Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Elizabeth of York
    Elizabeth of York
    Elizabeth of York
    Audiobook22 hours

    Elizabeth of York

    Written by Alison Weir

    Narrated by Maggie Mash

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Acclaimed historian Alison Weir looks into the life of the first Tudor queen, revealing the woman behind the image

    Elizabeth of York would have ruled England, but for the fact that she was a woman. One of the key figures of the Wars of the Roses, daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, she married Henry Tudor to bring peace to a war-torn England. In Elizabeth of York: The First Tudor Queen, Alison Weir builds a portrait of this beloved queen, placing her in the context of the magnificent, ceremonious, often brutal world she inhabited.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherW. F. Howes Ltd
    Release dateNov 7, 2013
    ISBN9781471246326
    Elizabeth of York

    More audiobooks from Alison Weir

    Related to Elizabeth of York

    Related audiobooks

    History For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Making Of The Virgin Queen

      Feb 17, 2022

      The Making Of The Virgin Queen
      3 min read

    • Article

      An Icon For The Ages

      Jan 20, 2022

      An Icon For The Ages
      2 min read

    • Article

      “Elizabeth I Was A Free Woman In Charge Of Her Fate. Perhaps That’s Why Catherine De Medici Despised Her”

      Jul 7, 2022

      Rhiannon Davies: Your book Blood, Fire and Gold follows two powerhouses of early modern Europe, Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici. Can you briefly introduce us to them? Estelle Paranque: I’ll start with Elizabeth I of England, daughter of Henry VII

      9 min read

    • Article

      A Life Of Duty And Service

      Sep 16, 2022

      A Life Of Duty And Service
      27 min read

    • Article

      The Art Of Treason

      Nov 25, 2021

      The Art Of Treason
      6 min read

    • Article

      Grace Period

      Jun 9, 2022

      Grace Period
      9 min read

    • Article

      Power Behind The Throne

      Oct 27, 2022

      Power Behind The Throne
      3 min read

    • Article

      Mary Vs Elizabeth

      Aug 11, 2022

      Mary Vs Elizabeth
      12 min read

    • Article

      The Bonds Of Blood

      Jul 9, 2020

      The Bonds Of Blood
      10 min read

    • Article

      Apocalypse, No?

      Apr 16, 2020

      “Wheresoever men tilled, the earth bare no corn, for the land was all ruined by such deeds; and they said openly that Christ and his saints were asleep. Such and more than we can say we endured 19 winters for our sins.” The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle pain

      9 min read

    • Article

      The Queen Of The World

      Sep 8, 2022

      The Queen Of The World
      14 min read

    • Article

      The Making Of A Queen

      Dec 10, 2021

      The Making Of A Queen
      5 min read

    • Article

      Q&A

      Dec 28, 2021

      Q&A
      3 min read

    • Article

      “You’ve Got To Be Impressed By How These Women Played The System”

      Apr 16, 2020

      Ellie Cawthorne: First of all, why did it matter who Charles II was sleeping with? Linda Porter: Charles’s love life was a reflection of the luxury and glamour – but also the corruption – of the royal court at the time. The extramarital relationshi

      9 min read

    • Article

      Lost Tudor Tales

      May 3, 2024

      Lost Tudor Tales
      5 min read

    • Article

      Medieval She-Wolves

      Apr 25, 2019

      Medieval She-Wolves
      11 min read

    • Article

      Royal Lineage

      Dec 30, 2021

      Royal Lineage
      8 min read

    • Article

      Flying The Royal Nest

      Apr 15, 2021

      Flying The Royal Nest
      5 min read

    • Article

      Rose Between Thorns

      Jun 9, 2022

      What drew you to Elizabeth of York? I have always been fascinated by the late medieval and early Tudor periods, and Elizabeth’s life spans both. She is an enigma in many ways, at the centre of severalmysteries and controversies – notably the disappea

