The Maid And The Queen

Author : Nancy Goldstone
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101561297
Total Pages : 455 pages
Book Rating : 4.94/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Maid and the Queen written by Nancy Goldstone and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2012-03-29 with total page 455 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Attention, ‘Game of Thrones’ fans: The most enjoyably sensational aspects of medieval politics—double-crosses, ambushes, bizarre personal obsessions, lunacy and naked self-interest—are in abundant evidence in Nancy Goldstone's The Maid and the Queen.” (Laura Miller, Salon.com) Politically astute, ambitious, and beautiful, Yolande of Aragon, queen of Sicily, was one of the most powerful women of the Middle Ages. Caught in the complex dynastic battle of the Hundred Years War, Yolande championed the dauphin's cause against the forces of England and Burgundy, drawing on her savvy, her statecraft, and her intimate network of spies. But the enemy seemed invincible. Just as French hopes dimmed, an astonishingly courageous young woman named Joan of Arc arrived from the farthest recesses of the kingdom, claiming she carried a divine message-a message that would change the course of history and ultimately lead to the coronation of Charles VII and the triumph of France. Now, on the six hundredth anniversary of the birth of Joan of Arc, this fascinating book explores the relationship between these two remarkable women, and deepens our understanding of this dramatic period in history. How did an illiterate peasant girl gain access to the future king of France, earn his trust, and ultimately lead his forces into battle? Was it only the hand of God that moved Joan of Arc-or was it also Yolande of Aragon?

Author : Nancy Goldstone
Publisher : National Geographic Books
ISBN 13 : 0143122827
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.21/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Maid and the Queen written by Nancy Goldstone and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2013-03-26 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Attention, ‘Game of Thrones’ fans: The most enjoyably sensational aspects of medieval politics—double-crosses, ambushes, bizarre personal obsessions, lunacy and naked self-interest—are in abundant evidence in Nancy Goldstone's The Maid and the Queen.” (Laura Miller, Salon.com) Joan of Arc, the brave peasant girl who heard the voices of angels and helped restore her king to the throne of France, astonished her contemporaries and continues to fascinate us today. Until now, though, her relationship with Yolande of Aragon, the ambitious and beautiful queen of Sicily—mother-in-law to the dauphin—has been little known. In a stunning work filled with intrigue, madness, and mysticism, Nancy Goldstone solves the thrilling mystery by showing that if you pry open the Queen's secrets, you will find the Maid's. Caught in the complex dynastic battle of the Hundred Years War, Yolande of Aragon championed the dauphin's cause. As French hopes dimmed, a courageous young woman arrived from the farthest recesses of the kingdom. But how did she gain an audience with a king? Was it only God's hand that moved Joan of Arc—or was it also Yolande of Aragon's?

Author : Nancy Goldstone
Publisher : Hachette UK
ISBN 13 : 0297863371
Total Pages : 394 pages
Book Rating : 4.73/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Maid and the Queen written by Nancy Goldstone and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2011-12-29 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exceptionally dramatic life of Joan of Arc and her previously unchronicled mentor, Yolande of Aragon. How did an illiterate seventeen-year-old peasant girl manage to become one of histories most salient females? It is almost 600 years since Joan of Arc heard the voices of angels that would change her life for ever: in a breathtaking story her quest saved France from English domination and restored France's hereditary monarchy. Just thirteen when her life was turned upside down, Joan's holy guidance led her on an arduous eleven-day journey into the unknown, restoring the Dauphin back to his original birthright in an official coronation, allowing him to resume his rule as France's legitimate king. Joan summoned and led an impressive army of French loyalists against the English; the siege at Orleans was an exhilarating English defeat that liberated the city. The following year witnessed Joan's capture by the enemy. After a series of heroic endeavours to escape cruel adversaries, she was subjected to trial by inquisition and then in Rouen, the heart of France, Joan's courageous journey came to a heartbreaking conclusion. This is the story at the core of centuries of myth-making. But what if we no longer accept this tale? What if we question whether the Heavens and their angels were truly Joan's only source of strength and power? What if we demand a different narrative? This revisionist biography unearths the secular and verifiable basis for Joan's heroic exploits: Yolande of Aragon, a forgotten mentor. This is a story of not one life, but two; two lives that together were intertwined in the restoration of France's greatness.

Author : Nancy Goldstone
Publisher : Little, Brown
ISBN 13 : 0316524034
Total Pages : 384 pages
Book Rating : 4.32/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Lady Queen written by Nancy Goldstone and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2018-09-01 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The riveting history of a beautiful queen, a shocking murder, a papal trial -- and a reign as triumphant as any in the Middle Ages. On March 15, 1348, twenty-two-year-old Joanna I, Queen of Naples, stood trial for the murder of her husband before the Pope and his court in Avignon. Determined to defend herself, Joanna won her acquittal against overwhelming odds. Victorious, she returned to Naples and ruled over one of Europe's most prestigious courts for the next three decades -- until she herself was killed. Courageous and determined, Joanna was the only female monarch in her time to rule in her own name. She was widely admired: dedicated to the welfare of her subjects, she reduced crime, built hospitals and churches, and encouraged the licensing of female physicians. A procession of the most important artists and writers of the time frequented her glittering court. But she never quite escaped the stain of her husband's death, and the turmoil of the times surrounded her -- war, plague, and treachery would ultimately be her undoing. With skill, passion, and impeccable research and detail, Nancy Goldstone brings to life one of history's most remarkable women. The Lady Queen is a captivating portrait of medieval royalty in all its incandescent complexity.

