"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Readers know the scalpel-like precision of Penman's character building from her earlier work, and the emotional lives of Henry and the troubled Eleanor are powerfully realized. As in the first book of the sequence, When Christ and His Saints Slept, conflict is ever the driving force. Henry and Eleanor's remarkable partnership was proving highly fecund, both politically, and physically, as Eleanor gave birth to five sons and three daughters, laying to rest her reputation as a barren queen and founding a dynasty that was to last three centuries. But auguries of trouble ahead were apparent: war with the Welsh; acrimonious battles with Eleanor's first husband, King Louis VII of France. But the truly destabilizing factor was Henry's decision to appoint his friend and confidant Thomas Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry had assumed that the worldly, ambitious Becket would be the perfect ally, and was devastated when the new archbishop cast off his own worldly past as he embraced his role as Defender of the Faith, swapping dissolution for piety.
As Penman vividly demonstrates, Henry saw Becket's action as a humiliating betrayal. One of the most famous murders in history followed, with further conflict in the kingdom caused by Henry's liaison with the daughter of a baron. In bedding Rosamund Clifford, Henry put his marriage and even his kingship at risk. As always, Penman handles her research lightly; the personal drama is the engine of her narrative, with each fresh scandal and intrigue delivered with a beguiling combination of relish and restraint. She is assured in her detailing of the political and ecclesiastical clashes of the court, but it is Henry II who strides her novel like a colossus--just as he did the kingdom he ruled. --Barry Forshaw, Amazon.co.uk
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Condition: New. Book is in NEW condition. Seller Inventory # 0399147853-2-1
Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published 2. Seller Inventory # 353-0399147853-new
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # ABE-1668011112951
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. Brand New Copy. Seller Inventory # BBB_new0399147853
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0399147853
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. Buy for Great customer experience. Seller Inventory # GoldenDragon0399147853
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think0399147853
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Brand New. 515 pages. 9.50x6.50x1.50 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # 0399147853
Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover0399147853
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard0399147853