      1 min read

    • Article

      A Confluence Of Great Good Fortune

      Sep 21, 2022

      FOR years, I defended my affection for the Royal family with a quote from the dark comedy Harold and Maude. The spunky octogenarian Maude explains her late-in-life mellowing to her troubled young friend Harold: ‘I don’t believe in monarchy’ she says,

      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Elizabeth of York

    4/5

    168 ratings42 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      I have read several books about Elizabeth of York but this one is different. I have enjoyed her story several times but if you want to read a well researched biography of Elizabeth this is the one for you. Alison Weir never disappoints!
    • 5/5
      Alison Weir does it again in her well researched and beautifully written book Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World. Weir will take the reader back in time to revisit the life and time of the first Elizabeth, mother of King Henry VIII and grandmother to the Queen Elizabeth I, and the first Tudor Queen. Brought up during the War of the Roses Elizabeth is often overshadowed by her infamous son, questionable uncle, and a raging war between the two most powerful houses: York and Lancaster. Weir brings Elizabeth of York to life in her extensively detailed book and it is quite easy to be swept away amidst the scandals, controversies, and the time period. I highly recommend Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen to anyone who enjoys well written historical fiction and even to those who think the genre is not for them, Weir is at the top of her game is this exceptional historical book.
    • 4/5
      Elizabeth of York is well written and researched extensively, but despite all of the effort there is still much that is unknown about this fine woman. The book leaves much to conjecture and "guessing" what her thoughts and feelings may have been... There remains an elusive Elizabeth that we will never really know, but Ms Weir's book does give insight into the times Elizabeth lived in . It is a good read
    • 3/5
      3.25 starsElizabeth of York was Edward IV and Elizabeth Wydeville’s daughter. During the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century, they were Yorkists. Elizabeth married Henry VII, who was a Lancaster, thus bringing the two sides together. Between them, they began the Tudor era, and Henry VIII was their son. This is meant to be a biography of Elizabeth. I only say it’s “meant to be” a biography because, as with so many women of the time (including queens), there is just so little information about them. So, really, I feel like it’s more of a history of what happened around her during her life, often with musings as to what Elizabeth may have been doing or feeling at certain times or about certain things. It’s a long book, over 500 pages, and nonfiction, which does tend to go slower for me. There’s a lot of information, much of it I didn’t know (I think this is the first book I’ve read specifically focusing on Elizabeth), and even though I found much of it interesting, there are still dry parts.
    • 1/5
      What did I think - not much I am sorry to say. Although Weir is not my favourite author, I am prepared to put aside my dislike to read - and objectively - what she has written - and for the record I have read a number of her books - most I have disliked, one however, I did like. This, I think I can add to the "did not like" pile.Firstly, Elizabeth's younger years are quite shadowy but Weir manages to flesh these out by giving us a history lesson - really the first seven chapters read like a tome on the Wars of the Roses - and I have books a-plenty on this subject.Secondly, again with very little information on her married life Weir instead references Elizabeth with the actions and events surrounding Henry Tudor, her husband. And sometimes this is all we ever have.Thirdly, as with all her other factual accounts, we are bombarded with detail, presumption and very little substance.I am trying very hard to fathom the amount of actual information there is on Elizabeth that was worthy of 600 odd pages - quite frankly it required barely a quarter in my opinion. The larger the book ... overcompensating for a distinct lack of anything else.What I would have been more impressed with is a tome of quality rather than quantity.
    • 5/5
      An amazing biography of the mother of Henry VIII, Elizabeth of York. This lady had an even better claim to the throne than her husband, Henry VII. Following the death of her uncle, Richard III, Henry VII married her and secured his position as King. Elizabeth and Henry were a devoted couple. It's heartbreaking to read of the death of their son, Arthur, and the effect it had on the couple. After his death, the King sent for Elizabeth so that they could grieve together.Alison Weir has written an absolutely astounding biography. It was fascinating. In this book we follow Elizabeth from her life as a King's daughter, King's niece, and King's wife. It's highly recommended.
