To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York (Queens of England Series, #11)

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To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York (Tudor Saga #1)

3.59 of 5 stars 3.59 · rating details · 1,331 ratings · 90 reviews

From exile and war to love and loss—every dynasty has a beginning.

Henry Tudor was not born to the throne of England. Having come of age in a time of political turmoil and danger, the man who would become Henry VII spent fourteen years in exile in Brittany before returning triumphantly to the Dorset coast with a small army and decisively winning the Battle of Bosworth Field...more

Paperback, 416 pages

Published October 7th 2008 by Broadway (first published January 1st 1983)

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Feb 21, 2011 ladywallingford rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Although I didn't think much of Mary, Queen of France by this author, I thought I would give her another try. According to the plot synopsis on the back of the cover, this book was supposed to be the story of the great romance between Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Well, the story barely touched on Elizabeth of York and when she did actually appear in the progression of the novel, I think she was treated as nothing more than breeding stock. A very disappointing read...

I also found fault with...more

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Apr 16, 2008 Ana T. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2008, traded, renaissance

After having read Victoria Holt in my teens and having heard rave reviews of Jean Plaidy's historical fiction novel I finally tried one - Uneasy Lies the Head is the story of Henry VII. The man who defeated Richard III at Bosworth, united the Lancaster and York Houses and spent his ruling years getting rid of potential rivals to the throne.

In the aftermath of the bloody Wars of the Roses, Henry Tudor has seized the English crown, finally uniting the warring Houses of York and Lancaster through h...more After having read Victoria Holt in my teens and having heard rave reviews of Jean Plaidy's historical fiction novel I finally tried one - Uneasy Lies the Head is the story of Henry VII. The man who defeated Richard III at Bosworth, united the Lancaster and York Houses and spent his ruling years getting rid of potential rivals to the throne.

In the aftermath of the bloody Wars of the Roses, Henry Tudor has seized the English crown, finally uniting the warring Houses of York and Lancaster through his marriage to Elizabeth of York. But whilst Henry VII rules wisely and justly, he is haunted by Elizabeth's missing brothers; the infamous two Princes, their fate in the Tower forever a shrouded secret. Then tragedy strikes at the heart of Henry's family, and it is against his own son that the widowed king must fight for a bride and his throne...

I liked Plaidy's voice although at first I was a bit confused with the different point of views. I also would have preferred if the story had started a bit earlier. Henry VII acceptance as a king was a in part due to his marriage to Elizabeth of York and it was a bit odd seeing her so dependent of him when she must have been an important part of the day's politics.

But mostly the book is about Henry's political moves to guarantee his power, to prevent rebellions by York claimants. He had to deal with two fake pretenders - Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck - and kept a tight hold on the ones who might be a potential danger like the young Earl of Warwick. He comes across as cold, scheming and a detached murderer. He has no strong feelings - love or hate - towards anyone but he doesn't hesitate to murder, or better said convict with fake charges, the one's who might threaten his power. Unavoidably part of what bothers him is to explain the disappearance of the prince's in the tower in a way that doesn't make him look guilty.

Another important thing is the begetting of heirs to strengthen the dynasty. Having had the fragile Arthur, Henry and Elizabeth keep having more children and next come Margaret, Henry and Mary and a few other babies who didn’t survive. Their children are also an important part of the book and we follow the negotiations for Arthur and Katharine of Aragon's marriage and the early years of the princess's stay in England. The author also develops a bit of the future Henry VIII personality, presumably to set us on the right path for the next books.

All in all an enjoyable read which follows the historical facts closely but gives them a lighter and fictionalised approach.

Grade: B(less)

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May 25, 2010 Ami rated it 2 of 5 stars

It is quite clear that the person who wrote the synopsis of the story found on the back cover of this book never actually read it. It reads: "As Henry’s claim to the throne was tenuous, his marriage to Elizabeth of York, daughter and direct heir of King Edward IV, not only served to unify the warring houses, it also helped Henry secure the throne for himself and for generations to come. And though their union was born from political necessity, it became a wonderful love story that led to seven c...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, from-library, new_read

A Plaidy book about the Tudors that I've never read - shocking.

