The White Queen

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In this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets, a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition, Elizabeth Woodville, catches the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown.

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Another big win for Philippa Gregory submitted by deets on July 21, 2011, 4:44pm I simply could not put this book down. As the author states in the epilogue, the story is based in factual events as well as the are known, but there are large gaps, oftentimes conflicting tales, and other uncertainties in what is known during this period. It is a time when two families, those of York and Lancaster are vying for the crown while King Henry grows ever more "out of it", shall we say. It is also a time when the rules seem to apply according to who you know, and families begin to fight within themselves as greed is seen as part of the nature of being a great family.

If you have been waiting for an incredible and quick read, since you probably won't put it down much once you begin, you've found it.

Excellent Story submitted by Bookwyrm on July 5, 2012, 8:03am Phillipa Gregory has written another fascinating and entertaining story drawing the reader into the era where families will do anything to gain control of the throne. This book was a fast and fun read!

The war of the roses submitted by Jen Chapin-Smith on July 28, 2013, 4:57pm In one of her many books about English history, Philippa Gregory brings readers the story of Elizabeth Woodville, born of middling rank in the English aristocracy, who married King Edward IV, in "The White Queen." White refers to the color of Kind Edward's side in the war (York). Each side used a colored rose as its symbol.
The book begins with Elizabeth Woodville catching the eye of the newly-crowned king and ends when he son-in-law, Henry VII (father of Henry VIII) ascends to the throne.
Gregory's books are a great way to learn English history, as she carefully researches them and incorporates the drama and scandal of the day. She occasionally includes as truth what was just rumor at the time, such as Elizabeth Woodville and her mother's use of spells to help their relatives.
From Wikipedia: "Woodville's children included the Princes in the Tower and Elizabeth of York; by the latter she was maternal grandmother of Henry VIII and great-grandmother of King Edward VI, Queen Mary I of England and Queen Elizabeth I and the great-great-grandmother of Mary, Queen of Scots. Through her daughter, Elizabeth of York, she is the ancestor of every English monarch since Henry VIII, every Scottish monarch since James V of Scotland and every British monarch from James VI and I."

The White Queen submitted by candyceh811 on June 18, 2015, 3:15pm I absolutely loved this book! Philippa Gregory is an amazing writer and this book has an engaging storyline about the cousins war.

Wonderfully written!!!!! submitted by boocathy621 on June 15, 2019, 7:23pm A.Very good book of English historical fiction. It is well written and engaging. I would highly recommend it.