Why am I passionate about this?
Thirty years as a medieval reenactor gave me the background I needed to step into the past. I learned much about everyday activities and I gained familiarity with physical objects such as weapons and armor. My first four books (including The Last Great Saxon Earls trilogy) took place in the eleventh century, and by then I was ready to jump forward three hundred years to the Plantagenet era. In college, I saw Shakespeare's Richard II play, and I was so enthralled with it that I carried Richard around with me for forty years before tackling this book. It ended up being much more complicated than I could ever imagine!
Mercedes' book list on the Plantagenets
Why did Mercedes love this book?
An oldie but goodie! Any aspiring historian will benefit greatly from this four-book series written in the 1960s. This is a popular history and very easy to read. Although I discovered these books years before I started writing, I periodically revisit them purely for enjoyment. Costain covered a lot of information in a way that stayed with me for years. I would even go so far as to say he influenced me to continue my reading on the subject. This particular volume gives us a lot of insight into Richard II.
1 author picked The Last Plantagenets as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
Copyright 1962 - Paperback A great storyteller's most dazzling bestseller Here is Thomas B. Costain's most magnificent performance, rivaling even THE BLACK ROSE for color and drama. Here are history's most spectacular Kings and Queens - and a brilliant new probing of the greatest mystery of all time, the death of the Princess in the Tower.