On the back of this book it says that it's going to be the "wonderful love story" of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York - LIARS. Elizabeth is barely in this book, and when she is, she's suffering through a pregnancy or thinking that she can't have an opinion about anything because Henry wouldn't like it. (She's also trying not to think about her poor probably-dead brothers, the Princes in the Tower.)

I did enjoy the characterization of H...more

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Feb 13, 2009 Val rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: tudors

I was really looking forward to reading this book. Even though it was another fictionalized account of Henry VII & Elizabeth of York, I was eager to read about the events from a different view. As much as I hate to say it, this book was almost painful to get through at times.

In contrast with The King’s Daughter, a book that grabbed me and pulled me in, To Hold the Crown just seemed to gloss over the characters & events of the book. Elizabeth of York hardly played a part in this book. Re...more

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May 06, 2013 Samantha rated it 2 of 5 stars

I decided to give Plaidy another try after giving up on her "Plantagenet Prelude" swearing that I would never purchase one of her books again. Looking for something on Elizabeth of York and finding such novels in short supply, I attempted Plaidy again with the hope that this more recent novel would see improvements in her writing. It is improved in that I finished it. This at times required some perseverance on my part. Much to my dismay, Elizabeth is not even a major character in the book.

Once...more

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Aug 14, 2010 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars

If it weren't for the spelling errors, grammatical errors and the incessant drilling into your skull the fact that "HENRY'S KINGSHIP IS NOT SECURE, HENCE THE TITLE OF THE BOOK" then this would have been a fantastic book. However, this was not the case.

The book moved very slowly at first and it was all about Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort. Then Lady Beaufort disappears until literally the end of the book. Henry VII was a shrewd man but always willing to show mercy... over and over and...more

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Sep 07, 2010 Paula rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: tudor, bought_in_2010, read_in_2010

Blech! I soo wanted to like this book, but it was just so poorly written and such a stretch from the truth that I couldn't get into it. I finished it because I have a good streak going of actually reading the group read selections from the Tudor group, but otherwise probably would have been tempted to throw this into the fire this past Labor Day weekend. Who am I kidding, I was tempted, but it goes against every fiber of my being to burn a book!

The plot was weak - there basically wasn't one, act...more

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May 31, 2009 Mandi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not quite a novel, this read more like the shortened biography of King Henry VII and Queen Elizbeth of the House of York. Descended from a bastard of a previous king, we see "the Tudor" of Lancaster steal the crown of England from King Edward and marry his daughter, Elizabeth, forever uniting the two most powerful houses in the country. This is the story of their uneasy rise to power and how they raised their children, the most famous becoming Henry VIII. Told from the points of view of both the...more

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Apr 16, 2009 Susie Fiorito rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished this book. I have enjoyed it very much. I will say that it is one of Jean Plaidy's better works. I really like how she has portrayed Henry VII, I can emphatize with his character. He was very committed to his title and worried sick over it. He was the parent that paved the way for the child who will ultimately, over spend and over indulge. I had never realized how compansionate of King he was, he was very mindful of the common citizen and their challenges, also very mindful of th...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 2 of 5 stars

I FINALLY finished this book. Having read several books by Anna Easter Smith and Phillipa Gregory on the same time period, I was looking forward to having a third perspective on this era. However, it's more a recitation of a historical timeline than a well-rounded, developed historical novel with deeply drawn characters.

Jean Plaidy (aka Victoria Holt, pen name of Eleanor Hibbert) has always been a favorite author of mine, but this book is way simplistically written. I found the writing style ver...more

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Mar 27, 2010 Sensitivemuse rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have to say, I enjoyed reading this book. At first, it was a little hard for me to get into, as the plot did not grasp at my attention, and there is a slight confusion to all the names being thrown out to you as a reader. Hence why there are detailed family trees in the beginning for your reference. After getting the characters straightened out the plot gets more intriguing and the Tudor court suddenly comes to life. Albeit, not as dashing and charming as you might find in Henry the Eighth's c...more I have to say, I enjoyed reading this book. At first, it was a little hard for me to get into, as the plot did not grasp at my attention, and there is a slight confusion to all the names being thrown out to you as a reader. Hence why there are detailed family trees in the beginning for your reference. After getting the characters straightened out the plot gets more intriguing and the Tudor court suddenly comes to life. Albeit, not as dashing and charming as you might find in Henry the Eighth's court, but that's because his father was a penny pincher. The glamour isn't there yet, but the intrigue definitely is, and so is the constant plotting to get rid of the Tudors from the English throne.