    • 3/5
      Weir writes in her own style. She was one of the first historical authors so her style does not bother me because I am used to it. Weir sometimes hyperfocuses on details that are not very important at all. I can see how this book would be challenging because you have to look at the lives of others around her to find out things about her life.
    • 3/5
      “The children of King Edward,” had been “avenged” at last “in this battle: the boar’s tusks quailed, and, to avenge the white, the red rose bloomed."It felt like it took me months to read this book. This book could be a bit dry at times and that is what really stopped me from reading this at my normal pace. The times and people covered in this book are absolutely fascinating but to me Alison Weir never managed to keep my interest throughout. I was a bit annoyed with Weir's fascination with lists. At times there could be a whole page filled with a list of fabrics or something else. I also feel as though the title is a bit misleading as the book covers more of the people around Elizabeth of York than it does Elizabeth. It really wasn't as bad as that first paragraph makes it seem. There were some really interesting parts to this book. I really enjoyed the parts that covered Elizabeth's childhood as I felt like that was the most interesting and well written part of the book. It is definitely clear that Weir had done her research and you will learn a lot while reading this book.This was my first Alison Weir book and I have some of her other books in my tbr pile. After reading this I am not sure if I will ever get to those books. This one was a bit too dry for me and I am not sure if that would be the case only for this book out with all of her books. I would recommend this book to someone who is really interested in Elizabeth of York and Henry VII.
    • 4/5
      As usual with Alison Weir's work, you can be overwhelmed by the detail, but I personally enjoy all the info. she normally provides and this book is no exception to that. As always. her writing style makes for an easy read, and if you have an interest in the Tudors, it will be well worth reading.
    • 5/5
      After not receiving this the first time I won this from librarything I was very excited to win it again and actually recieve it. I have nothing but praise for Allison Weir and her books. Some historians may disagree with some of the details that she has written but in the main I think she does a really good job of bringing Elizabeth of York alive to her readers.Its not a read for beginners. She goes in to a lot of detail and its obvious she has done a lot of research. I really enjoy her style of writing as she makes history come alive and paints a vivid picture of her life using words. Very recommended to all those interested in all things Tudor. One of Allison's best books
    • 3/5
      I found this book very interesting, but somewhat hard to get though because it gets bogged down with the account records of how much was spent on things. I understand that it is a way to document things that were going on though. I did not know anything about Henry VII or Elizabeth of York. I had some background on her mother and father and I've read much about her son. This book helped to fill that time period in. It wasn't only about Elizabeth as there seems to not be much that survived in her own hand. Much of the book is speculation about her based on documentation of others. It also starts with her birth and goes into pretty good detail of that time with Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV. Because there isn't a lot of documentation about Elizabeth herself the book goes into detail about what was happening around her and to the people around her. Since I knew nothing about the period it was fine with me since it was a bit broad in scope. If I had been looking for a book just about Elizabeth of York I would have been disappointed.
    • 4/5
      I've always found Elizabeth of York an intriguing figure and thoroughly enjoyed Alison Weir's biography. I've read many of Weir's other books, both fiction and non-fiction, and do agree with other reviewers that this isn't necessarily her strongest book, primarily because there is so much about Elizabeth that isn't known. Given this, however, Weir does an excellent job of detailing a fascinating period in English history and highlighting the role that this remarkable woman played.
    • 3/5
      I received this book from the Early Reviewers program. Elizabeth was the daughter, niece, wife, mother, and grandmother of kings and queens, and had a solid claim to have ruled in her own right in more enlightened times, and is an ancestor of today's British royal family. Ms. Weir pieces together what's known of Elizabeth's life using a variety of primary sources. However, given the inevitable holes in the documentation of the life of even a woman as important as Elizabeth from the early Tudor period, she is also forced to theorize about how Elizabeth may have felt and what drove her behaviors. Ms. Weir is an expert on the Tudors, and provides a solid book about Elizabeth and her world, with extensive appendices as well. That said, I found the book slow in stretches, and found the tendency to jump around in time frustrating. I found the information about her relationship with her husband, Henry VII, most interesting. I would love to see a novel on Elizabeth's life from Ms. Weir.
