The first section was interesting, with lots of detail about her parents, childhood, but  I would have liked to see a family tree of all those Beauforts and how they intermarried into the nobility.   <o:p></o:p>

Then, when discussing the tension between Warwick and Edward IV, she has Clarence marrying Anne, daughter of Warwick!  Not to worry, just a page later she describes the rapprochement between Warwick and Margaret of Anjou without even mentioning Anne's marriage to Edouward.  Now, why else would the proud Earl agree to help Margaret?  She repeats the story that after Tewkesbury, Edouward was brought before E4, got mouthy and was condemned.  I thought it was not certain whether he died in battle or was pursued & killed by Clarence's men.  She whiffs through the next 20 years quite quickly, understandable, I guess, as Margaret really wasn't center stage then.  When she describes Richard and Anne's coronation, well, I'll quote:  "The unfortunate Anne had seen her father, the failed King-Maker, fall at the hands of the Yorkists.  When she was sixteen, she had been married to the son of Henry VI, despite her family's political affiliations, and in 1473 she was taken in marriage by Richard of Gloucester.  Unlike Margaret Beaufort, who remarried in the same year, Anne seems to have little choice in the selection of her husband.  Dutifully, Anne presented Richard with a son, Edward, born at Middleham Castle in 1474.  By the time she walked barefoot, as queen, upon a carpet of striped cloth, accompanying her husband to pray at St. Edward's shrine, she was already suffering from the consumption that, aggravated by personal sorrow, that would kill her." <o:p></o:p>

She repeats all of Thomas Moore’s stories about the deaths of the Princes in the Tower and repeats Moore’s awful description of Richard word for word.  "never quiet in his mind; he never thought himself sure.  Where he went abroad, his eyes whirled about, his body privacy fenced, his hand ever on his dagger," etc etc<o:p></o:p>

 She mentions the tragic deaths of Edward of Middleham and Queen Anne. The talk of Richard wanting to marry his niece is presented as a rumor, yet the next paragraph says "Richard's suit of Elizabeth of York failed, and the king turned to the nobility in a last effort to gain the support he so vitally needed."  thereby implying that he was truly trying to marry the girl.   <o:p></o:p>

There is some interesting background about life in England at that time, then a quick version of Bosworth (of course never mentioning that Henry Tudor didn't even fight!) and then Margaret's glorious moment when her son is crowned. Her later life is detailed, probably was better chronicled because of her postion as the king's mother.  Nothing at all about Elizabeth Woodville's plotting and banishment.  

Also interesting was the description of Margaret's piety in her later life.  She rose daily at 5 to pray, said matins with her gentlewomen then alone with her chaplain.  Four or five masses a day, kept all the fast days.  Throughout the day she returned to the altar, said dirges and commendations,evensongs and psalms.  At night in her private chapel, again she prayed.  At confession, which she made every third day, she wept copiously.  At ceremonies and celebrations, onlookers were struck by her outpouring of tears.  Several times a week she wore hair shirts or girdles of hair, with her skin pierced and raw.  Does this seem extremely excessive to anyone else? (My evil thought here - perhaps a GUILTY conscience - if she had anything to do with the deaths of the Princes in the Tower!!!)  Especially now that her life's ambition was finished, to have her son crowned king.  Also, it made me wonder if, as Katherine of Aragon aged, she reminded Henry VIII of his grandmother in her piety.  Probably not a good thing for you to remind your husband of  his grandmother!  <o:p></o:p>

 Anyway, that's MY review of the book!  It had some very interesting stuff in it, but would have been better with some editing.  And for heaven's sake - it was Isabel Neville who married George!!!   Too many things were presented as fact that were from after-sources (particularly Thomas More and a few Shakespeare quotes).  I'd love to read a non-biased bio of her, though. 

terri*lee

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