I really liked the detail and effort Plaidy had put into this novel to made it as historically accurate as possible without really compromising anything. She breathed life into each of the characters so there's flesh and feeling to them and not just two dimensional things that don't develop at all, or are just there to take up a page or two. Her writing style is a little different, it's certainly more descriptive and sets the right moods and tones for the reader. The dialogue is all right and well written, and adds personality to the characters in the book. It was nice to see Katherine and Arthur again albeit for a very short period of time. She gained my sympathy towards the end of the novel for sure.

I also enjoyed how Henry the VII was so worried about these pretenders to the throne, and how he was always on the edge of his seat to defend it. Also, the outcome of the Princes of the Tower was interesting and well written here. What I didn't really like about this story? Henry was a bit too cold, almost lifeless and void of any real human emotion. He was like a robot. Also, his wife Elizabeth was mentioned but not as much as I hoped. I actually wanted to hear more about the story of both of them and how they got along in their marriage. However on a lighter note, it was nice to see Henry the Eighth, same as usual, arrogant as ever. It's nice to see some things that don't change in every Tudor novel I have come across.

Overall, a must read for Tudor fans everywhere. It sets the setting for Henry the Eighth and his court and keeps you wanting more to read.
(less)

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Aug 23, 2010 Anna rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm a big fan of historical fiction, particularly about the tudors but this book just didn't do it for me. I was interested in learning more about Elizabeth and Henry VII but I didn't feel any connection to them after I finished. First off the story follows many other historical figures and doesn't spend that much time with the King and Queen of England. Also I didn't feel that the characters were developed, at all. They all seemed to be dominated by one feature of their personality; Henry VII b...more

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Nov 23, 2009 Tania rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 14, 2012 Victoria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

What I really loved about this book is that it gave you a good overview of Henry VII's reign. I came out of it understanding more than I did going into it (while remembering that it's still a fiction novel). I wish I had read it before I read Anne Easter Smith's tomes. I was also happy that the prose wasn't bogged down with lots and lots of historical language that keeps the reader from being able to fully immerse themselves in the work.

I did find, however, that the plot bounced around a lot. Is...more

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Jul 19, 2010 Lyn M (readinghearts) rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Tudor or Royalty history buffs

Recommended to Lyn M (readinghearts) by: THL group read

Shelves: books-i-own, 2010, historical-fiction, romance, tudor, royals

I finally finished To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York by Jean Plaidy. The month of July has been so busy for me, I have been having a hard time getting time to read.

If you follow my reviews, you know I usually start with a story. Well the story about this book is that it was picked as a group read for the Tudor History Lovers group here on Goodreads. In this group we pick a Tudor figure every two months to read a book about. For June and July that person was El...more I finally finished To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York by Jean Plaidy. The month of July has been so busy for me, I have been having a hard time getting time to read.

If you follow my reviews, you know I usually start with a story. Well the story about this book is that it was picked as a group read for the Tudor History Lovers group here on Goodreads. In this group we pick a Tudor figure every two months to read a book about. For June and July that person was Elizabeth of York. Since this book was billed as the love story between King Henry VII and his wife Elizabeth of York, it won the members poll for the group read. In fact, Elizabeth of York was a very minor character in the book and the love story was hardly in the book at all.

Although that was a disappointment, the book itself was a pretty good rendition of the reign of King Henry VII chronicling Henry's obsession with keeping the crown for the Tudor's and the factors in play that fueled that obsession. Additionally, there was a lot of time spent on the character of Henry VIII as a small child and youth, and Katharine of Aragon, as first Arthur's wife and then Henry VIII's betrothed. As such, the author did a good job telling the story of the beginning of the Tudor dynasty.

One comment I would like to make, though, with regards to this book is the poor editing that was done. There were a lot of mistakes, and while I usually ignore them in favor of the story, many of the group members felt that they detracted from the book quite a bit. As it turns out, those group members who had original copies from the UK, or early (circa 1984) US editions did not have the errors, but those of us who had the newer editions did. There were many misspelled words and misplaced punctuation marks that did not seem to be in the original editions. Obviously, since these errors were not in the original editions, one cannot blame the author, but must look to the editors of the newer editions. In my opinion, this is a huge disservice to the author as it can turn off many potential readers.