    • 5/5
      The author makes the Elizabeth of York come alive and also makes you aware just how generous she was which at times left her strapped for cash. The descriptions of the clothing, tapestries, and remodeling that was done on the palaces help bring the world she lived in to life as well. I wasn't aware that Henry VII had been as lenient as he was with Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck though I did know that he kept a very close eye on those with actual Plantagenent blood in their veins and that Warwick had to be disposed of before the Arthur, Prince of Wales and Katharine of Aragon were wed. A fascinating look at a woman who was raised in palaces, Sanctuary, and imprisoned by her uncle, Richard III and was the most successful queen of the Tudor dynasty.
    • 4/5
      Though many people (or at least many Americans) don’t know who Elizabeth of York was, she was an important figure in English history. She was the mother of Henry VIII and grandmother of Queen Elizabeth I. Her marriage to Henry VII, who was the first Tudor ruler and a Lancastrian, ended the Wars of the Roses. Mary, Queen of Scots was also a descendant of hers-her blood, in fact, runs in the veins of today’s British royal family. Her uncle was the infamous Richard III, whose remains were recently found under a parking lot and who probably murdered her brothers, the princes in the tower. Elizabeth’s life was short- she died at age 37 after giving birth- and for a part of it, there was a lot of uncertainty about what would happen to her. Her father died while her brothers were still boys, setting off a fight for the throne. After her brothers disappeared and were presumed dead, Elizabeth became the rightful heir to the throne, although no one assumed she, a mere woman, could rule. That idea wouldn’t take root until her granddaughter Mary I became queen. She was a prize through which another man could rule the kingdom by marrying her, though. First her uncle Richard III thought about it; after Henry VII killed him at Bosworth, he- who also had a claim to the throne via his own bloodline, albeit not as direct as Elizabeth’s- married her, giving him a firmer grasp on the right to rule. After years of families fighting, peace came to England. Prolific biographer Alison Weir has created a meticulous biography of this largely unsung queen, going back to many primary sources – the bibliography and notes sections are 75 pages long. Elizabeth emerges as a pious and charitable woman, as proven by palace accountings of what she spent. Despite her marriage being for convenience, it proved to be a loving one. She and Henry loved each other and loved their children. The people of England loved her. But despite this attention to details, Elizabeth never really comes alive in this book. The facts are all there, but the spark isn’t. I don’t expect biography to be like historical fiction, and sometimes people’s lives don’t make a smooth narrative, but I’ve read biographies that were gripping. It was an interesting book, although slow reading and text book like.
    • 5/5
      Alison Weir does her usual splendid job in depicting the life and times of Elizabeth of York, the princess who married Henry Tudor (Henry VII). Using historical documents and meticulous research, Weir paints an extraordinary portrait of this remarkable woman, who by rights ought to have ruled England herself, instead of simply marrying the victor at Bosworth Field. A scholarly book to be sure, but one which flows and reads as if it were a novel.
    • 3/5
      As a rule, I only read biographies of British Queens named Anne, Elizabeth, Jane or Catherine. I will make an exception to this rule only if the Queen has a close relative named Henry, Edward, Richard or John. I prefer them to be heavily conjectured and based on scanty source material. I particularly like when the author jumps around in time inexplicably to make the story seem more compelling. Not required but certainly always appreciated is the fun "how much would this be worth now?" game where tiny sums of money are shown to actually be vast fortunes in today's money. Oh, if only I were a medieval farrier! Alison Weir's latest book Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World hits all my requirements and then some. Her tale, while readable, is a bit on the long side. I liked the descriptions of her world and the pageantry that surrounded her but felt the book was lacking in context about money and women's roles. Perhaps a better title would have been "The World of Elizabeth of York" thereby allowing a freer scope of focus. There are so many interesting things happening at this time in history and sometimes the text felt forced, as if the author had to strain to make a connection to Elizabeth of York. In summary, I enjoyed learning more about this often overlooked historical figure and felt that Alison Weir portrayed her fairly but with a lot of conjecture. Long but readable and a good addition to any serious collection of works on the British Monarchy or the Tudors specifically.
