Overview

Good people, I am come hither to die, and by a law I am condemned to the same. These were the heartbreaking words of a seventeen-year-old girl, Lady Jane Grey, as she stood on the scaffold awaiting death on a cold February morning in 1554. Minutes later her head was struck from her body with a single stroke of a heavy axe. Her death for high treason sent shockwaves through the Tudor world, and served as a gruesome reminder to all who aspired to a crown that the axe could fall at any time. Jane is known to history as the Nine Days Queen, but her reign lasted, in fact, for thirteen days. The human and emotional aspects of her story have often been ignored, although she is remembered as one of the Tudor Era's most tragic victims. While this is doubtlessly true, it is only part of the complex jigsaw of Jane's story. She was a remarkable individual with a charismatic personality who earned the admiration and affection of many of those who knew her. All were impressed by her wit, passion, intelligence, and determined spirit. Furthermore, the recent trend of trying to highlight her achievements and her religious faith has, in fact, further obscured the real Jane, a young religious radical who saw herself as an advocate of the reformed faith-Protestantism-and ultimately became a martyr for it. Crown of Blood is an important and significant retelling of an often-misunderstood tale: set at the time of Jane's downfall and following her journey through to her trial and execution, each chapter moves between the past and the present, using a rich abundance of primary source material (some of which has never been published) in order to paint a vivid picture of Jane's short and turbulent life. This dramatic narrative traces the dangerous plots and web of deadly intrigue in which Jane became involuntarily tangled-and which ultimately led to a shocking and catastrophic conclusion.

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9781982586362

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Reviews

Highly recommended for readers interested in British history or the Tudor era. -- Library Journal Tallis' clear writing and well-paced narrative heighten the story's climactic and tragic ending. -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) Tallis combines Jane's virtues as a scrupulous scholar herself with a colorful background of how Tudor England looked, sounded, and smelled. She has succeeded in drawing Jane out of the shadows. -- Spectator (London) Tallis brings this tragic teen to vivid life in her perceptive and thoughtful new book. -- Christian Science Monitor Tallis takes this thin slice of fact and serves it up as a full banquet, filling in history's faint outline. The telling is by necessity speculative, since so little primary source material exists. Nevertheless, Tallis perseveres, presenting Jane as 'a spirited girl who demonstrated character, passion, talent, and strength, ' a serious bookworm who grew up in a household where new ideas flourished. -- New York Times Book Review A stunning debut from a young historian who deserves to be recognized as a major talent in her field. -- Alison Weir, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Author Information

Nicola Tallis achieved a first-class bachelor's degree with honors in history from Bath Spa University. She also has an MA in public history from Royal Holloway College, University of London. She has been passionate about English history for all of her life and has worked as a curator, lecturer, and historical researcher. She is the resident historian for Alison Weir Tours. Anne Flosnik, a seasoned audiobook narrator, has over four hundred titles to her credit and several awards and distinctions, including AudioFile Earphones Awards, a USA Today Recommended Listening selection, an AudioFile Best Narration of the Year selection in 2009, and the American Library Association's Special Services to Children Award. She has also been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She is an award-winning British actress with lead credits on stage, on television, and in commercials and voice-overs.

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