Author : Jennifer McGowan
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1442441380
Total Pages : 400 pages
Book Rating : 4.85/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Maid of Secrets written by Jennifer McGowan and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-05-07 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1559 England, Meg, an orphaned thief, is pressed into service and trained as a member of the Maids of Honor, Queen Elizabeth I's secret all-female guard. But her loyalty is tested when she falls in love with a Spanish courtier who may be a threat.

Author : Rosalind Miles
Publisher : Crown
ISBN 13 : 0307422143
Total Pages : 354 pages
Book Rating : 4.49/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Maid of the White Hands written by Rosalind Miles and published by Crown. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Isolde's day has come. In Ireland, her mother, the Queen, lies dying. The throne of the Emerald Isle, one of the last strongholds of the goddess, awaits her. But while Ireland is her destiny, Isolde is already Queen of Cornwall, trapped in a loveless marriage to its mean-spirited King Mark. Her true love is his nephew, Tristan of Lyonesse, who has never married, remaining faithful only to Isolde. Across the sea in France, a young princess who shares Isolde's name enters the story. King Hoel named his daughtor in honor of Isolde of Ireland, and young Isolde of France has always been determined to outdo her beautiful namesake. She is a physician, too, and is called "Blanche Mains," for her white hands and healing touch. Blanche is of an age to be married, and she has chosen her husband—Tristan of Lyonesse. Her father objects, but fate favors Blanche. King Mark has become suspicious of his wife and nephew, and when Tristan is wounded in battle, he sees a chance to separate them for good. Mark sends Tristan to France to be healed by Blanche, who makes the most of the opportunity. Tristan's letters to Isolde are intercepted, and he is told that she has given him up. Near death from his wounds, Tristan sends one last, desparate letter to Isolde by a trusted servant. He is dying, he tells her, and asks for one final sign of their love. If she can forgive him for betraying her, she must come to France in a ship set with white sails. If the ship's sails are black, however, he will know that she no longer loves him. Isolde immediately leaves for France, but when Blanche sees the white-sailed ship from the castle window, she pulls the curtains and tells Tristan that the sails are black. To her horror, he turns his face to the wall and dies. There ends the traditional medieval story of Tristan and Isolde—with betrayal, death, and grief. But the original Irish lengend ends differently, and so does this book, wth magic and drama as only Rosalind Miles could write it.

Author : Terry Deary
Publisher : Capstone
ISBN 13 : 9781404812994
Total Pages : 74 pages
Book Rating : 4.97/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Maid, the Witch, and the Cruel Queen written by Terry Deary and published by Capstone. This book was released on 2006 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A poor serving girl conspires to save an innocent woman that Lord Scuggate is planning to burn as a witch in order to impress the queen.

Author : Kimberly Cutter
Publisher : A&C Black
ISBN 13 : 1408821869
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.62/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Maid written by Kimberly Cutter and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2012-03-29 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The girl who led an army. The peasant who crowned a king. The maid who became a legend.

Author : Tracy Higley
Publisher : Thomas Nelson
ISBN 13 : 1401686850
Total Pages : 401 pages
Book Rating : 4.57/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Queen's Handmaid written by Tracy Higley and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2014-03-25 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A jealous Egyptian queen. A lascivious Galilean governor. A beautiful servant girl. Theirs is a story of prophecy, self-discovery, and revelation. The year is 39 BC. All of Alexandria awaits the arrival of Herod, the Galilean governor with his eye on the Judean kingship. The handmaid of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, receives a troubling visit from her aging mentor. An orphan since birth, Lydia lives in the palace at the demand of Cleopatra and her royal child, the son of Julius Caesar. But Lydia has a growing problem on her hands: her beauty is becoming a liability to the aging queen, and the visiting Herod’s undisguised interest only makes matters worse. When Lydia’s mentor is murdered, the handmaid inherits a daunting task. An ancient set of sealed scrolls, the secret writings of the prophet Daniel, must be returned to Jerusalem—before those who killed her mentor destroy the scrolls as well. The future of the Israelites depends on it. So Lydia leaves the palace to serve as lady’s maid to Herod’s wife in the Holy City. As Lydia is absorbed into the machinations of Herod’s household, her mission— and her people’s hope of a Messianic King—are endangered at every turn. Can Lydia avoid the adulterous intentions of Herod? Can she deliver the scrolls to the mysterious man on the steps of the Temple? Will the true King of Israel ever rise? "Higley amazes us with another of her action-packed feats of storytelling." —RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 Stars, TOP PICK! (on Palace of Darkness)

Author : Nancy Goldstone
Publisher : Little, Brown
ISBN 13 : 0316409677
Total Pages : 448 pages
Book Rating : 4.74/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Rival Queens written by Nancy Goldstone and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2015-06-23 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The riveting true story of mother-and-daughter queens Catherine de' Medici and Marguerite de Valois, whose wildly divergent personalities and turbulent relationship changed the shape of their tempestuous and dangerous century. Set in magnificent Renaissance France, this is the story of two remarkable women, a mother and daughter driven into opposition by a terrible betrayal that threatened to destroy the realm. Catherine de' Medici was a ruthless pragmatist and powerbroker who dominated the throne for thirty years. Her youngest daughter Marguerite, the glamorous "Queen Margot," was a passionate free spirit, the only adversary whom her mother could neither intimidate nor control. When Catherine forces the Catholic Marguerite to marry her Protestant cousin Henry of Navarre against her will, and then uses her opulent Parisian wedding as a means of luring his followers to their deaths, she creates not only savage conflict within France but also a potent rival within her own family. Rich in detail and vivid prose, Goldstone's narrative unfolds as a thrilling historical epic. Treacherous court politics, poisonings, inter-national espionage, and adultery form the background to a story that includes such celebrated figures as Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots, and Nostradamus. The Rival Queens is a dangerous tale of love, betrayal, ambition, and the true nature of courage, the echoes of which still resonate.