    • 4/5
      I have read nearly all of Alison Weir's non fiction books & find them very readable, not dry or tedious, like so many biographies can be.The problem with Elizabeth of York is there is so little source material about her so a good chunk of the book is more 'Her World' than Her. There is a good deal of speculation & guess work in this one & I'm not convinced by her arguments of some things. Elizabeth's relationships with her husband and mother in law are shrouded in mystery due to a total lack of information about them. Just bits of letters and mentions in accounts. Drawing specific conclusions about interpersonal relationships based on payment of monies in account books is a difficult thing and I'm dubious about some of Weir's. I think she is kind of biased & comes to the conclusion she wants while making it seem it actually is proven, when it isn't. Despite her efforts I still feel Elizabeth of York was a shadowy figure kept in the background by her husband & MIL who both knew she had a better claim to the throne than he did.But overall I enjoyed it. It was long & detailed but interesting. Certainly not a casual read but one worth it to people interested in the Tudors
    • 3/5
      I've read all of Alison Weir's non-fiction and generally really enjoyed her books. Although "Elizabeth of York" was interesting, I found it to be one of her weaker books.Like her book on Katherine de Swynford, "Elizabeth of York" suffers from a lack of source material to base the story on. "Elizabeth of York" is not so much a biography as a story of the time that Elizabeth lived in. There was much more conjecture in his book than in her previous books. Or rather, her efforts to back up conjectures weren't as strong. Some of the conclusions she jumped too were puzzling in this one -- the explanations weren't backed up as well as in prior books.On the good side, the book, while heavy, is really readable and very interesting. I wish Weir would return to writing about members of the monarchy that can be better documented... when she has plenty of source material her writing really shines.
    • 4/5
      Previous I had read Weir's works of fiction, so this book was my first foray into the author's nonfiction works. It feels very well researched and organized. Definitely not a casual read.
    • 2/5
      Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World is the biography of Queen Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV, wife of Henry VII, and mother to the infamous Henry VIII. In this book Alison Weir attempts to shine some light on the woman that has so long been defined by the men in her life.I am a big fan of Weir’s fiction work, but the more I read of her non-fiction, the more I am beginning to lose respect for her as a legitimate researcher and historian. This book unfortunately plays a big part in this realization. Elizabeth of York is a big volume for a woman on whom historically scant information exists. Weir says in the introduction that there are “frustrating gaps” in what we know of Elizabeth, but that does not stop her from filling said gaps with conjecture, weak evidence, and outdated research. Where I hoped to find an illuminating new biography of an underrepresented woman in history, I instead found a rehashing of much of Weir’s earlier work, just with more of a focus on the events surrounding Elizabeth. This would be a slim volume indeed though if it were filled with just the facts. This may be why so much of the book is filled with excruciating lists of minutiae, such as receipts and ledger entries from Elizabeth’s household.A big point of contention for me is how biased much of Weir’s research tends to be in favor of her beloved Tudors over all others. Where this is most obvious is her continued grudge against Richard III. Already having read Weir’s The Princes in the Tower, I am familiar with her thesis that Richard murdered his nephews. Weir rehashes her same arguments again in this volume, spending an inordinate amount of time trying to make her readers see what a monster Richard was. Whether he was or not, her argument contains a lot of very biased sources, and seems particularly hinged on the fact that she simply believes he was an ambitious and ruthless man. That’s all well and fine, but I instantly begin to question her ability as a historian if she is so quick to dismiss any major player as a two-dimensional villain. If you disagree with her or come to a different conclusion based on her research she dismisses you as a revisionist. For example, she points to the portrait of Richard III and