8 months ago

Review:  The Women of the Cousins’ WarAuthors:  Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin & Michael JonesPublisher:  Touchstone, Division of Simon & Schuster IncSource: ARC from Touchstone Aisle B rating: Introduction  (Philippa Gregory)Women and HistoryWhen I consider how significant a role these women played in their times, the interest of their own lives, and importance of their children, it amazes me  that their histories have not already been thoroughly explored and recorded. Why are there not many histories of the three women of this book, when one was a queen, one was a royal duchess, and the other the founder of the best-known line of monarchs in the world? Why are these women, and so many of the other women I write about, either absent from the historical record altogether, or hardly mentioned? Excerpt from The Women of the Cousins’ War page 18What happens when 3 leading historians come together to shed light on the lives of 3 significant women- whose contributions to England’s historical monarchy remains largely hidden from the world. Well ponder no more now for Philippa Gregory, Daniel Baldwin and Michael Jones have complied a very detailed historical resources on the lives of the women behind Gregory’s War of the Roses series.Gregory sparked the intial flame of interest with her historical novel The White Queen (2009) based on Elizabeth Woodville - Queen consort to King Edward IV which was soon followed by The Red Queen (2010) based on Margaret Beaufort’s tremendous quest to place her son Henry Tudor to his rightful throne.  The soon to be released The Lady of the Rivers focuses on Jaquetta, Duchess of Bedford and mother of Elizabeth Woodville, whose life  was filled with turmoil and plagued by the injustices of royal court hierarchys. The lives of these women come together in her latest historical research. The Women of the Cousins’s War presents the unknown histories of these little known women, the Cousins’ War referred commonly by historians as the Wars of the Roses due to the conflicts of power for royal supremacy among brothers and their sons - cousins from the House of the Plantagenet:  the Lancaster and the Yorks both fought for the empowerment and title of King of England.  The Roses on their banners / badges signified their allegiance - The White Rose belonged to the Yorks and the Red Rose belonged to Lancasters. The Cousins’ War depicts the warring fractions and the ensuing actions that put these women at the forefront of England’s monarchial history.History demonstrates how very little is documented on the significance of women in the medieval times.  Past records applaud the astute courageousness of the men while women were regaled as treacherous witches for their show of intelligence or strength. In The Women of the Cousins’ War each writer focuses of his/her historical figure with reference to their beginnings and contributions to England’s dynastic battles for succession to the throne. Gregory discussess Jacquetta of Luxembourg - Duchess of Bedford; Baldwin research focuses on Elizabeth Woodville, Jacquetta’s eldest daughter; and Jones expounds further on Margaret Beaufort.  Each segment is complemented with images of  historical paintings or portraits, family charts, and incredible depictions of historical documents, most astounding being a letter from 1497 written by Beaufort!I was pleasantly surprised by the girth of information contained within The Women of the Cousins’ War.  At first apprehensive from my past experience of history books, I found any and all doubts disappear as I read more about these unknown female historical figures. I only wish history could have been presented with such dedication during my youth, I would have been completely enraptured by the vivacity of surrounding England’s epic dynastic wars and not dreading history class.  Perhaps we can enlist schools to add this one to their essential reading, I’m almost certain the students will be taken by history as showcased by these 3 incredible historians- bravo to Gregory, Baldwin and Jones!

Review:  The Women of the Cousins’ War
Authors:  Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin & Michael Jones
Publisher:  Touchstone, Division of Simon & Schuster Inc
Source: ARC from Touchstone

Aisle B rating: 4 of 5 stars



Introduction  (Philippa Gregory)
Women and History

When I consider how significant a role these women played in their times, the interest of their own lives, and importance of their children, it amazes me  that their histories have not already been thoroughly explored and recorded. Why are there not many histories of the three women of this book, when one was a queen, one was a royal duchess, and the other the founder of the best-known line of monarchs in the world? Why are these women, and so many of the other women I write about, either absent from the historical record altogether, or hardly mentioned?

Excerpt from The Women of the Cousins’ War page 18

What happens when 3 leading historians come together to shed light on the lives of 3 significant women- whose contributions to England’s historical monarchy remains largely hidden from the world. Well ponder no more now for Philippa Gregory, Daniel Baldwin and Michael Jones have complied a very detailed historical resources on the lives of the women behind Gregory’s War of the Roses series.

Gregory sparked the intial flame of interest with her historical novel The White Queen (2009) based on Elizabeth Woodville - Queen consort to King Edward IV which was soon followed by The Red Queen (2010) based on Margaret Beaufort’s tremendous quest to place her son Henry Tudor to his rightful throne.  The soon to be released The Lady of the Rivers focuses on Jaquetta, Duchess of Bedford and mother of Elizabeth Woodville, whose life  was filled with turmoil and plagued by the injustices of royal court hierarchys. The lives of these women come together in her latest historical research.

The Women of the Cousins’s War presents the unknown histories of these little known women, the Cousins’ War referred commonly by historians as the Wars of the Roses due to the conflicts of power for royal supremacy among brothers and their sons - cousins from the House of the Plantagenet:  the Lancaster and the Yorks both fought for the empowerment and title of King of England.  The Roses on their banners / badges signified their allegiance - The White Rose belonged to the Yorks and the Red Rose belonged to Lancasters. The Cousins’ War depicts the warring fractions and the ensuing actions that put these women at the forefront of England’s monarchial history.

History demonstrates how very little is documented on the significance of women in the medieval times.  Past records applaud the astute courageousness of the men while women were regaled as treacherous witches for their show of intelligence or strength. In The Women of the Cousins’ War each writer focuses of his/her historical figure with reference to their beginnings and contributions to England’s dynastic battles for succession to the throne. Gregory discussess Jacquetta of Luxembourg - Duchess of Bedford; Baldwin research focuses on Elizabeth Woodville, Jacquetta’s eldest daughter; and Jones expounds further on Margaret Beaufort.  Each segment is complemented with images of  historical paintings or portraits, family charts, and incredible depictions of historical documents, most astounding being a letter from 1497 written by Beaufort!

I was pleasantly surprised by the girth of information contained within The Women of the Cousins’ War.  At first apprehensive from my past experience of history books, I found any and all doubts disappear as I read more about these unknown female historical figures. I only wish history could have been presented with such dedication during my youth, I would have been completely enraptured by the vivacity of surrounding England’s epic dynastic wars and not dreading history class.  Perhaps we can enlist schools to add this one to their essential reading, I’m almost certain the students will be taken by history as showcased by these 3 incredible historians- bravo to Gregory, Baldwin and Jones!