All in all, I am giving the book 3 stars. It was a good, but not great book. I did not want to sit up all night reading it to see what was happening. However, it is the first book in Plaidy's Tudor Series, and I do plan to read the others. (less)

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Jun 13, 2011 Xenia0201 rated it 2 of 5 stars

I generally like Plaidy's novels but this one was a bit of a disappointment being that we saw very little of Elizabeth of York's character. I believe this to be so because history tells us that Elizabeth was amiable and docile, one of the main reasons she was chosen by the Countess of Richmond to be her son's Queen. Many throughout history question Elizabeth's loyalties as the mystery of what happened to her brothers (the Princes in the Tower)is allegedly on the hands of her husband, Henry VII,...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Sara Giacalone rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book - the first I've read by Jean Plaidy (Victoria Holt). It was better than I expected - well researched and insightful. I enjoyed reading about some characters that I've read very little about overall (Henry VII, Elizabeth of York, Prince Arthur) and getting insights into other characters that I feel I know rather well (young Prince Henry, Catherine of Aragon, Jauna of Castille). It is true that this edition's back cover grossly overplays the "romance" aspect between Henry VII...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Richard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, fiction-and-fact, adventure, medieval

What a great book. If you are into the romantic thing, this is probably not for you. If you like your history and twisting plots of real life medieval Europe royalty, especially English, this is definitely for you.
I like my English history, particularly around the middle ages, and I learnt more form this book than I ever did from any history teacher. So, some of the storylines may be fictional, but what the hell, it was a superb read and brilliantly written. My first, but not last, Jean Plaidy n...more

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Mar 03, 2012 June Louise rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history-of-the-monarchy, general-history, old-england, terrible-tudors, medieval, historical-fiction, best-of-the-best, favorites, series

You know when you have spent hours reading a book and have learned a lot of things from it, that it has been time well spent. I feel just like that on finishing "Uneasy Lies The Head".

The uneasy head of the title belongs to King Henry VII - the Lancastrian king who married the Yorkist Elizabeth - daughter of Elizabeth Woodville. Having come across this motley bunch in Philippa Gregory's The White Queen (and also Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufort in the Red Queen), I had a little knowledge of the...more You know when you have spent hours reading a book and have learned a lot of things from it, that it has been time well spent. I feel just like that on finishing "Uneasy Lies The Head".

The uneasy head of the title belongs to King Henry VII - the Lancastrian king who married the Yorkist Elizabeth - daughter of Elizabeth Woodville. Having come across this motley bunch in Philippa Gregory's The White Queen (and also Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufort in the Red Queen), I had a little knowledge of the background to the Princes in the Tower, their captivity and the fights for the crown. King Henry VII was known for being a "just" King - not at all extravagant, believing that great money was to be spent only if gains could be made from it. In doing this, he made England a very powerful and wealthy country. However, he was always aware that there were people who were questioning his right to the throne, which made him almost paranoid. Indeed, when two impostors did appear, Lambert Simnel and Peter "Perkin" Warbeck - Henry and his army were shaken up a little. Henry seemed to "dispose" of anyone who was a threat to his sovereignty (such as the Earl of Warwick), in between getting his wife in a semi-persistent state of child-bearing.

Not a lot is said about Elizabeth. She seems to be there to produce children and be the mild and meek wife of the King - who often reminds her that him being King means that Lancaster is more important than York.

Henry VIII's life from childhood to accession are described in this book - as I said in an earlier comment, I was a little baffled as to how, at the age of two, he was planning on how to become Prince of Wales in place of his older brother, Arthur. Maybe toddlers were cleverer in those days!

Then King James IV makes an entrance - being a half-Scot I had to laugh at the description of Scots being inelegant and barbarians! He plays a part in Henry VII's life - and enjoys seeing him getting into trouble!

Without giving the plot away to those who are unaware of this part of history, there are marriages, deaths, protests, imprisonments, conniving schemes, and wife-hunting going on. It's a busy old time in the Tudor household, often with poor young Katharine of Aragon in the midst of it!