observes that he was certainly no catch physically and that no woman would have been eager to marry him. Yet she goes on about how handsome his brother Edward IV was. Well, take a peek at Edward’s portrait. Notice anything? That would be the typical portraiture style of the day, one in which we probably see little akin to individual beauty. This and countless other points made in her book only work to undermine her own arguments and show her as biased and narrow-minded. Probably the biggest no-no she makes is in the introduction where she writes that it was exciting to see that Richard III’s body displays evidence of scoliosis, as it proves that he was indeed the malformed villain that history has written him. Conflating someone’s disability with them being a bad person? This struck me as exceedingly insulting, and has no place in academic work. Another area of dissonance for me is how little agency Elizabeth seems to have. Weir explains this away as being a product of her time, that women were essentially governed by men in all things. That might be believable, except that we have already been introduced to a panoply of strong female characters in this book who did not bend to their prescribed roles as merely background figures. Elizabeth’s mother, Elizabeth Wydeville, is certainly one such woman. Her mother, Jacquetta Rivers, is another. Even Henry Tudor’s mother, Margaret Beaufort, is presented as someone who was active in the political arena. So Elizabeth comes off as quite two-dimensional in comparison to her other female relatives, and the gaps in her story become substantially more problematic. Was she simply a meek and obedient woman, happy to yield to her prescribed social role? Or is there evidence to the contrary that simply hasn’t been unearthed yet? In either case, she becomes an unlikely candidate from whom to try to tease out a 500 page biography.Despite Weirs frequent and adamant claims that Elizabeth and Henry were deeply in love, all the evidence that she presents seems to point strongly in the other direction. She talks about how Henry kept Elizabeth on a tight, stingy budget, and that as a result she was often in debt and had to borrow money from her relations and ladies in waiting. Or how Henry postponed her coronation as long as he could, only officially recognizing her as queen after she had born him a son. It seemed like Henry actually did not even like his wife very much, taking every opportunity he could (again, this is all according to Weir’s own evidence) to remind her and everybody else that he was king in his own right and that he didn’t need her royal blood. Were they happy together? Maybe. It’s impossible to know what goes on between two people today, let alone between people that lived over 500 years ago in a different kind of society. If someone wrote a biography of me 500 years from now, I would hope that they would have the good grace not to use me as a mouthpiece for their own agenda. Poor Elizabeth of York deserves better than this.So, if you are looking for a broad and well-written introduction into the tumultuous period between the Wars of the Roses and the Tudor dynasty, this book fills that ticket. However, if you are interested in nuanced and balanced biography of a woman who has been delegated to the shadows of history, then this is not the book to bring her out of them.
    • 4/5
      Alison Weir’s biography of Elizabeth of York is thoroughly researched and is an engaging read. Elizabeth is famous for uniting the houses of Lancaster and York – the royal rivals from the Wars of the Roses – by marrying Henry Tudor; a Lancastrian claimant to the throne, albeit his claim was never especially strong, thus as a result many considered his right to be crowned Henry VII was owing to his wife, she being Edward IV’s daughter.As expected, much of the events that transpired during the Wars of the Roses are recalled here, as Elizabeth lived through a lot of the upsets and intrigues from the 1460s onwards. As a person and as a queen, Elizabeth comes across as noble, genuine, and very likeable.I would’ve rated this book 5 stars, only the detailed sections on clothing, plus how much someone was paid or how much something costs becomes tiresome when the information is extensive – but this is just a personal taste, not a negative criticism as such. Well worth checking out if, like me, you’re interested in medieval monarchy, the Wars of the Roses, and favour Alison Weir’s writing style.
    • 3/5
