Category Archives: Book Reviews

Review: “Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World” by Alison Weir

Posted on by
Portrait of Elizabeth of York

Portrait of Elizabeth of York

When I heard that Alison Weir was writing a biography of Elizabeth of York, I eagerly awaited its release. Having been a long time reader of Weir’s non-fiction works and knowing very little about Elizabeth of York made this book highly anticipated. And I was not disappointed!

Elizabeth of York has very much been an enigma to historians. While we still don’t know what her personality was really like, this book shines a bright spotlight on her. It starts out by explaining the circumstances into which Elizabeth was born as the eldest child of King Edward IV. The War of the Roses had been ongoing for about ten years at the time of her birth. Weir tells us of the family dynamics and how the throne of England vacillated back and forth between the members of the Houses of Lancaster and York. When Elizabeth was fairly young, her father was forced to flee the country and Elizabeth, her mother and her sisters sought refuge in sanctuary. Edward eventually came back and had a fairly peaceful reign until his unexpected death in 1483.

Elizabeth and her family’s life was thrown into turmoil as her uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, declared her and her brothers and sisters illegitimate. He set aside Elizabeth’s brother King Edward V and took the throne as king. Her mother took her family into sanctuary once again and both of Elizabeth’s brothers disappeared in the Tower of London, making Elizabeth her father’s heir. It was a very tense time. The plotting and scheming on the part of King Richard III, Elizabeth and her mother and Margaret Beaufort and her son Henry Tudor is explained in great detail by Weir.

Once Henry Tudor won the Battle of Bosworth in August of 1485 and gained the throne of England by right of conquest, he married Elizabeth. Weir explains that Henry wanted to make it clear he had won the throne and wasn’t relying so much on Elizabeth’s position as her father’s heir to legitimize his conquest. Perhaps this is why we don’t know as much about Elizabeth as we would like. Whether it was at her husband’s bequest or her own wish or both to remain in the background, we will never know.

Weir gives us a detailed account of Elizabeth’s life as queen, almost on a day-to-day basis. She tells us how Elizabeth spent her time and her money, who gave her gifts, the birth of her children and the status of her health. She has some great insights into Elizabeth’s relationship with her husband and her children. I found this to be quite fascinating. The book gives us great insight into life in the early Tudor court. It is meticulously researched and highly footnoted and has a very long list of sources. Weir has obviously done her research and is at the height of her writing powers. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

Book Review: “A Cathedrals Coffee & Tea Tour” by Simon Duffin

Posted on by

cathedrals book

Simon Duffin has written a quirky and fun review of cathedrals and coffee and tea shops around the United Kingdom. This isn’t your usual tour guide book. Duffin loves cathedrals and he loves the experience of visiting independent coffee houses and tea shops. He certainly has done his homework.

Duffin travelled through England, Scotland and Ireland and visited a variety of churches from the iconic monuments such Winchester and York Minster to Catholic cathedrals and other denomination’s buildings. His reviews of the churches aren’t your usual tour guide fare. He tried to find the little out of the way items of the churches to look for that make them unique. An example: the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Birmingham has a plaque in the ceiling showing where a bomb was dropped on the building during World War II that didn’t do too much damage. Duffin points out that in Oxford Cathedral there is an effigy of a fourteenth century knight who was 6’6” tall. He must have been a giant! Other information given is if there are organized tours of the buildings and if they ask for and accept donations for the maintenance and repairs of the building.

Salisbury Cathedral by John Constable

Salisbury Cathedral by John Constable

After touring the cathedrals, Duffin likes to go for a cup of tea or coffee. The ritual of drinking tea was introduced in England by Catherine of Braganza, the Queen of King Charles II in the seventeenth century and people in the UK practice it daily. This guide book gives Duffin’s favorite coffee houses or tea shops, usually within walking distance of each cathedral. He looks for independent coffee shops serving good quality coffee beans and usually run by an individual or a couple. A good barista makes the experience even better.

In looking at the tea shops, there is an explanation of the different kind of shops he looks for, such as contemporary or vintage. Important aspects are quality tea leaves, good cake and the character and décor of the shop. Duffin gives a list of some of his favorites in the beginning of the book such as his favorite coffee shops, tea shops, top five venues for cakes, etc.

Duffin lists all this information for each cathedral in alphabetical order by city. As an admirer of cathedrals and churches in the UK, I thoroughly enjoyed this guide. On my next trip, I will have this book with me to refer to and to find a good shop for cake.