As with all Jean Plaidy books, I would highly recommend "Uneasy Lies The Head" - she is one of my favourite historical fiction authors. This, to me, doesn't read like a timeline of events - it is a snapshot, in 440-odd pages,of the treachery and slyness of the monarchy in the 16th century. Very readable (if a little slow to start), and very addictive. I have already added the sequel to my TBR list!(less)

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Mar 14, 2012 Ashley W rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: british-royalty, historical-fiction, tudor-period

Boy, was this book boring! I put this book down several times because I simply could not read straight through without falling asleep. To Hold The Crown chronicles the reign of Henry VII and his Queen Elizabeth of York, and it was VERY dry. Also, the blurb on the back of the book lied to me, because there was absolutely zero love story anywhere in this book, let alone between Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Elizabeth of York only appeared when she was pregnant or when she was being told what do...more Boy, was this book boring! I put this book down several times because I simply could not read straight through without falling asleep. To Hold The Crown chronicles the reign of Henry VII and his Queen Elizabeth of York, and it was VERY dry. Also, the blurb on the back of the book lied to me, because there was absolutely zero love story anywhere in this book, let alone between Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Elizabeth of York only appeared when she was pregnant or when she was being told what do to by her husband and/or mother-in-law.

Henry VII just disgusted me. Throughout the book, he is described as being calm which just seemed to be a euphemism for cold. He only treated his wife and children with affection if they were useful at the moment, and devised underhanded schemes to receive money from his people or to off those he felt were menaces to him. The one he devised to rid himself of the Earl of Warwick and Perkin Warbeck was especially cruel and in my opinion, unnecessary. He should've just executed them straight off instead of giving them false hope.

Elizabeth of York was only a bit better. She had everything decided for her and has absolutely no backbone! The woman even went so far as to turn against her mother for the sake of her husband and mother-in-law, Margaret Beaufort. If I was Elizabeth Woodville, I would have slapped her silly after everything she did for her, and for good measure (though I really probably would have been executed), Margaret Beaufort, too. No one showed Elizabeth Woodville any respect, and yet people were surprised when she took part in a rebellion against the King. I wondered what took her so long. When she died, I was sad to see her go, because she seemed to be the only person in the entire novel who had any sense.

The reasoning behind Arthur's name was ridiculous. Henry VII really believed he was descended from the mythical King Arthur, who no one even knows even existed. Poor Arthur spent so much of his life trying to live up to his name and being the perfect son and Prince of Wales, that it ultimately took his life. Henry VIII and Margaret were brats and though Henry VIII was depicted as a selfish, arrogant child, I liked his characterization. Even at the age of three, he felt he should have been the Prince of Wales instead of Arthur. It might've been foreshadowing on Plaidy's part, but I felt it was more Henry being really precocious.

I also liked Plaidy's interpretation on the fate of the Princes in the Tower, and I feel it was very possible. Her theory is a lot more believable than the most popular one, I think.

There was not much plot in this book as it really only served as a 400+ plus page history lesson and it was very repetitive. The eighth time someone mentioned that Henry VIII had "a shaky claim to the throne" I wanted to throw this book at a wall.

Unless you are a true Plaidy fan or really love Henry VII, I would pass on this one.(less)

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Feb 09, 2011 chucklesthescot rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical, tudors, femalehardship, harsh-regime, political, religion, monarchy

King Henry VII ended The War of the Roses by uniting his House of Lancaster with the House of York by marrying Elizabeth of York. Even with the birth of two sons, Henry still feels paranoid about losing his throne. He seeks an alliance with the rulers of Spain, while fighting off rebels who support other claimants to the throne. He feels more secure when his son Arthur marries Katherine of Aragon, the young Spanish Princess but disaster is waiting just around the corner.

This book was a good back...more

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Jul 12, 2010 Amber (The Musings of ALMYBNENR) rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Only if you're a really dedicated Tudor fan - to compare it to other books.

Shelves: group-reads

I have TONS of Jean Plaidy books on my TBR and this is the first novel by her that I have ever read. I am a member of the Tudor History Lovers group on Goodreads and this book was voted in as the group read for July/August (my first group read since joining the group). The actual group read experience is an enjoyable one: we can all read at our own pace and then discuss different parts of the book on the forum and what we thought of it. Now, the actual book itself...I will just leave you with tw...more

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Jul 23, 2010 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Tudor Lovers, Royalty/History Buffs

Recommended to Jennifer by: Tudor History Lovers GR

Shelves: tudors, historical-fiction, england, jean-plaidy, library, group-reads-and-brs, 2010

Read for Tudor History Lovers Group Read ~ July/August 2010

I liked this book but I didn't love it.