      First and foremost I commend Alison Weir for her ability to draw in Tudor historical enthusiasts by giving them a starting point to begin exploring their interest in Henry VIII, the Plantagenet princes in the Tower of London and further back to figures like Eleanor of Aquitaine. Weir's body of work is extensive as has been her fan base. Her treatment of Elizabeth of York, I am sure, will be well received by historical fans who are being introduced to her here via Weir.As other reviewers here have stated, Elizabeth of York is a person of great importance in English and monarchical history. Here is a woman who not only married a Tudor king but was the niece, daughter, (theoretically) sister and granddaughter of English kings. More importantly, she is the sole figure to, legitimately, link the houses of York and Tudor and to experience life intimately under both houses.Weir's work is great in setting a basis of knowledge for those new to English history or those who have learned or read about Elizabeth of York as a character in the periphery as she is so often relegated. Weir provides maps and family trees that are helpful to understanding both the gist of the War of Roses and its conclusion as well as defining the foundation (or lack thereof) on which the House of Tudor was founded. Hint: the foundation existed primarily of dubious ties to royal blood AND the sole personhood of Elizabeth of York and her future ability to procreate.I think other reviewers have said this and it bears repeating -- if you are looking for something new about Elizabeth of York to supplement a book you have perhaps already read about her or are looking to expound on your knowledge this book would more than likely not be the next step in your journey to know more. That being said, to my knowledge, Weir has never made pretenses about her work providing anything more than an introduction so there's no bait and switch here or dishonesty of any sort. Weir has been wildly successful and has established a kind of presentation of historical figures that suits her well and obviously works for her many readers.
    • 3/5
      A thorough examination of Elizabeth of York's life. Elizabeth of York clearly lived an interesting life, as the daughter of the Yorkist king Edward IV and his infamous wife Elizabeth Wydeville, as the older sister of the Princes in the Tower, as a potential bride of her uncle Richard III, and as the wife of the first Tudor king Henry VII. However, I noticed that the documentation on Elizabeth's life is somewhat thin, as Alison Weir relies on circumstantial evidence to recreate some portions of Elizabeth's life. In addition, my primary compliant is the author's fondness of descriptions and lists! This book includes long lists of every type of food served at a particular fest and long descriptions of expenses, clothing, and pageants. While not without their historical value, the author did seem to go a little overboard.
    • 4/5
      Alison Weir, Margaret George, Jean Plaidy, Philippa Gregory - my bookshelves are crammed with these authors. I love history and historical fiction, and I can never get enough of the Tudors and Stuarts.In Elizabeth York, we read about the beginnings of a dynasty that has entranced historians for centuries. It's hard to believe that Weir's biography is the first modern one written about Elizabeth, considering she is the mother of Henry the VIII and grandmother to Elizabeth I.This is definitely one that will be a permanent addition to my library. It's the only section where I *gasp* co-mingle fiction and non-fiction. With a history like the Tudors, it seems like almost a requirement.
    • 4/5
      I took on this non-fiction account of the life of Elizabeth of York in order to be more knowledgeable about the real-life people I am reading about when I read Tudor fiction. However, Elizabeth of York is one of the many women of the era that we simply do not have much information about. Obviously, Alison Weir has done as much research as she possibly can on Elizabeth of York, but there is still a lot of postulating happening with the use of 'may have,' 'probably felt,' and 'most likely' finding their way into the text at many points. That being said, I still enjoyed reading the book, although some parts were a little heavy on the facts. For my purposes, I enjoyed reading about Elizabeth's life during the War of the Roses where she was in sanctuary and about her marriage to Henry VII. In many of the fictitious accounts I have read, Elizabeth of York was not exactly in a loving relationship with Henry VII and especially not in a great relationship with her mother-in-law Margaret Beaufort. Alison Weir presents evidence that Henry VII and Elizabeth found an affectionate and mutually beneficial relationship rather quickly with Elizabeth having influence over Henry VII decisions and involvement in different affairs of state. It was amazing to me that we know specific things like exactly what was served at Elizabeth's coronation ceremony and every dress she owned, but the fates of her brothers who mysteriously disappeared from the Tower of London. This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      I'm a fan of historical biography. On the publishing front, Elizabeth of York tends to be overshadowed by her descendants (especially her namesake), making this book an appealing read about an often overlooked character. Alison Weir always does a great job on the research front. The early years of Elizabeth of York's story were well written and a page-turner. The pace started to drag once she married, and a