flaws and all, and allows the readers to draw their own conclusions, as opposed to leading you to those conclusions. Those of you who are still tracking down the infamous Princes in the Tower will find an interesting idea as to their ultimate fate within these pages. Plaidy, as always, is plausible and sharp as a tack. What didn't I like? The darned new cover chosen by Three Rivers Press! For now, I'll forgive them simply because they are reprinting so many of Plaidy's historical fiction novels. If you haven't read one, do so soon. And if you've read Sandra Worth's recent novel, The King's Daughter, you'll recognize that the subject matter is the same. For my money, I recommend Plaidy's version for a more complete and perhaps a more realistic look at the lives of Henry and Elizabeth.

A good piece of historical fiction.

Although this book has many things one could contradict (grammar usage, Elizabeth's characterization), it's a very good piece of historical fiction. More like a non-fiction book than a romance novel, "To Hold the Crown" analyzes the reign of Henry VII quite thoroughly and does a good job of it. Both Henry VII and Henry VIII are very well characterized and although the book is rather anti-climactic, it doesn't seem to lack because of it. If you're looking for something that explains the history quite well while being more interesting than a typical non-fiction book, then this is the book for you; I personally liked this style. However, if you're looking for something reminiscent of a romance novel, I would read Philippa Gregory's "The Other Boleyn Girl."

(3.5) Don't be fooled by the new book jacket, this is _not_ a love story

From the back cover "And though their union was born from political necessity, it became a wonderful love story..." Huh? You have to wonder sometimes what is going through the publisher's heads - the marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York was not a love match by any means - why would they try to label it as one?? Originally published as Uneasy Lies the Head, this book covers the reign of Henry VII following the defeat of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. With a very tenuous claim on the throne of England Henry marries Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of Edward IV, in an effort to strengthen his claim. Despite keeping peace in the country and restoring the empty coffers, Henry is always fearful of conspiracies to challenge his reign with pretenders to the throne claiming to be one of the lost princes in the tower. So much of this book is known history, we've all read enough of the Tudors I don't need to rehash it all again. The book takes the reader from the beginning of Henry's reign until the end and at his death and the assumption to the throne of his son Henry VIII. Although I did enjoy this book very much, it was a bit dry at times, especially at the beginning, and those not familiar with the Wars of The Roses might have a difficult time picking up the story. Henry was nicely portrayed as a parsimonious penny pincher always worried about threats to his crown, the younger Henry a bit too full of himself and his "knightly" responsibilities, Katharine of Aragon suitably pious and obedient - my only complaint was the how Elizabeth of York was portrayed. A virtually non-existent character, the few times she was in the storyline she was quite vapid and very forgettable. She was pretty much there for the procreation of children. All in all a pleasant read, not the best but not the worst either. 3.5/5 stars.

Was Henry VII a child killer or a good king?

The answer is both. In this Jean Plaidy book, Henry VII is portrayed as a man bent on doing what is best for his country. That may include usurping a crown, killing innocent men and children, and being on the miserly side. Although from that description you may take an immediate dislike to him, beware. Jean Plaidy has a way of changing your mind. She even made me feel more understanding of Philip II of Spain in The Spanish Bridegroom!At first, I thought this book might be on the boring side. I quickly changed my mind. When has Jean Plaidy ever let me down? Also, this gives back some dignity to Richard III, after it was wrenched from the Tudor propagandist, William Shakespeare.