I enjoyed reading about Henry VII but, while I was really looking forward to reading about Elizabeth of York, I feel like I still know nothing about who she was. I realize that there's not a whole bunch of information available about her, but come on... it's supposed to be a book about the love story between her and Henry and she's barely in it. Oh, and there's no love story. Was Elizabeth of York...more

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Nov 04, 2008 Misfit rated it 4 of 5 stars

From the back cover “And though their union was born from political necessity, it became a wonderful love story…” Huh? You have to wonder sometimes what is going through the publisher’s heads – the marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York was not a love match by any means – why they would try to label it as such??

Originally published as Uneasy Lies the Head, this book covers the reign of Henry VII following the defeat of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. With a very tenuous claim on the...more

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Jul 05, 2010 Rachel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, historical-fiction

I've read a lot on the Tudor line, and I can say that this author did not do justice to most of the players in the book. It felt to me like she over-simplified some very complex personalities, and also I was never quite sure where she was getting her history from. It's too bad because she has a lot of books out, but I really didn't enjoy her writing style. She went back and forth between characters, never spending a time to really develop one perspective. This was a very disappointing read.

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Oct 09, 2012 Meave added it

I'm pretty sure I read this sometime between 1994 and 1996, when I spent most of my time glued to the Jean Plaidy bookshelf in the public library. Still.

I really loved her books as a pre-teen, but reading it now, it's pretty tedious. Which is disappointing, but you know, growing up and all that. I guess I remember it being a whole lot naughtier, but now it's just like, a bunch of dickish dudes bossing everyone around, and ladies getting screwed. Which was maybe her secret point?

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Nov 13, 2010 Diana rated it 1 of 5 stars

I had a hart time finishing this book. I love historical fiction, especially stories about the Tudors. The book was supposed to be about King Henry the VII and Elizabeth, but focused more on Princes Arthur and Henry. The book glossed over how Henry VII came to the throne and made Elizabeth his queen. In addition to not being the story I expected, the book was poorly written. The writing was very disjointed. There was no continuity or flow. I would not reccomend this book

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Jan 13, 2011 ZaBeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: source-lib, r-fmiw, r-goodreads, _g-romance, series_started, 6-fromfictionstack

Getting the crown is only half of the problem. What do you do once you wear the golden crown with jewels? For Henry VII his goals were to have sons, bring financial stability to England, and avoid war whenever possible. Those are admirable goals for a King in 1483 when he seized the throne at the Battle of Bosworth Field.

But even a merciful King who only used violence when England was threatened, would soon have blood on his hands. What is right for England - and if it benefited the King - that...more

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May 20, 2010 Haley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, the-tudors

This is my first experience with Jean Plaidy's historical novels. They were suggested by a book blog I follow. To be honest, I am not sure what to think yet. I think I would read another of her novels, especially since I get to learn about the Tudors in the process. However, I am not sure how historically accurate Plaidy is. Any Tudor fans out there who are familiar with Plaidy's writing?

Also, my copy had a few grammar/spelling errors, which irritated me...

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About Jean Plaidy

Eleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million)....more

More about Jean Plaidy...

Books by Jean Plaidy

The Lady in the Tower (Queens of England, #4)

Katharine of Aragon: The Wives of Henry VIII (Tudor Saga, #2-4)

The Rose Without a Thorn: The Wives of Henry VIII (Queens of England, #11)

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Quotes from To Hold the Crown: The...

“...his dearest wish was that he could have a quiet life free from his obligations.” — 1 person liked it

“They were seated at the banquet side by side, immediately good friends, their great attraction being that each of them knew there was nothing to fear from the other.” — 1 person liked it

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title link	preview: To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York
avg rating	preview: To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York Goodreads rating: 3.59 (1331 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3322106-to-hold-the-crown?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320477699l/3322106.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3322106-to-hold-the-crown?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York by Jean Plaidy[/url]

To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York (Tudor Saga #1)

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