gripping story morphed into large chunks of quotations. In an ideal world the author would have written two books (or perhaps a split book): one (part) would cover the "story" of Elizabeth and be written in the same style as the early parts of this work; the other would be the academic treatise covering who said what and when, what differing scholars believe, etc. The mix of a great story and the myriad quotes caused the work to drag, and felt like a letdown. I had truly enjoyed the initial pace, and then felt forced to stop, wade through the large section of quotes, and hope that things picked up. I don't object to a quote-filled, scholarly work (I own enough of them and appreciate them for the effort involved and what I can learn from them), but bogging down the pace of the story cost it some of its charm.
    • 3/5
      The lives of medieval women is oftentimes a difficult story to tell. In an age when the perspective of men was dominate, historians often struggle to find the voices of women. A queen, despite her rank, is no exception. In Elizabeth of York, the author Alison Weir tries to bring to life the woman whose marriage ended years of conflict in England and whose lineage can still be found today in modern royalty.Weir writes what I consider a successful biography given the source material. Elizabeth of York, a great queen who was beloved by many, at first glance took a backseat to most of the major events in her lifetime (with the exception being of her future husband's conquering of the throne). Weir does an admirable job tracking down contemporary sources in an effort to find even the slightest bit of evidence of Elizabeth's true life and opinion. The author tries to paint a picture of what Elizabeth may have experienced or thought as events took place which shaped the history of England and its royal family, yet Weir makes clear that these are her own conjunctions and not ones written in stone.The one criticism, which probably is unavoidable, is that a lot of Weir's source material is privy accounts. This makes for somewhat dull reading at times, as it essentially is a list of material bought by or for the Queen. As a reader, I oftentimes got tired of reading lists of clothes purchased for a royal birth or rewards given to loyal subjects who brought the Queen fruit.Overall though, I think Weir does a good job of trying to bring a somewhat misunderstood woman to life. While on the surface Elizabeth of York seemed passive and on the sidelines of history, Weir attempts to show a more complicated woman who was powerful within her sphere of influence and beloved by her subjects. I recommend this title to those interested in royal histories or medieval women studies.
    • 4/5
      It took quite a while to read through this well documented biography of Elizabeth of York. I'm glad I did. I have a better understanding of that time period now. In order to give us a picture of Elizabeth's life, Alison Weir tells of the many people surrounding her: her parents, Edward IV and Elizabeth Wydeville; her mother-in-law, Margaret Beaufort; her husband, Henry VII; her siblings; cousins; and uncles. In fact at times the book seems more about them than Elizabeth. All these other people however, are necessary to shed light on Elizabeth of York. They help us to see the constraints that she lived under. She was the daughter of a king, the wife of another king but yet she seems to have had very little power over her own life. This book is worth reading to gain an understanding of the political world of England in the 1500s.
    • 4/5
      Alison Weir's Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World is not a biography for a casual reader. Weir has done meticulous research, and she apparently makes every bit of it available. While the broad outlines of Elizabeth's life are verifiable, not enough of her letters or other writing survives to make a lifelike portrait possible. At least Weir is clear when she is speculating, but her writing is not inspiring, so Elizabeth remains an ambiguous figure. Elizabeth lived through dramatic times. I had no idea, for example, that her uncle Richard III contemplated marrying her and that she was not averse to the idea although she was supposed to have pledged herself to Henry Tudor. When she married him after he defeated Richard at Bosworth, she and Henry had what Weir describes as a good marriage if not a happy one. Always short of money, Elizabeth was apparently the perfect queen: loyal, devout, philanthropic, fertile. She was in the king's confidence but did not exercise her power beyond her womanly sphere.A good part of the book consists of lists, some interesting, some tedious. We learn about her clothes and furs and their cost (incredible cost! Current equivalent value is given) and the same for food and shrines and churches visited on her royal progresses and names of servants and attendants and their salaries. Now that I've finished the book, I'm glad to have read it, but I must say that it took some discipline to plow through it.